We are working on an 'Open Hardware' Energy Monitor that will liberate energy data for everyone having the Dutch version of the home Smart Meter (following EU regulations that > 80% of homes will have a Smart Meter by 2020).
For prototyping and perhaps also later for the design of our own hardware, we use Arduino.
At the moment we are putting together a handful of Arduino prototypes with the Arduino UNO, an ethernet shield and a small soldered connector to the Smart Meter (RJ11 based).
Our question is: given the ongoing 'battle' between Arduino.cc and Arduino.org what would be fair (and practical at the same time) to choose for the Arduino boards and shields?
After reading about the battle, we tend to side with Arduino.cc, so that is why I am posting here.
Our options seem to be:
Buy independently manufactured versions of the Arduino UNO and Ethernet Shield which are compatible with the Arduino.cc version of the IDE and donate some amount (like 5 EUR per product) to Arduino.cc.
Products that we would buy:
Buy the manufactured hardware of Arduino.org and use their IDE, however as mentioned we tend to take sides with arduino.cc.
Products that we would buy:
Not taking sides and buy whatever is available in shops and practical for us, resulting in that we need to support multiple IDEs and write different versions of the firmware.
Please let us know what your opinion is on this. It would be great if we could get an answer from the Arduino.cc people themselves (an official statement).
Do you expect any Arduino.cc official to recommend an .org board ?
What amount of boards do you expect to use ?
You could consider contacting board manufacturers to build some boards which have the 328 and the ethernet part on board as well.
You could put your own brand on it and by adapting the original schematics you'd ensure yourselves compatibility.
Personally, i have made my choice.
I will stay with .cc, because they are the parents of Arduino.
Recently I bought a couple of boards as the old duemilanove I have is getting a bit long in the tooth. Seems like even official distributors for .cc are selling .org boards as every one of them that I have received is in a .org box. Until .cc get the genuine brand set up in europe it's going to be a bit difficult sourcing .cc boards
They switch from the FTDI to Atmega8U2 and 16U2 to lower manufacturing cost.
Now chinuino switches to ch340G allowing a further reduction in cost.
Very serious evolution for CC and ORG:
Before the dispute Chinese copied scrupulously Arduino boards.
Since the dispute they took their autonomy and now sell innovative cards.
Chinese no longer seek to replicate Arduino logo, now they sell boards with their own logo.
You can buy for less than € 4, free shipping, UNO board with ch340g, real Xtall and a double row of connectors, some with 3.3V regulator in SOT223 case.
On chinuino now all mechanical fastener holes can be used .
On CC or ORG boards, hole close to ATmega8U2 is inaccessible.
CC and ORG can not follow without a redesign which, given the market share of chinuino, would be a huge error.
Avr micro is the past, not technically but for business, the only CC or ORG future is in the new boards with ARM micro and in ever new more innovative shields.
Org has understood :
It offers a version without integrated debugger (M0) and therefore cheaper.
Who needs to have several Zero boards with integrated debugger ? One is enough for development.
his new ethernet shield uses W5500 while Chineses (and IDE CC) are still with W5100.
CC is expected soon to do the same.
