What's the Difference between Raspberry Pi and Arduino?

Question

This question stems from a large lack of understanding, but it concerns a project I've wanted to do for a while.

This is an Instructables page for an 8x8x8 led cube, and the 70th step addresses the question, "Can I use an Arduino to control the cube?" The tutorial outlines how to connect the cube with an Arduino Duemilanove.

Because Raspberry Pi can run an operating system, it would seem very well qualified to be able to beat an Arduino (at least the Uno and other small models) at this task, but I don't have the knowledge to compare the two.

What is the difference?

Answer 1

I few differences I have noticed. Raspberry Pi:

• Doesn't support Analog IO
• Not as many pins for IO as the Arduino
• Much more difficult to access IO pins (imo)
• Writing to the pins for time essential applications in Python can lead to inaccuracies
• Runs a full fledged Linux OS
• Features Ethernet (and WiFi and Bluetooth on newer models)
• Two USB 2.0
• Can display to a television with relative easy (HDMI/Analogue)
• 700Mhz Processor with 512M of RAM
• SD Card

Arduino Uno:

• Support for Analogue IO
• Many PINs available without a need to breakout
• High amount of Library and community support (Raspberry pi is still quite new) (The Pi now has equal or greater library and community support)
• Is accurate with time sensitive applications
• 16Mhz processor with 2KB of RAM (Arduino Uno)
• More accessories ;) (Now has a similar number of accessories)

Hope that helps a little bit, I can't view the link due to the firewall I'm behind :/

Answer 2

Arduino: is a microcontroller based physical computing platform,programmed using a Wiring-based language (syntax and libraries), similar to C++ with some slight simplifications and modifications, and a Processing-based integrated development environment. With the Arduino Uno you would need to create a sketch in the Arduino language. This is not hard - it looks very C-like. It is just something you have to do. There are a ton of libraries and classes for Arduino.

Raspberry pi: is a microprocessor based single-board computer running linux, you can program for it in C++, Java, python or some other language you may already be comfortable with. You may indeed be able to take an application you already have and compile it to run on the Pi / Due without making any changes, also it integrates with Qt in so many ways.