The BeagleBone Black is a open-source hardware board that combines Raspberry Pi and Arduino-like capabilities into it. It's similar to the UDOO, with a cut-down on size, features and price. The TI Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor runs at 1Ghz with 512MB of DDR3 RAM. The 2GB of inbuilt comes pre-loaded with Angstrom Linux, but can support Ubuntu and Android.
The BeagleBone Black features two USB 2.0 ports (one of them is a micro USB), a micro HDMI port (supporting up to 1280 x 1024 resolution), a micro SD card slot, and 10/100 Ethernet jack (which, just like the Rasperry Pi, is internally USB). It can be run from USB or from a 5V DC power supply.
The credit card-sized board also features two 46-pin connectors to perform typical microprocessor duties. There are also 30 'capes', which are compatible plugin boards, that support all manner of devices, from LCD touch screens and DMX lighting controllers, to 3D printers and radiation detectors! Of the 64 connections, 65 are digital I/O, 7 are analog, 8 are PWM and 4 serial. This has more connectivity than and Arduino UNO, with the power of a Linux system underneath.
Pros
- More I/O and more Power than a Raspberry Pi
- More Power than an Arduino
- Powerful Linux OS
Cons
- Expensive compared to the Arduino and the Pi
- Video not 1080p like Raspberry Pi
You can buy the BeagleBone Black now.