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Overview of the most common educational microcontroller boards

When talking about microcontrollers for STEM education applications, we
generally refer to electronic boards that house the actual microcontroller, a
programmable microchip. These boards also feature a series of components
allowing the connection of the microcontroller to a PC or a similar device for
programming. Additionally, there are other connections enabling the
management of input and output electrical signals to handle sensors and
actuators that interact with the environment. Furthermore, the board might
already include a set of built-in actuators and sensors.

Several companies manufacture and sell microcontrollers for STEM education,
typically offering kits that include the main board, various sensors and actuators
for different applications, cables for making connections, and a breadboard or a
similar tool for prototyping electrical circuits.

Example of an “Arduino” KIT Example of a “Microbit” KIT

In general, sensors and actuators belong to the category of electrical transducers,
meaning devices capable of converting electrical energy into a different type of
energy. For example, a motor or a servo motor (actuators) transforms electrical
energy into mechanical energy, a LED (actuator) converts electrical energy into
light radiation, a microphone (sensor) changes the energy of sound waves into
electrical energy, and so on.

Typically, in a STEM education kit with microcontrollers, you might find sensors,
which are transducers that read a property in the world and transform it into an
electrical signal. These can include sensors for temperature, light, humidity,

microphones, ultrasonic sensors, potentiometers, and more.

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Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can
be held responsible for them. Proposal number: 101087107.