Hi everyone,
I am starting a new robotics project and could use some advice on selecting the right microcontroller. My project involves controlling a few DC motors, reading sensor data (like temperature and distance), and possibly adding wireless communication down the line. I am considering options like the Arduino Uno, ESP32,… or even something more advanced like the STM32 series.
What’s your experience with these or any other microcontrollers: ?? Which would you recommend for a project that needs a balance of performance, ease of programming, and community support: ?? Also, are there any potential pitfalls I should be aware of when working with these platforms: ?? I also read this thread: https://forum.pololu.com/t/micro-controller-recommended-for-robotics-applications-azure-admin/ but couldn’t get the solution to my query.
Thanks in advance for your insights…! 
With Regards,
David 
Hello, David.
There are probably many options that would work fine, but here are some general things to consider:
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Operating voltage. 5V and 3.3V are both very common operating voltages for electronics, and they are not always compatible with each other. For example, if you’re using a 3.3V microcontroller that is not 5V tolerant, you will probably need some additional considerations (such as a level shifter or voltage divider) to communicate with a 5V sensor or motor driver to prevent damage. Similarly, if you use a 5V microcontroller with a 3.3V sensor, you should make sure that the microcontroller can read a 3.3V signal as high (and that the sensor is 5V tolerant if it requires 2-way communication).
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Sensors and interfaces. Some sensors might require higher level interfaces (like I2C, TTL serial, or SPI), while others will just output a simple analog or digital signal. You should make sure the microcontroller board you choose has enough compatible pins available to read all of your sensors.
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Motor control. You will probably want to consider what kind of motor driver or controller you’re going to use when selecting a microcontroller. Similarly to sensors, some of them use higher level control interfaces (such as our motor controllers), but some can require multiple PWM and digital signals, which can add up fast if you have multiple motors.
Ultimately, without more specifics about your system requirements, it is hard to make a strong suggestion. However, since you mentioned wanting wireless capabilities, you might start by looking into some ESP32 modules with WiFi and Bluetooth or something like the Raspberry Pi Pico W. Both have a lot of community support and have multiple options for programming languages. They are also fairly inexpensive, which makes it less of a risk to get started.
Brandon
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