Part of The definitive guide to open source hardware projects in 2009

Arduino – Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Perhaps one of the most successful open source hardware projects to date. Dozens of projects are included in the guide.

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators.

Here are all the flavors that are (or were) officially from the Arduino team…

• Duemilanove – This is the latest revision of the basic Arduino USB board. It connects to the computer with a standard USB cable and contains everything else you need to program and use the board. It can be extended with a variety of shields: custom daughter-boards with specific features. details
• Diecimila – This is the previous revision of the basic Arduino USB board. details
• Nano – A compact board designed for breadboard use, the Nano connects to the computer using a USB Mini-B cable. details
• Mega – A larger, more powerful Arduino board, shield compatible with the Duemilanove and Diecmila. details
• Bluetooth – The Arduino BT contains a bluetooth module that allows for wireless communication and programming. It is compatible with Arduino shields. details
• LilyPad – Designed for wearable application, this board can be sewn onto fabric, and is a stylish purple. details
• Mini – This is the smallest Arduino board. It works well in a breadboard or for applications in which space is at a premium. It connects to the computer using the Mini USB Adapter. details
• Mini USB Adapter – This board converts a USB connection into 5 volt, GND, TX and RX lines that you can connect to the Arduino Mini or other microcontroller. details
• Pro – This board is designed for advanced users who want to leave a board embedded in a project: it’s cheaper than a Diecimila and easily powered by a battery, but requires additional components and assembly. details
• Pro Mini – Like the Pro, the Pro Mini is designed for advanced users requiring a low-cost, small board and willing to do some extra work. details
• Serial – It’s a basic board that uses RS232 as an interface to a computer for programming or communication. This board is easy to assemble even as a learning exercise. details (including Schematics and CAD Files)
• Serial Single Sided – This board is designed to be etched and assembled by hand. It is slightly larger than the Diecimila, but still shield compatible. details

Price: $20 and up
Visit the project page
Buy one @ Maker Shed

Keeping reading for more!

Arduino clone and derivatives
Because the Arduino is open source hardware some makers have worked with the Arduino team to create other versions of the Arduino, some folks have just made their own and made sure they worked with the license the Arduino team has requested (you can make them, sell them, don’t make them blue or call them Arduino).

Boarduino – Breadboard compatible clone

If you’ve ever struggled to use a solderless breadboard with an Arduino, you understand how frustrating it can be! Adafruit designed this Arduino clone to solve this problem in an inexpensive DIY fashion. The Boarduino is an Arduino clone: when programmed with the Arduino bootloader, it can talk to the Arduino software and run sketches just like the original. Also comes in USB version.
Price: $17.50 and up
Visit the project page
Buy one @ Maker Shed

Bare Bones Board

The Bare Bones Board is an Arduino-compatible board (Freeduino) that implements the functionality of the Arduino Diecimila, on a smaller printed circuit board, by removing the USB communications chip to a cable.

Price: $19.99
Visit the project page
Buy one @ Maker Shed

Freeduino

Another solderable Arduino kit, the Freeduino is compatible with standard expansion shields, has onboard USB port (like the standard Arduino), and is fully compatible with add-on shields. It also looks pretty darn cool in orange/yellow!
Price: $23.99 and up
Visit project page

iDuino

Another ‘duino kit designed for use with electronics breadboards, the iDuino can be powered via USB and uses standard 5mm LEDs as status indicators.
Price: $17.82
Visit the project page

Illuminato::Genesis

The Illuminato is an AVR based chip, much like the Arduino, and is 100% Open Source – GNU GPL, that is. It has 42 I/O pins, more than any other Arduino clone out there right now, and even works with all the shields built for the Arduino.
Price: $38.99
Visit the project page

LilyPad Arduino

The LilyPad Arduino is a microcontroller board designed for wearables and e-textiles. It can be sewn to fabric and similarly mounted power supplies, sensors and actuators with conductive thread. The board is based on the ATmega168V (the low-power version of the ATmega168) or the ATmega328V. The LilyPad Arduino was designed and developed by Leah Buechley and SparkFun Electronics, but it’s an official and supported part
of the Arduino line.
Price: $20.95 and up…
Visit the project page

Seeeduino

Seeeduino is an Arduino compatible board. Its design is based on the Arduino Diecimila and is 100% compatible with existing programs, shields and IDE. On the hardware part, many changes have been made to improve the flexibility and user experience.
Price: $22.50 and up
Visit the project page
Buy one @ Maker Shed

Seeeduino MEGA

Seeeduino Mega is a microntrolller board based on ATmega1280, derived from Arduino Mega with changes in pursuit for small form factor, flexibility and functionality.It has 70 digital input/output pins (of which 14 can be used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started.
Price: $45.00
Visit the project page OSH LICENSE NOT FOUND, PCB FILES NOT FOUND (email sent)

Sanguino

The Sanguino was designed and developed by Zach Hoeken at the RepRap Research Foundation. It was originally intended for use in a next generation RepRap electronics design, but we realized that it would be universally useful. Thus the Sanguino was born. The primary difference between the Arduino and the Sanguino is the processor: Arduino uses the atmega168, while the Sanguino uses the atmega644. The rest of the differences basically all derive from this.
Price: $25.00
Visit the project page