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  • Author Author: markvenn
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GPIO on BBB, Arduino and Pi

markvenn

This is not exactly a question and it is not for a single board so bear with me. (Is that the right way to spell bear in this case? I don't want everyone thing I want them to get naked with me image)

 

Right, to the non-question; which is the most efficient way to access GPIO pins, node.js (or equivalent) or language such as Python?

 

I am working on a little / huge project, (a 3 year doctorate), and I am going to be using one or all of Arduino, Pi and BBB and I can switch on and off outputs and read inputs in node / bonescript and Python and I was wondering which is the "best" to use. The project will have a web server, most likely node, and it will need to turn stuff on and off and do you experts think that this is the best way to go about it in every case. I know the advantages of non blocking IO and asynchronicity but it got me thinking about if there were any advantages of one method over another.

 

Comments are extremely gratefully received!

  • in reply to pmohan

    I don't think that can strictly count, because the Python interpreter is running on the other processor on that board, which has WiFi duties (and which runs Linux so can use any language in theory).

    To control I/O, the usual Arduino language would be used, because the I/O on the board is wired to the ATmega chip. Code could be written to use the ATmega chip as a slave, so that the other processor is really in command, i.e. using the ATmega as a kind-of port expander.

  • in reply to shabaz

    Arduini Yun runs Python. Doesn't that count ?

  • in reply to shabaz

    You are quite right about the Arduino of course image

    In my mind I am looking at probably using the arduino to react to inputs from another platform and so I should have left that out of the discussion.

  • Hi Mark,

    I'm not sure Python runs on the Arduino (maybe it does), nor Node.js.

    The Arduino is a microcontroller, usually I/O is extremely straigntforward on these, using DigitalRead/DigitalWrite commands in the Arduino language (which is C I believe).

    On the RPI/BBB, you can pick your language, since these platforms run Linux. I/O has to share time with the rest of Linux, so expect some small variable latency (jitter) when issuing commands.

    The commands you issue will depend on the language you choose - some are more comfortable with C, others with Python and others with JavaScript.

    If you need to have a web server, then unless the requirement for it is quite simple, you're forced to move off the Arduino because it doesn't have much memory and other resources for handling large web pages.