A closer look at the Arduino Micro and Pro micro board
In the last article, we talked about the Arduino Nano board but now let’s have a closer look at the Arduino Micro and Pro Micro boards.
Based on the ATmega32U4 microcontroller, Arduino Micro and the Pro Micro boards are both used to communicate with your computer using merely a USB cable and easily be used as a mouse or keyboard as per your choice.
Both of the boards have huge similarities and huge differences. We will discuss both of the categories in the given article and try to distinguish the two boards.
To better understand the Micro board, let’s see its specifications first.
Arduino Micro Specifications
Since Arduino Micro is a smaller version of the Leonardo board, the two of them are hugely similar. The specifications of the Micro board are as follows:
| Board Size | 48.2×17.8mm |
| Microcontroller/ Clock Speed | ATmega32U4/ 16MHz |
| SRAM (Main Memory) | 2.5kB |
| Flash Memory | 32kB |
| EEPROM | 1kB |
| Operating Voltage | +5V |
| Input Voltage | +7～+12V |
| Output Voltage | +5V, +3.3V |
| Digital I/O Pins | 24 |
| PWM Digital I/O Pins | 7 |
| Analog Input Pins | 12 |
| Analog Output Pins (DAC) | - |
| Rated Current per Pin | 40mA/Pin |
| Program Writing Pins | Micro USB Type-B ICSP |
| Interface | UART I2C SPI |
Now, that we are clear with the technicalities of the Arduino Micro board, we must also have a look at the features of the Pro Micro board. Let’s go ahead.
Pro Micro board specifications
The Pro Micro board compatible with all the Arduino based activities comes with the following specifications.
- ATmega32U4 running at 5V/16MHz
- On-Board micro-USB connector for programming
- 12x Digital I/Os (5 are PWM capable)
- Smallest Arduino-Compatible Board Yet
- 3″x0.7″
- Supported under Arduino IDE v1.0.1+
- Rx and Tx Hardware Serial Connections
- 9x 10-bit ADC pins
Since we are familiar with the specifications of both the boards, let us now head onto their differences.
Micro VS Pro Micro board
Even though both the boards use the same microcontroller i.e. ATmega32U4 but the main difference lies in the pins.
The pro micro is smaller and comes with fewer available pins and has 5V or 3.3V variants.
On the other hand, the micro is bigger and has some more pins but only 5V.
The Micro board has 14 digital I/O pins of which 7 provide PWM output.
Further, some of the analog pins can also be used as digital I/O.
Contrary to the Micro board, the Pro Micro has 12 digital I/O pins of which there are 5 PWM pins.
The Micro board uses a USB or external supply of 6 to 20 volts (recommended range is 7 to 12 volts) but the Pro Micro can accept voltage up to 12VDC.
Both of the boards, Micro and Micro Pro boards have their benefits and disadvantages but they are quite easy to use and efficient on their own terms.
Thus, if you want to start building your own exciting projects, both of the boards are good enough choices!
Let us know what you think about Micro board and Pro micro board in the comment section below.
See also: What is Arduino UNO Board? -Board for Rapid Prototyping
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