Is Arduino only for testing and hobby?

Community General Discussion
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Hello
Embedded engineer with a couple of decades, often suggest that while Arduino is great for testing, prototyping, or developing projects with small MoQ, it should be avoided for large scale industrial applications. They reason that Arduino is susceptible to suffering defects, or noise interference etc as compared to a custom PCB. Another allegations is that Arduino projects are easy/easier to copy.
Would be great to jump start a debate here on this forum and see which way the experts lean.
All the best.

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The claims about Arduino vs custom PCBs for large-scale industrial applications do have some merit, but they also need to be considered in context.

  1. Defects and Noise Interference: Arduino boards are generally designed with a focus on ease of use, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. While this makes them great for prototyping and testing, it might also mean that they are not always optimized for extreme reliability in demanding industrial environments. Custom PCBs can be designed with specific components, layout, and grounding strategies to minimize susceptibility to defects and noise interference.

  2. Customization: In large-scale industrial applications, the requirements can be highly specific, necessitating precise control over the hardware design. A UNO won't deliver a great low power sleeping mode for example... Custom PCBs allow you to tailor the circuitry, components, and layout according to the needs of your application, which can lead to better performance and reliability compared to an Arduino board that's designed with a more general-purpose approach.

  3. Ease of Copying: It's true that Arduino projects are often easier to replicate, given the open-source nature of Arduino hardware and software or constraints based on libraries' copyrights like GPL V3. However, this concern can be mitigated to some extent by using more advanced Arduino-compatible boards, designing proprietary shields or add-ons, or by incorporating encryption and security measures into your custom code.

  4. Support and Longevity: In industrial applications, long-term support and availability of components are crucial. Arduino boards might not guarantee long-term availability, and if the specific board you're using gets discontinued, it could disrupt your production (eg MKR FOX1200). Custom PCBs can provide more control over component sourcing, allowing you to choose components with better long-term availability.

  5. Cost: While Arduino boards are cost-effective for prototyping and small-scale projects, the cost might become a concern at large scales. Custom PCBs can be optimized for cost-efficiency by eliminating unnecessary components and features.

  6. Expertise and Resources: Developing custom PCBs requires specialized skills, knowledge, and resources. This might not be feasible for all companies, especially smaller ones without a dedicated engineering team.

➜ The decision of whether to use Arduino or custom PCBs for large-scale industrial applications depends on a variety of factors, including the specific requirements of your project, your available resources, budget constraints, and the importance of factors like reliability and long-term support. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and it's crucial to carefully evaluate your needs before making a decision. In some cases, a hybrid approach might also be suitable, where you start with Arduino for prototyping and transition to a custom PCB design once your project's requirements are well-defined.

PS/ I'm no expert, so just thinking aloud

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That's so true

But as so far in my journey I have experienced PCB is a bit complex task as compared to Arduino board but the price factor for industrial production should be kept in mind

As I have also ordered some PCB and assembled some componenets myself I feel like I have saved a small amount of money in comparison to desiging the same with Arduino

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development boards have always been useful for developing prototypes and testing alternative concepts
in the past have used Microchip curiosity and Explorer 13_32 dev boards to implement prototypes before moving onto custom PCBs
recently developed a prototype using an Expressif ESP32-DevKit-1 - now moved to a custom PCB using a ESP32-MINI-1

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The topic has been moved to the General Discussion category of the forum as it does not relate to a specific project

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Wow! Thanks for such an all encompassing, cogent and well supported response. This will prove helpful to thousands of people down the years.

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