Is it ok to use clones,or is it frowned upon?

Projects General Guidance
1

hi there!
I'm new here and would like to know if its a no go to use clones.Or is it ok.
thanks

2

Hi, The situation and the terminology can be confusing. See:

What About "Arduino Compatibles, Arduino Derivatives, Arduino Clones and Arduino Counterfeits" ?? Down aways on this page:

https://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/Arduino-YourDuino

My opinion: Clones that are not Counterfeits are OK.

3

step4step:
hi there!
I'm new here and would like to know if its a no go to use clones.Or is it ok.
thanks

No, it is not a no go. Arduino is an open architecture system.

Of the various Arduinos I have:

  1. One looks like it is made by Arduino (whatever that might mean) but the source and price suggests it isn't
  2. One is clearly, proudly and well-made in Australia and does things that no "genuine" Arduino can do.
  3. All the rest are coloured blue but make no pretense at being "genuine".
    I imagine this is pretty typical.
    Of the shields and accessories I have, all are either cheapo stuff off eBay or made by me, and that is also typical.
    There are people around here who don't even use the Arduino IDE.

Clone is a relative and indeed, in this arena, a rather archaic term anyway.

4

step4step:
hi there!
I'm new here and would like to know if its a no go to use clones. Or is it ok.
thanks

It's definitely ok to use clones. And even if it weren't ok, nobody would know except you heheheheh.

5

I salved my conscience by purchasing an official Arduino starter kit (some time ago now). Since then I purchase mainly clones but still make a small contribution to the Arduino eco system by, for example, answering questions on this forum :slight_smile:

1 Like
6

I have always recomended that one buy one offical board.
it helps you ease your consiense
it puts a few coins in the pot to keep things like this site going
and when all else fails, you can dust it off and prove that the problems are not in hardware, or prove they are.

I have many board I got from China. mini's nano's etc
lately, I have been using the esp8266 for my work as I need WiFi.

I will make one recomendation.
if you buy clones or such, get from one place that has sold more than a few dozen.
and keep the link. I think I have about 6 variations of the mini.... none are pin comparable.

and the one thing that I avoid is anything that is trying to be copy and using the markings to pretend they are the real thing.

7

6v6gt:
I salved my conscience by purchasing an official Arduino starter kit (some time ago now). Since then I purchase mainly clones but still make a small contribution to the Arduino eco system by, for example, answering questions on this forum :slight_smile:

Wow someone started out just like me!

To the OP I actually do the same thing 6v6gt does. If you are in doubt or saving money making you decide not to buy genuine, I recommend GeekCreit duinos. They are not "nameless"

This is my opinion -- some may say others are better

8

My opinion: Compatibles/Clones fine. Counterfeits bad. Now you just need to be clear about the difference.

I haven't bought a real one yet, the price difference is just too great. So I salve my conscience by donating a little for the IDE and trying to contribute here (though if I'm realistic I'm probably gaining far more from the forums than I'm giving).

Steve

9

Avoid cheap boards that claim to have a FTDI interface as they are probably using fake FTDI chips to keep the cost down.

When buying from Ebay, use sellers that have a rating higher than 99.5%. Read the buyer feedback comments to see if there are any particular products that are problematic.

Look for high resolution photos that show:

  • Bright, not dull solder joints.
  • The absence of solder flux residue and solder splashes.
  • Pin headers that have been soldered straight, not leaning over or misaligned from side to side (very common problem).

If what you receive looks different from the picture then file a dispute with Ebay. It's quite likely that the supplier ran out of stock from their preferred supplier and had to bring in stock from another supplier.

If you don't already have one, buy a 20x hand magnifying glass with a built in LED light. They only cost a few dollars and will allow you to spot soldering defects before you apply power and potentially fry a board. Things like solder splashes become dislodged in transit and can end up in places where they can cause trouble.

Avoid 3.3v mega328 boards that are using a 16 MHz clock as the chip isn't rated for that combination of voltage and frequency and therefore may be unreliable.

10

I purchased 2 or 3 official arduino boards. Then a dozen or so cheap clones.
(I DID donate to help support the IDE development)

11

So far I have just bough official CPU boards - I did not find the price difference all that bad especially when I look at the cost of the associated parts - the CPU is a small %of the total - but I don't use many boards and some of my projects take a long time to plan and get working