As a veteran who has been working in the embedded field for nearly ten years, I have to say that this problem touched my nerves. Every time I hear someone say "Arduino is just a toy", I can't help but want to refute it, but after calming down and thinking, I find that this question is not black or white. Sometimes, behind a seemingly simple problem, there are often complex contexts of industry development, technological evolution and personal growth.
When I first entered the industry, I also started with the Arduino, but soon realized its limitations, so I later turned to the STM32. Speaking of which, I recorded one recently"STM32 Practical Practical Quick Start" (click to go directly)The course is for those who want to advance from the Arduino "toy" stage to industrial applications. This course embodies the experience I have accumulated in the project over the years, from underlying register operation to complex peripheral drivers, from simple prototypes to mass production of products, and systematically solves various pain points in everyone's advancement process. But before talking about advancement, let’s analyze why the Arduino is called a “toy”.
Start with history
Arduino was born in 2005 in an interactive design academy in Italy, with the original purpose of providing artists and designers with a simple and easy-to-use electronic prototype platform. Founder Massimo Banzi, who was a teacher at the School of Design, found that students lacked the right electronic tools when trying to create interactive design projects. The microcontroller platforms on the market are either too complex or too expensive, creating a huge obstacle for students without electronic backgrounds.
So Banzi and his team decided to create a new platform that must be simple enough for art and design students to get started quickly; it must be cheap enough for students to afford it; it must also be open source so that the community can continue to improve. This is the birth background of the Arduino, which never intended to be the preferred tool for professional engineers, but to lower the threshold for electronic creation.
I remember the excitement when I first came across the Arduino. That was when I was in my second year of college, I bought an Arduino UNO board through an online tutorial and followed the sample program to light up the first LED. With just a few lines of code, the LED can blink, the sensor can read data, and the motor can rotate... This sense of accomplishment of instant feedback is unparalleled. I clearly remember that sense of accomplishment, as if the entire electronic world was unfolding in my hands. During that time, I stayed up until the early morning just to allow an ultrasonic sensor to correctly detect the distance, or to allow a small LCD screen to display custom information.
But as I learned embedded systems in depth, especially after working on several commercial projects, the limitations of Arduino gradually emerged. When I need precise control of ADC sampling time, or need to optimize power consumption under limited resources, the simplified programming model of Arduino starts to become a hindrance rather than a boost. This experience made me realize that the choice of technical tools is not only a matter of personal preference, but also about project needs and practical application scenarios.
Why Arduino is called a "toy"
1. The abstraction layer is too thick, hiding the underlying details
Arduino's programming environment (IDE) and libraries greatly simplify the programming process usingdigitalWrite()You can control the pins and useanalogRead()You can read the simulated value, use()You can output debugging information. At first glance it looks convenient, but this abstraction masks the way the microcontroller actually works.
For example, when you calldigitalWrite(13, HIGH)What does the Arduino framework do at the bottom? It first maps the pin number to the corresponding port and bit, and then controls the pin by setting the corresponding data direction register (DDRx) and output register (PORTx). This process involves bit operations, register access, and hardware timing, but these details are completely blocked by the API.
This kind of blocking is a good thing for beginners, but it is a barrier for developers who want to have a deep understanding of the system. I once took an intern who could write seemingly complex projects with Arduino, but when I asked him "What happened at the register level when you call digitalWrite?" or "How to optimize this function to reduce execution time?", he looked confused. This is not his fault, but the platform design.
Although this abstraction of Arduino lowers the entry threshold, it also limits the space for advancement. Just like learning to drive, automatic transmission models make it easier for beginners to get started, but if you want to become a racer or have a deep understanding of how the car works, you need to learn manual transmission sooner or later.
By comparison, when I'm in"STM32 Practical Practical Quick Start" (click to go directly)When explaining GPIO operations in the course, I will start with register configuration, so that students can understand the underlying concepts such as bit operations and clock configuration. For example, to control one pin output of STM32, you need:
- Enable the clock corresponding to the GPIO port
- Configure the mode of GPIO pin (output mode, push-pull or open drain, etc.)
- Set output speed
- Finally operate the data register
This process seems complicated, but after understanding these steps, you can truly master the essence of hardware control, be able to optimize performance for different application scenarios, solve timing accuracy problems, reduce power consumption, etc. This deep understanding is essential for developing robust commercial products.
I also remember a classic case: an Arduino-based project requires sampling sensor data at specific time intervals. Initial tests are all fine, but after deployment to the actual environment, the sampling interval becomes unstable. The problem is ultimately positioned as the time function of the Arduino library (delay()andmillis()) implementation method, but due to the lack of underlying understanding, it took the team two weeks to find a solution. If you understand how timers work from the beginning, this problem may be solved in one day.
2. The performance and resource limitations are obvious
Mainstream Arduino boards such as UNO use ATmega328P, 16MHz clock frequency, 2KB RAM, 32KB flash memory. Today, when the Internet of Things and AI are prevalent, this is a drop in the bucket. Modern embedded applications often need to deal with network communication, complex algorithms, and graphical interfaces, which far exceed the hardware specifications of Arduino.
To give a specific example, last year I participated in a smart home project. The customer initially wanted to use an Arduino to implement it, and I almost laughed out loud. The project requires WiFi connection, MQTT communication, local data processing and LCD display, and the Arduino resources are not enough to see. WiFi libraries alone can take up most of the RAM, not to mention processing sensor data and running control logic.
I remember that at the meeting, the customer said, "I saw that the Arduino was very popular online and it was cheap, so let's use it." I had to explain in detail various technical limitations: insufficient RAM can cause stack overflow, too slow processing speed can cause communication delay, limited flash memory space means limited functionality... In the end, I convinced the customer with a simple prototype demonstration, proving that even the most basic needs, the Arduino was unable to do so.
I ended up convinced the customer to use the STM32F4 series, which not only met the performance needs, but also reserved room for upgrades. With a stronger platform, we not only implement all the expected features, but also add advanced features that were originally unimaginable, such as voice control and local cache. The customer finally admitted: "Fortunately, I am not stubborn, otherwise the product would not be available at all."
This is not an isolated case. With the popularity of technologies such as the Internet of Things and edge computing, even seemingly simple applications may need to deal with complex protocol stacks, encryption algorithms and data processing tasks. Arduino seems powerless in these scenes. When you need to implement TLS-encrypted MQTT communication, or run a simple machine learning model, the performance limitations of the Arduino become unusually obvious.
Of course, the Arduino ecosystem is also constantly developing, and has launched boards based on more powerful chips, such as the Arduino board based on ESP32. But these improvements are often "patched" rather than fundamentally redesigned to suit modern embedded development needs.
3. Insufficient real-time and certainty
In the fields of industrial control, automotive electronics, medical equipment, etc., timing accuracy is crucial. A slight jitter in a motor control signal may cause the entire mechanical system to fail; a timing error in a medical device may endanger the safety of the patient. Although easy to use, Arduino's libraries often sacrifice certainty. In an Arduino environment, it is difficult for you to accurately control interrupt delays or ensure timing accuracy of operations.
This problem stems from the design concept and framework implementation of Arduino. In order to simplify the programming model, the Arduino framework has made a large number of packages at the bottom. Although these packages make the code more readable, they also introduce uncertainty. For example, when you use()When it is actually started a series of buffer operations and interrupt processing flows, which may affect other timing-sensitive code execution.
I once debugged an Arduino-based motor control system and encountered an inexplicable timing jitter problem. The project requires the motor to start at a specific moment, and the accuracy is required to be within 100 microseconds. Using ArduinodelayMicroseconds()With the timer interruption, we can never meet the requirements, and the jitter of the motor start time fluctuates between 200-500 microseconds.
After switching to bare metal STM32 programming, the problem is solved by directly configuring the timer and interrupt priority. We used a high-precision timer and DMA to achieve a starting accuracy of ±20 microseconds, which is far beyond the original requirements. This experience made me deeply realize that Arduino is indeed not the best choice in strict applications.
Another example is a data acquisition system I'm involved in, requiring multiple sensors to be sampled at a constant frequency. When using Arduino, we found that the sampling interval was unstable and the fluctuations were greater when the CPU load increased. After in-depth research, it was found that Arduino'smillis()The implementation of and timer interrupts has inherent flaws, and it is difficult to ensure certainty under complex tasks. After using STM32 instead, we achieved high-precision timing sampling by accurately configuring the clock tree and interrupt priority, which can maintain stability even when the system load is high.
This problem of real-time and certainty is unacceptable in professional industrial applications. When the system needs to accurately control the execution timing or has strict requirements on interrupt response time, the limitations of the Arduino platform are fully revealed. This is also why professional microcontroller platforms such as STM32 and MSP430 are more common in the fields of industrial control, medical equipment, automotive electronics, etc.
4. Commercial product development is not applicable
Using Arduino for commercial product development faces multiple challenges: high cost, large size, excessive energy consumption, and limited debugging tools. In a mass production environment, these factors can significantly affect product competitiveness.
Cost is the most direct problem. The Arduino UNO retails for about $20-25, while the ATmega328P chip, which is its core, is only about $1-2 in bulk purchase price. This means that other components and assembly costs on the Arduino board account for more than 90% of the price. In commercial products, this cost structure is unacceptable.
I went through an entrepreneurial project that initially used Arduino prototype to verify concepts. When we were preparing for small batch trial production, we realized the seriousness of the cost problem. Each device contains an Arduino board with a cost structure of: Arduino board $25, other components $15, assembly fee $10, and total cost $50. After the redesign, we used a monolithic ATmega328P plus the necessary peripheral circuits, and the cost was reduced to: chips $2, other components $15, PCB and assembly $12, total cost $29. This 40% cost reduction is crucial for startups.
Volume is also a key consideration. Arduino boards are designed for ease of use rather than space optimization, with a size significantly larger than the minimum necessary circuit. In space-constrained products, such as wearable devices or small IoT nodes, the size of the Arduino becomes a fatal drawback.
When I was a junior engineer, I naively thought that I could directly convert Arduino prototypes into products. After several painful lessons, I learned that commercial product development needs to consider factors such as BOM cost, circuit optimization, power consumption management, etc. This is also why in the course "STM32 Quick Start" I particularly emphasized the transformation ideas from prototype to product, and explained in detail how to optimize circuit design, reduce BOM costs, and improve production efficiency.
Power consumption is another serious problem. The Arduino board is not designed for low power consumption and can consume considerable current even in idle state. A standard Arduino UNO has a standby current of about 50mA in an unoptimized state, which is almost catastrophic for battery-powered devices.
For example, I was involved in the development of a battery-powered environmental monitor. In the early days, using the Arduino prototype, we found that even with 4 AA batteries, the device can only work for about 12 hours. After redesigning and using the STM32L series ultra-low power chip, the device life will be extended to 3 months under the same battery configuration by optimizing clock management, peripheral use and sleep modes! This gap is crucial in practical applications.
The limitations of debugging capabilities cannot be ignored. The debugging functions provided by the Arduino IDE are very basic and mainly rely on Serial printing information. Lack of professional development tools such as breakpoint debugging, memory monitoring, and performance analysis, making it extremely difficult to locate problems in complex projects.
I remember a painful experience where the team used Arduino to develop a communication module with about 2000 lines of code. The system occasionally crashes, but you can only try to locate the problem by adding a large number of statements. This original debugging method is not only time consuming, but it can also change the behavior of the system and mask the real problem. Later, I switched to the STM32 platform and used the JTAG debugger. The problem was located and solved within one day - it turned out to be memory damage caused by a pointer error.
These problems combined make Arduino's disadvantages in commercial product development obvious. While concepts can be quickly verified based on Arduino prototypes, the conversion from prototype to product almost certainly requires redesigning to use a microcontroller platform that is more suitable for mass production. The cost of this "two-development" often exceeds the cost of starting from scratch directly using a professional platform.
However, calling an Arduino a "toy" is too harsh
Despite the limitations mentioned above, it is unfair to simply classify the Arduino as a "toy". In fact, it has irreplaceable value in a specific field.
1. The value of education is irreplaceable
Arduino lowers the entry barriers for electronics and programming, allowing countless people to take the first step in learning embedded systems. Including myself, I also started to get involved in microcontrollers with Arduino. The experience of writing code and seeing the actual effect without caring about annoying toolchain configuration is extremely precious for beginners.
Imagine the obstacles to traditional microcontroller learning: installing complex IDEs and toolchains, configuring compilers and burners, learning difficult register manuals, writing obscure initialization code... Each of these steps can become a stumbling block for beginners. Arduino eliminates almost all of these obstacles with integrated development environments, simplified APIs, and rich examples.
I taught introductory courses for embedded systems in college. After using Arduino, students' participation and completion increased significantly. When using traditional microcontrollers in the past, the first experiment (flashing LED) might take the entire experimental class time and the failure rate is as high as 30%. After switching to Arduino, this experiment is usually completed within 20 minutes, and the failure rate drops to less than 5%. This means students have more time to explore more complex concepts and projects.
A student once said to me: "If I were asked to read the dense data sheet on the first day, I might have given up on embedded. The Arduino allowed me to experience the joy of success first, and then I would be motivated to understand the complex underlying principles." This sentence accurately captured the educational value of Arduino - it not only teaches technology, but also stimulates interest and cultivates confidence.
In teaching, the instant feedback feature of Arduino is also extremely valuable. When I was leading interns, I always let them familiarize themselves with the basic concepts with Arduino before transitioning to STM32 and other professional platforms. This progressive learning path is effective significantly, avoiding the frustration of beginners being overwhelmed by complex concepts.
Arduino has also greatly expanded the coverage of programming education. Traditional programming education focuses mainly on software, while Arduino introduces hardware interaction into programming learning, making programming more specific and intuitive. The feedback from the physical world provides a vivid mapping of abstract programming concepts, the rotation of a motor, and the response of a sensor.
2. A powerful tool for rapid prototyping
During the creative verification and proof of concept stages, the value of the Arduino cannot be underestimated. It allows developers to turn ideas into workable prototypes in a minimum amount of time, which is especially important in early stages of the product and in time-critical projects.
I used Arduino to build an environmental monitoring system prototype within a week, allowing company executives to intuitively understand the project vision and thus obtain start-up capital. The system integrates temperature and humidity sensors, air quality sensors, LCD displays and WiFi communication modules, realizing basic data acquisition, display and upload functions.
If I insisted on using STM32 to develop directly at that time, it might take more time to deal with development environment configuration, peripheral drivers and other issues, delaying the start of the project. In this case, "having a version that can run first" is more important than "doing the best at once". As I often say in my STM32 course: "Choose the right tool to do the right thing".
This rapid prototype capability is particularly valuable in an entrepreneurial environment. The survival of a startup often depends on whether the concept can be proven to be feasible in the shortest time, attracting investors or early users. Arduino provides this ability to "fail quickly" or "fast verification" to allow teams to test hypotheses and adjust directions with minimal investment.
An entrepreneur I know who started his smart home startup with the Arduino prototype. Although the final product completely redesigned the hardware, the Arduino prototype helped them complete the MVP (minimum viable product) within 3 months, attracting angel investment. He told me: "Without the Arduino, we might not even get the first round of financing."
Even in large companies, Arduinos are often used for exploratory projects and innovative concepts. When I work for an automotive electronics company, the department will hold innovation marathons regularly. Most participating teams chose Arduino as the prototype platform because it allows a demonstration-readable concept product from scratch in 48 hours. This rapid verification capability is crucial to innovation.
3. Rich community resources
Arduino has a huge user community and resource library, and can find ready-made solutions for almost any problem. This may not be a major consideration in a business environment, but is extremely important for individual developers and small teams.
Community power is particularly precious in embedded development. Traditionally, embedded development is regarded as a high-threshold field, with dispersed resources and strong professionalism. Arduino breaks this limitation and creates an open, friendly community that makes knowledge sharing easier than ever before.
I remember one time I needed to read an unpopular sensor, and I searched for it for a long time on the ST forum without practical code. Go to the Arduino community and not only find the complete code base, but also the detailed wiring diagram and usage precautions. This convenience is priceless in emergency projects.
Another great value of the Arduino community is the reduction of the cost of accessing expertise. Previously, to understand a specific sensor or technology, you might have to read obscure technical documents or pay to attend training. Now, the Arduino community provides a large number of tutorials, project cases and Q&A resources, most of which are open for free. This democratization of knowledge greatly promotes innovation and technology popularization.
The library contributed by the community is also an important part of the Arduino ecosystem. From basic sensor drivers to complex communication protocols to complete functional modules, the library developed by the community covers almost all common application scenarios. Although these libraries may not be as good as professional customized code in terms of performance and optimization, they greatly shorten the development cycle and lower the development threshold.
I myself also benefit from this spirit of community sharing. When I first started learning IoT development, the MQTT library and related tutorials of the Arduino community helped me quickly understand the principles and implementation methods of the protocol. Later when I transferred to the STM32 platform, these knowledge still apply, but the implementation method is different.
Whether to use Arduino depends on your goal
I think whether an Arduino is a "toy" depends on the application scenario and developer goals:
For education, prototype development, maker projects, art installations, the Arduino is an excellent choice. It allows you to focus on creative implementation rather than technical details. I have even seen Arduino in small commercial products that do not require extreme performance.
For example, I know a small startup whose first generation is an environmental monitor based on the Arduino Pro Mini. Although the functions are limited, they are enough to meet the needs of target users, and the development cycle is short and the cost is controllable. Of course, as business expansion and demand increases, their second-generation products switch to professional platforms.
For beginners, Arduino provides a friendly entrance to experience the joy of embedded development without being overwhelmed by technical details. I often recommend programming newbies to start with Arduino because it provides instant feedback and a successful experience, which is essential to building confidence.
For creative workers and artists, the simplicity of the Arduino happens to be an advantage rather than a disadvantage. When your goal is to create an interactive device rather than optimizing execution efficiency, Arduino allows you to focus on creative expression rather than technical implementation.
But if you are targeting professional embedded development, especially commercial product development, the Arduino does seem like a "toy" inadequate. At this time, a platform like STM32 will be more suitable. I am here"STM32 Practical Quick Start"The course focuses on how to transform the concept of Arduino into professional embedded development thinking to help students achieve smooth transitions. The course covers the entire process from environmental construction to complex peripheral drive, and emphasizes common pain points and solutions in commercial projects.
For applications requiring high performance, low power consumption or complex functions, the advantages of professional platforms are self-evident. A typical example is a wearable health monitoring program I participated in. The device needs to work 24/7, collecting multiple physiological signals, performing local analysis, and transmitting data through Bluetooth Low Energy. This complexity and performance requirements are far beyond the range of Arduino capabilities.
For embedded engineers who pursue career development, familiarity with professional platforms is the only way to go. Although the Arduino may be the starting point of the learning journey, the market demands more for professional platform engineers such as STM32, NXP, and TI, and has higher salaries. This is not a belittlement of the Arduino, but an objective reality of career development.
The essential difference between Arduino and professional platform
I think the core difference between Arduino and professional platforms such as STM32 is not the hardware itself (after all, there are Arduino boards based on ARM), but the development ecosystem and concept.
Arduino emphasizes simplicity and ease of use, and "making it work" is the primary goal. It hides complexity under the abstraction layer, allowing users to quickly implement functions without having to understand the underlying details in depth. This philosophy is reflected in simplified APIs, integrated development environments, and rich sample code. Arduino’s target audience is maker, artist, student and enthusiast, which determines its design priorities.
Professional platforms emphasize control and optimization, and "making it work efficiently and reliably" is the goal. They provide direct access to the hardware, allowing developers to precisely control system behavior, optimize performance and resource usage. This philosophy is reflected in detailed technical documentation, flexible development tools and extensive debugging options. The target audience of professional platforms is engineers and corporate developers, which also shapes its design characteristics.
This difference in philosophy is reflected in toolchains, documents, communities and even marketing methods. Arduino promotes "lighting up the LED in a few minutes", while STM32 emphasizes "industry-leading performance-power ratio". The two are targeted at different needs and user groups.
Arduino's documentation is full of graphical instructions and sample code, suitable for beginners; while the STM32's reference manual is often thousands of pages, full of register descriptions and timing charts, which require some professional knowledge to understand. This is not a good or bad, but a design choice for different user groups.
I often use Lego to professional building tools to make analogies: Lego allows children to build complex structures, but no architect will use Lego to build actual homes. Similarly, Arduino allows beginners to create electronic projects, but professional platforms are often a more suitable choice in commercial product development.
My Growth Experience: From Arduino to STM32
Looking back on my own career path, Arduino really played a big role. When I was in college, I used Arduino to do various interesting projects: smart flower pots, voice-controlled lighting, simple robots... Although these projects are not technically complex, they cultivated my interests and basic skills. Every time I see the device that controls the physical world by code, I feel so excited.
Remember the original smart flowerpot project, which monitors soil moisture, light and temperature and automatically waters it when appropriate. The entire system is based on Arduino UNO and several cheap sensors, with only 200 lines of code. This simple project was praised by the department teachers and was even selected for exhibition by the school’s innovation exhibition. At that time, I was still immersed in the "Arduino is a real artifact" fanaticism, thinking it was enough to deal with any challenges.
After entering the workplace, I quickly realized the limitations of Arduino. In my first commercial project, I was responsible for developing an industrial sensor node, requiring multiple high-precision sensors to be sampled every second, process data and uploaded in real time. The project requires low power consumption, high reliability and precise timing, and the Arduino is obviously unable to do so.
When I tried to implement it with Arduino, problems arise one by one: insufficient memory leads to variable corruption, processing speed cannot keep up with the sampling rate requirements, excessive power consumption makes the battery life much lower than expected, and the most fatal thing is that the system will inexplicably restart after a long period of time. I spent a week debugging, but I could only barely make the system work for a few hours, which was far from meeting the needs of "working for a month in a row".
It was this project that drove me to learn STM32. When I first came into contact with the STM32F4 series, I was shocked by its specifications: a 168MHz Cortex-M4 processor, 1MB flash memory, 192KB RAM, rich communication interfaces and peripherals. But the complexity that follows also makes me headache: thick reference manuals, complex register configurations, steep learning curves.
The learning process is not easy. It has shifted from graphical IDE to professional development environments, from simple APIs to register programming, from rich library resources to requiring the driver to be written by yourself... Every step is full of challenges. I remember when I first configured the clock tree of the STM32, I was dizzy by various PLLs, dividers and frequency multipliers. When I set up GPIO for the first time, I was at a loss when facing multiple parameters such as mode selection, pull-up/pull-down, speed settings, etc. When using UART for the first time, a lot of initialization work is required before sending and receiving data, with the Arduino(9600)Much more complicated than that.
But as learning deepens, these complexities begin to show their value. I gradually understand that it is these fine controls that allow the STM32 to achieve performance and efficiency that the Arduino cannot achieve. By precisely configuring the clock, I can minimize power consumption while meeting performance needs; by directly controlling the DMA and peripherals, I can achieve efficient data transmission without consuming the CPU; by optimizing interrupt priority, I can ensure that critical tasks can be responded in a timely manner even when the system load is high.
When I reimplemented that sensor node project, the difference was obvious. The STM32 version not only meets all technical indicators, but also exceeds expectations, reaching more than two months. There are also significant expansions in terms of functions: local data processing and exception detection have been added, encrypted communication functions have been added, and upgrade space has been reserved. Most importantly, the system stability meets the commercial product standards, and there is no abnormal restart during long-term testing.
This process also allowed me to grow from a "person who knows how to use tools" to an "engineer who understands the principles of tools". I am no longer satisfied with knowing "how to do it", but rather pursuing understanding "why do it" and "how to do it better". This deep understanding allows me to quickly locate the root cause when I encounter problems and design the optimal solution when facing new challenges.
This is also created by me"STM32 Practical Practical Quick Start" (click to go directly)The original intention of the course is to help Arduino users who are as confused as me back then, avoid detours and quickly master professional embedded development skills. In the course, I pay special attention to explaining the underlying principles, not only telling students "how to configure", but also explaining "why do I configure this way". I believe that only by truly understanding the principles can we flexibly respond to various development challenges.
I often say to students: "Arduino gives you the key to getting started, but what STM32 gives you is a map of the entire kingdom." In my opinion, this is the key difference between the two.
How Arduino users can smoothly transition to professional platforms
If you are using Arduino and considering transitioning to a professional platform, I have a few suggestions, and these are the experiences I have summarized after I have struck through the pitfalls:
1. Understand the principles behind Arduino
Don't be content with calling ready-made APIs and try to understand what's going on behind these APIs. For example, study the source code of Arduino's core library, understand how digitalWrite is implemented, how analogRead performs ADC conversion, and how Serial manages UART communication. This understanding will lay the foundation for learning other platforms.
I often encourage learners to read the Arduino source code, especially the implementation code in the core folder. These codes show how to implement various functions by directly manipulating registers. For example, viewwiring_digital.cFiles, you will finddigitalWrite()The function is actually to directly set the PORT register of the AVR chip through bit operations. This underlying understanding will greatly help you transition to platforms such as STM32.
I remember the shock when I first read the Arduino source code. It turned out that those seemingly simple functions are such exquisite implementations behind them. This exploration completely changed my understanding of embedded programming, making me realize that the convenience of high-level APIs and the importance of underlying controls can coexist.
2. Learn the basic knowledge of C/C++
Arduino uses simplified C++, but professional development requires deeper language knowledge, especially concepts such as pointer, memory management, object-oriented programming. This knowledge is especially important when dealing with more complex systems and larger code bases.
I've seen many Arduino users get stuck at the language level when transitioning to STM32. For example, not understanding the pointer causes the callback function to be implemented correctly; not understanding the structure causes the complex data to be effectively organized; unfamiliar with bit operations leads to confusing register configuration. These basic knowledge gaps will seriously hinder the learning progress of professional platforms.
It is recommended to start with the basic pointer concept, understand the relationship between pointers and arrays, master the use of structures and unions, and learn bit operation skills. This knowledge is not only applicable to STM32, but is a fundamental skill on almost all embedded platforms.
3. Try to read the microcontroller data sheet
Even the ATmega chip used by the Arduino has a detailed data sheet. Take the time to read these documents and understand how registers and peripherals work, this capability is applicable to any platform.
Datasheet reading is a skill that needs to be developed. Initially, the dense technical details and professional terms can be daunting, but as you accumulate experience, you will gradually master the ability to quickly locate information and understand key parameters. This kind of document reading ability is a must-have skill for professional embedded engineers.
I suggest starting from a small entry point, such as first studying the GPIO part and understanding the structure and operation of port registers. Then gradually explore peripherals such as timers, ADCs, and UARTs. There is no need to understand everything at once, but to learn in a targeted manner with specific questions.
4. Slowly move to professional platforms
Consider using professional boards in the Arduino ecosystem (such as the Due or SAMD series based on ARM) before turning completely to STM32 or other platforms. This progressive transformation can relieve the stress of learning and expose you to new concepts in a familiar environment.
I designed a series of progressive exercises in the course to help students gradually adapt to this transformation. From simple GPIO control to complex peripheral applications, each step is based on the previous step, avoiding the frustration of facing too many new concepts at once.
Another effective strategy is to start with the HAL (hardware abstraction layer) library first, and then gradually learn register direct operation. Although the HAL library of STM32 is not as simplified as Arduino, it provides a certain degree of abstraction and can be used as a learning tool for the transition period. After mastering the use of the HAL library, you can deeply understand its implementation principles and finally reach the level of being able to program registers freely.
5. Invest in appropriate development and debugging tools
One of the major advantages of professional development platforms is their strong debugging capabilities, but this requires appropriate hardware tools to support it. Investing in a debugger like ST-Link will greatly improve development efficiency and problem-solving capabilities.
I've seen developers trying to learn STM32 without a debugger, but they ended up with frustration. Without breakpoints, single-step execution, variable monitoring and other functions, debugging complex code is almost an impossible task. With the right debugging tool, the problem location that originally took hours may only take a few minutes.
I remember the first time I used the debugger to track the execution flow of STM32 code, it seemed like a new world was opening in front of me. Being able to observe variable changes, register status and execution paths in real time gave me an unprecedented clear understanding of system behavior. This ability is invaluable in solving complex problems.
6. Start with the most basic examples
Don't try complex projects right away. Starting from the most basic GPIO control, gradually learn timers, interrupts, communication interfaces, etc. Each mastery of a concept is ensured to fully understand before moving on to the next one.
, I specially designed a routine from shallow to deep, starting from flashing LED, and gradually introduced concepts such as key input, PWM control, ADC sampling, UART communication, etc. Each routine has detailed comments and principle analysis, so that students can not only know "how to do it", but also understand "why do this".
This progressive learning method can build a solid knowledge base and avoid losing direction in complex applications. When the basic concepts are firmly mastered, it will become natural to combine this knowledge to solve complex problems.
Conclusion: Tools are not expensive or low, but they are good if applicable
To sum up my point of view: There is some reason why Arduino is called "toy" because it does have obvious limitations in professional development environments; but its value in education, prototype development, and maker communities is irreplaceable.
As a developer, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of various tools and choose the right platform according to project needs. Arduino is suitable for quick verification of ideas, while platforms such as STM32 are suitable for building reliable commercial products. The two do not conflict, but rather play different roles in the embedded development ecosystem.
Just as woodworkers don’t laugh at apprentices for using simple tools, professional embedded engineers shouldn’t belittle Arduino users. Everyone has a process of learning and growing up. Today's Arduino enthusiasts may be tomorrow's STM32 experts. Instead, senior engineers should appreciate the contribution of Arduino to lower the entry barrier, which brings fresh blood and innovative thinking to the industry.
Similarly, Arduino users should not stagnate and be content with superficial ease of use. You should know that true mastery of technology comes from a deep understanding of the principles, which often requires devoting time to learn seemingly complex underlying knowledge. As I often tell students: "Convenient APIs allow you to implement functions quickly, but understanding the underlying principles allows you to create your own API."
My own experience started with Arduino and gradually transitioned to STM32 and other professional platforms. This process made me realize that true professional qualities do not lie in what tools to use, but in understanding the principles and problem-solving ability. No matter what stage you are in now, continuous learning is the most important thing.
Technology choice is always about trade-offs: ease of use and flexibility, development speed and operation efficiency, learning curve and functional depth. There is no absolute good or bad, only suitable or not. Arduino and STM32 are like two different tools in the toolbox. It is wise to understand their respective advantages and disadvantages and choose the right tool in the right scenario.
If you are considering upgrading from Arduino to a more professional platform, please try mine"STM32 Practical Practical Quick Start" (click to go directly)course. I have combined many years of practical experience to design a smooth transition path for Arduino users to help you avoid common traps and quickly master STM32 development skills. I know every bumpy road on this road, because I have also walked it myself. The course not only imparts technical knowledge, but also shares ideas and methods for solving problems, helping you to establish a professional embedded engineer's way of thinking.
After all, tools are always just tools, and the real value lies in what you can create with them. Whether it's an Arduino or an STM32, it's important that they help you turn your creativity into reality. The charm of technology lies not in its complexity, but in its ability to solve problems. In this sense, every tool that helps people realize their ideas is worthy of respect.