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You can buy an arduino for about $2: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Best-prices-high-quality-UNO-R3-MEGA328P-for-Arduino-UNO-R3-NO-USB-CABLE/32612797755.html?sp

by blhack 10y ago

You can buy an arduino for about $2: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Best-prices-high-quality-UNO-R3-MEGA328P-for-Arduino-UNO-R3-NO-USB-CABLE/32612797755.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.38.5dtgmr&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_7,searchweb201602_5_10017_10005_10006_10034_10021_507_10022_10020_10018_10019,searchweb201603_7&btsid=e1422a39-d50e-4a5d-b045-8bc3f68448f3 http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Best-prices-high-quality-UNO-...

ryan-c 10y ago
How can that possibly be that cheap even for just the raw components? The AVR chip alone is > $1 even in large quantity. Counterfeit parts?
- jdietrich 10y ago
  The USB->serial chip will definitely be a knockoff, as we saw with FTDIgate. I'm not aware of counterfeit AVRs, but they could well be grey market.
  - tzs 10y ago
    From what I've seen, the USB->serial chip on the inexpensive Chinese Arduino compatibles on AliExpress generally is not an FTDI knockoff. They usually seem to use a CH340 or CH341. This does not try to emulate or pretend to be an FTDI. It has a different interface and needs a separate driver. The only problem I've heard of with these is that the drivers are not shipped with some operating systems (such as OS X) and so you might have the hassle of installing a driver. FTDI drivers come with all major operating systems, so one less thing to deal with. I believe I've seen Uno clones on AliExpress that are about twice as expensive as the cheapest clones (so around $6) that use an ATmega16u2 to handle this, which is what a genuine Arduino Uno uses, and so is no more hassle than a real Uno. There are some USB->serial chips that cost more than a CH340 but quite a bit less than an FTDI, and that work with the generic serial communications driver that is built into all major operating systems. I haven't seen any Arduino clones that use these, which is a shame. I'd love not having to rely on any vendor-specific code.
eggy 10y ago
ESP8266s go for $1 SE Asia, and down to 0.50, or less in quantity. Different sleep modes can be programmed and the thing can run off a very small solar cell or a coin battery for a year or two depending on WiFi usage, etc... You can program to the metal too, if you want low-latency.
- yitchelle 10y ago
  Is that pricing just for the ESP8266 IC rather than a board with an ESP8266 mounted and ready to be used?
  - lucaspiller 10y ago
    I've been tinkering with the ESP8266 since it came out and best board I've found so far for hobbyists is the WeMos D1 Mini. It's based on an ESP8266EX but is mounted (everything except headers are soldered) on an Arduino style breakout board with a USB-serial converter. It's $4 at retail prices from AliExpress which includes shipping. http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32529101036.html http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32529101036.html
- TeMPOraL 10y ago
  Except ESP8266 is not usable unless you're somewhat proficient with electronics. Basic Arduinos you can hook up via USB. Yes, there's NodeMCU (which I very much like), but unfortunately it's not $1.
  - eggy 10y ago
    What's not $1, the arduino or NodeMCU (opensource)? The price I quoted was for board with power regulator, breakout of GPIO, and WiFi (of course). You can run the Arduino IDE and serve web pages from it. Someone has created a Lisp/scheme running on it.
- KaiserPro 10y ago
  Actually the ESP8266 is a bit more limited when it comes to low power. Yes it has sleep modes, but they are not as deep as the arduinos, and require work to make them effective.

by blhack 10y ago

ryan-c 10y ago

How can that possibly be that cheap even for just the raw components? The AVR chip alone is > $1 even in large quantity. Counterfeit parts?

jdietrich 10y ago
The USB->serial chip will definitely be a knockoff, as we saw with FTDIgate. I'm not aware of counterfeit AVRs, but they could well be grey market.
- tzs 10y ago
  From what I've seen, the USB->serial chip on the inexpensive Chinese Arduino compatibles on AliExpress generally is not an FTDI knockoff. They usually seem to use a CH340 or CH341. This does not try to emulate or pretend to be an FTDI. It has a different interface and needs a separate driver. The only problem I've heard of with these is that the drivers are not shipped with some operating systems (such as OS X) and so you might have the hassle of installing a driver. FTDI drivers come with all major operating systems, so one less thing to deal with. I believe I've seen Uno clones on AliExpress that are about twice as expensive as the cheapest clones (so around $6) that use an ATmega16u2 to handle this, which is what a genuine Arduino Uno uses, and so is no more hassle than a real Uno. There are some USB->serial chips that cost more than a CH340 but quite a bit less than an FTDI, and that work with the generic serial communications driver that is built into all major operating systems. I haven't seen any Arduino clones that use these, which is a shame. I'd love not having to rely on any vendor-specific code.

eggy 10y ago

ESP8266s go for $1 SE Asia, and down to 0.50, or less in quantity. Different sleep modes can be programmed and the thing can run off a very small solar cell or a coin battery for a year or two depending on WiFi usage, etc... You can program to the metal too, if you want low-latency.

yitchelle 10y ago
Is that pricing just for the ESP8266 IC rather than a board with an ESP8266 mounted and ready to be used?
- lucaspiller 10y ago
  I've been tinkering with the ESP8266 since it came out and best board I've found so far for hobbyists is the WeMos D1 Mini. It's based on an ESP8266EX but is mounted (everything except headers are soldered) on an Arduino style breakout board with a USB-serial converter. It's $4 at retail prices from AliExpress which includes shipping. http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32529101036.html http://m.aliexpress.com/item/32529101036.html
TeMPOraL 10y ago
Except ESP8266 is not usable unless you're somewhat proficient with electronics. Basic Arduinos you can hook up via USB. Yes, there's NodeMCU (which I very much like), but unfortunately it's not $1.
- eggy 10y ago
  What's not $1, the arduino or NodeMCU (opensource)? The price I quoted was for board with power regulator, breakout of GPIO, and WiFi (of course). You can run the Arduino IDE and serve web pages from it. Someone has created a Lisp/scheme running on it.
KaiserPro 10y ago
Actually the ESP8266 is a bit more limited when it comes to low power. Yes it has sleep modes, but they are not as deep as the arduinos, and require work to make them effective.