Raspberry PI vs Arduino

[lsnake77]

I like very much this project and i think the raspberry pi is the version that fitted more to my needs (possibility to customize it easily and web server to run directly mobile web app). In any case, I’ve the following doubts about this version (against Arduino one):

– Reliability: raspberry PI work on linux system, arduino version use programmed microcontroller. I suppose that a monotask program is more reliable that a full OS. Am i in wrong? Is it possibile to prevent critical issue like flooding for unclosed pump?
– Heat dissipation: this point depend on the first one. Raspberry pi works at higher temperature and the enclosure doesn’t help it. Somebody have tested it in critical environments?

P.S.: sorry for my poor english 🙂

Thanks

[Ray]

– Reliability: raspberry PI work on linux system, arduino version use programmed microcontroller. I suppose that a monotask program is more reliable that a full OS. Am i in wrong? Is it possibile to prevent critical issue like flooding for unclosed pump?

I think this really boils down to software design. There are tons of modern gadgets built on embedded Linux and they are very reliable. I did receive some reports about SD card corruption issue on the Pi, which is rare but exists. So at the moment the arduino-based version is probably more reliable, but I think the pi-based version can be improved to have similar reliability.

– Heat dissipation: this point depend on the first one. Raspberry pi works at higher temperature and the enclosure doesn’t help it. Somebody have tested it in critical environments?

I haven’t done any critical testing under high temperature myself. RPi generally dissipates more heat because of its current consumption. This could be a problem during the summer particularly if the controller is placed outside under the sun.

[lsnake77]

Thank you very much! I have other two questions:
– Rain Sensor: I see that arduino version have a port to connect wired rain sensor. I’ve read in a post that a similar port will be also available on raspberry pi from version 1.3. Are there some limitations about wire lenght?
– Temperature/Humidity sensor: I see that the arduino version can use sensor dht22 to get temperature/humidity informations. Is it possibile to use the same sensor on rapsberry pi version? In this way you can have irrigation and weather station in one device.

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