Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Arduino TRE VS PlatformIO

Compare Arduino TRE VS PlatformIO and see what are their differences

Arduino TRE logo Arduino TRE

The first Arduino board manufactured in the U.S.

PlatformIO logo PlatformIO

Next-generation IDE for IoT
  • Arduino TRE Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-07
  • PlatformIO Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04

Arduino TRE features and specs

  • Powerful Dual Processor
    The Arduino TRE features a dual-processor architecture with a Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor and an Arduino Leonardo-compatible microcontroller, allowing for more complex and computationally demanding applications.
  • Full Linux Support
    It runs a full Linux operating system, offering extensive capabilities for processing and connecting with internet services, making it a versatile choice for advanced projects.
  • High Connectivity
    It offers various connectivity options, including HDMI, Ethernet, and USB ports, providing flexibility in communicating with other devices and the internet.
  • Educational Potential
    The combination of Arduino's ease of use with Linux's power makes it an excellent educational tool for learning programming and electronics at various levels.

Possible disadvantages of Arduino TRE

  • Higher Complexity
    The dual-processor architecture and Linux environment can be more complex to work with, especially for beginners who may find simpler Arduino boards easier to use.
  • Higher Cost
    Its advanced features and dual-processor setup result in a higher price point compared to other Arduino boards, potentially making it less accessible for hobbyists with limited budgets.
  • Larger Size
    The board is physically larger than many other Arduino models, which can be a drawback for projects that require compact solutions.
  • Overkill for Simple Projects
    For basic projects, the advanced capabilities of the Arduino TRE may be unnecessary and less efficient compared to simpler boards like the Arduino Uno.

PlatformIO features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    PlatformIO provides a unified environment that can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile for developers who work across different operating systems.
  • Library Management
    PlatformIO has a built-in library management system that helps to manage dependencies easily, including automatic library updates and versioning.
  • Integrated Debugging
    It offers integrated debugging capabilities for a wide range of microcontrollers, which simplifies the process of troubleshooting and fine-tuning code.
  • IDE Integration
    PlatformIO is compatible with popular IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, Atom, and Eclipse, allowing developers to work within their preferred environments.
  • Extensive Board Support
    The platform supports a wide variety of development boards and microcontrollers, providing flexibility for various types of projects.
  • Continuous Integration
    PlatformIO can easily be integrated with CI/CD pipelines, which helps in automating the build and deployment process.
  • Community and Documentation
    There is a strong community and comprehensive documentation available, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning.

Possible disadvantages of PlatformIO

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, the multitude of features and configurations can be overwhelming, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report performance issues, such as slow IDE performance, especially when dealing with large projects.
  • Complex Configuration
    The configuration files (`platformio.ini`) can become quite complex, particularly for advanced projects, which may be challenging to manage.
  • Limited GUI Options
    It lacks a full-fledged graphical interface for some advanced settings and debugging options, relying more on configuration files and command line.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    PlatformIO relies on various external tools and plugins, which sometimes may lead to compatibility issues or additional overhead in setting up the development environment.
  • Less Native Support
    While it supports many third-party boards and environments, official support and updates may lag behind native tools specifically provided by those third parties.

Arduino TRE videos

Hands On With the Arduino Tre Beta

More videos:

  • Review - Arduino's New Browser-Based IDE On The Arduino Tre
  • Review - Arduino TRE test

PlatformIO videos

#264 PlatformIO for Arduino, ESP8266, and ESP32 Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - A Better Arduino IDE - Getting Started with PlatformIO

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Arduino TRE and PlatformIO)
Electronics
33 33%
67% 67
IDE
0 0%
100% 100
3D Printing
100 100%
0% 0
Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlatformIO seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 56 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Arduino TRE mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Arduino TRE yet. Tracking of Arduino TRE recommendations started around Mar 2021.

PlatformIO mentions (56)

  • 13 yo "Vibe Coding" on Raspberry Pi and Arduino
    We searched for other IDEs that would be simple to use, allow easy import of Arduino libraries, and upload the code on the board. I wanted something of the like of Atom editor, but it was not supported on Raspberry Pi (and deprecated now). We found that PlatformIO could be an option. It is a plugin in VSCode that can manage many type of boards. We went ahead, installed VScode, then the PlatformIO extension. We... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Help Needed with Tauri Desktop App for NFC Card Enrollment on ESP32
    For the ESP32 in read mode, we've successfully developed a project using PlatformIO that accepts the key during build time and stores it in memory. Source: over 1 year ago
  • It's 2023 why embedded development is so cumbersome?(rant)
    Check out Zephyr OS and Platform IO. Zephyr is part of the Linux foundation and has similarities to Linux with how it performs hardware abstraction (device tree). Platform IO integrates with other frameworks including mbed and Arduino. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Debug program using PlatformIO and avr-stub
    PlatformIO together with avr-stub can be used to do source level debugging but there are some caveats. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Do you know some sbc or soc that can be programed to run rtos and c++ on top?
    Look into https://platformio.org/, it can abstract over a few RTOSes, and can show you which OSes work with which chips/boards. Source: almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Arduino TRE and PlatformIO, you can also consider the following products

codebender - The Largest Arduino Playground In The World. Create, share and run your code anywhere.

Arduino IDE - Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware...

Raspberry Pi - The Raspberry Pi is a tiny and affordable computer that you can use to learn programming through fun, practical projects. Join the global Raspberry Pi community.

Visual Micro - Arduino IDE for Visual Studio and Atmel Studio

Arduino - Build your own electronics

embedXcode - embedXcode is a template for Xcode.