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Choosing a microcontroller is like picking the engine for a custom car: the rest of the build depends on it. Whether you’re prototyping a smart garden sensor, building a home automation hub, or designing a commercial product, the microcontroller defines power consumption, I/O options, and development ease. In the UK market today, options range from tiny 0.5-inch modules suited to wearables to full-featured boards with breadboard-friendly headers. Knowing what matters — processing speed, memory, connectivity, and expandability — helps you shop smart and avoid costly rework.
If you want choice, rapid delivery, and solid product support, several UK retailers stand out. Below I list reliable places where hobbyists and engineers commonly shop, with notes on what each retailer does best.
RS Components is a go-to for professionals who want a broad catalog and component-level detail. They stock popular microcontrollers from STMicroelectronics, Microchip (PIC), and ARM Cortex families, plus dev boards and modules. RS often lists datasheets, reference designs, and availability in stock quantities suitable for short production runs. If you like to compare part numbers and order exact quantities in bulk, RS is a solid choice.
Farnell, operating as element14 in many circles, blends distributor-level availability with helpful community resources. You’ll find Arduino boards, STM32 Nucleo boards, Raspberry Pi Pico variants, and ecosystem accessories. Farnell also offers helpful customer reviews and technical articles — handy when choosing between a low-power MCU and a high-speed option for real-time tasks.
Pimoroni excels at community-focused products: interesting add-ons, compact breakout boards, and Raspberry Pi-compatible microcontrollers. If you’re building creative projects — LED strips, wearable tech, or tiny robots — Pimoroni’s curated selection and clear tutorials make getting started feel like joining a workshop.
The Pi Hut is famous for Raspberry Pi accessories but also carries microcontroller boards like the Raspberry Pi Pico and related RP2040 modules. For UK makers who prefer Raspberry-compatible ecosystems and neat starter kits, The Pi Hut keeps things simple and straightforward.
Hobby Components is a smaller UK supplier aimed at makers and education. They stock Arduino clones, ESP32 boards, PIC microcontrollers, sensors, and wiring. Prices are competitive for hobby quantities, and their product pages often include wiring diagrams and quick start tips — very useful for students or weekend tinkerers.
Rapid Electronics covers education and hobby markets with a broad range of electronics parts, including microcontrollers, prototyping boards, and sensor packs. If you’re buying kits for a classroom or buying several identical units for a workshop, Rapid’s SKU-focused approach and educational discounts can be helpful.
Mouser and Digi-Key are global distributors with strong UK presence and fast shipping. They stock the latest microcontrollers from NXP, Microchip, ST, Espressif, and many niche vendors. These retailers are great when you need the newest silicon or obscure parts, and they publish full datasheets, application notes, and design files to speed your development.
Amazon and eBay are convenient for quick buys, especially for common dev boards like Arduino Uno, ESP32 dev kits, or Raspberry Pi Pico. Prices vary, and you’ll want to check seller ratings and product descriptions carefully. For one-off hobby projects or when you need a spare board in a pinch, these marketplaces are handy, but double-check vendor authenticity for branded modules.
Maplin, now online-focused, still serves makers looking for simple electronics and plug-and-play modules. Their range isn’t as deep as distributors, but they’re useful for mainstream microcontroller boards, power supplies, and prototyping accessories when you want a familiar, consumer-friendly shopping experience.
Which microcontroller family you pick depends on project size, power budget, and connectivity needs. Here’s a plain-English guide to the popular families you’ll see across UK stores.
Arduino boards are the approachable, beginner-friendly option. Small Uno-style boards with ATmega chips are perfect for learning and simple projects, while SAMD-based Arduino Zero or MKR boards bring more processing power and built-in USB functionality. If you want rapid prototyping and huge community support, Arduino is the first stop.
Need Wi-Fi or Bluetooth built in? Enter the ESP family. ESP8266 covers simple Wi-Fi needs, while ESP32 adds Bluetooth LE and more processing muscle. These modules are inexpensive, power-efficient in deep sleep, and ideal for IoT devices that send sensor data over the network.
Raspberry Pi’s RP2040 microcontroller is a flexible dual-core option that’s inexpensive and widely supported. It’s especially attractive for projects that need significant I/O and custom firmware written in C/C++ or MicroPython. Small RP2040 boards measure around 1.5 inches long and fit neatly into breadboards or compact enclosures.
STMicroelectronics’ STM32 line covers everything from tiny ultra-low-power chips to high-speed, DSP-capable controllers. If you’re building a product that needs deterministic performance or complex peripherals (CAN, high-resolution ADCs), STM32 gives you professional-grade options and deep toolchain support.
PIC and classic AVR chips are still widely used in embedded projects where simplicity and reliable timer/peripheral performance matter. They’re often the backbone of industrial controllers and legacy designs, and UK distributors continue to stock them in many pin-counts and memory sizes.
Shopping for microcontrollers can feel like navigating a hardware bazaar. Here are practical tips to compare what you see on store pages so you get the best value without skimping on requirements.
Don’t buy the fastest chip just because it’s flashy. Think about RAM size for buffering, flash for firmware, and I/O count for sensors. If your device runs on batteries, prioritize low-power sleep modes and measure expected milliamp-hour draw in real tests, not just datasheet peaks.
Board footprints and component packages vary. Check card sizes and header spacing in inches so panels, enclosures, and mounting holes line up. A board that’s 2.0 inches long may fit a compact case, while a 3.5-inch module might need more real estate than you expected.
Availability of debuggers, starter kits, and IDE support matters. Some microcontrollers have robust free toolchains, while others require paid IDEs or proprietary hardware debuggers. Think of tools like the car jack and toolbox — you’ll want them before the flat tire.
If you’re planning a product, pick parts with good supply prospects. Distributors like Mouser and Digi-Key often note lead-time estimates. Also identify pin-compatible alternatives to hedge against obsolescence — that saves redesign headaches.
Starter kits are the fastest way to learn — they bundle sensors, breadboards, power supplies, and step-by-step projects. UK sellers like Pimoroni, The Pi Hut, RS Components, and Hobby Components offer themed kits: IoT starters, robotics packs, and wearable electronics bundles. For classroom use, Rapid Electronics and Farnell provide education-focused kits that include teacher guides, which can make lesson planning far less painful.
Remember the peripherals. A microcontroller is useless without sensors, power, and a way to connect to the real world. Buy power supplies rated in volts and amps that match your board’s needs, and choose enclosures sized in inches for neat assembly. UK stores stock prototyping shields, screw terminals, sensor modules, and tiny OLED displays — all the bits that turn a board into a working device.
Hobbyists and professionals have different priorities. Hobbyists want low-cost, easy-to-use boards and lots of tutorials. Professionals need traceable parts, bulk pricing, and long-term availability. Here are quick shopping rules of thumb:
Look for community support, clear tutorials, and low entry cost. The Pi Hut, Pimoroni, and Amazon are excellent for one-off projects and learning. Don’t forget to buy a small multi-meter and a soldering iron — they’re as essential as bread and butter for makers.
Choose distributors like RS, Farnell, Mouser, or Digi-Key that provide part traceability and bulk order options. Consider requesting samples from manufacturers if you plan a production run. Also, order a small engineering batch first to test assembly and field performance before scaling up.
Microcontroller prices in the UK depend on features and volume. Basic 8-bit dev boards can be as low as a few pounds for hobby-style clones, while feature-rich ARM Cortex boards with wireless connectivity commonly range from about 10 to 60 pounds depending on add-ons. For production-grade chips purchased in reels, price per unit drops as quantities rise, but initial costs for tool setup and testing may increase. Think about your total project budget, not just the chip price.
Even experienced builders trip up on a few recurring issues. Avoid these, and you’ll save time and money:
Clones and compatibles can vary in bootloader behavior, USB-to-serial chips, and pin labeling. Verify the exact board revision and test the basic blink sketch before wiring up sensors.
Always estimate current draw in sleep and active modes. I’ve seen projects where Wi-Fi modules drained a battery in days because nobody measured transmit spikes. Use test measurements with your actual sensor load.
Measure enclosure and PCB dimensions in inches and mock up with cardboard or foam before ordering custom cases. A 0.2-inch misalignment can mean redesigning mounting holes — a small pain that becomes a big delay.
Buying microcontrollers in the UK is easy if you know where to look and what to prioritize. Decide if your focus is learning, prototyping, or production; choose vendors accordingly; and compare specs like memory, I/O, and power modes in context, not isolation. Think of shopping as matchmaking: the right retailer and board pairing leads to a smoother project romance, while the wrong match can turn into a long courtship of debugging and redesign.
Ready to pick a board? Start small with an inexpensive dev kit to validate your concept, then scale up to production-grade parts once your design proves out. Happy building — and remember, every finished project began as a single blinking LED.
Conclusion: Choosing the right microcontroller and the right UK retailer sets the tone for successful electronics projects. Whether you’re a beginner or an engineer, use the tips above to compare parts, measure actual power and size in inches, and pick vendors that match your scale and style. With the right tools and a bit of patience, you’ll turn ideas into reliable, working devices.
| Microcontrollers | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Microchip Technology Pic16f628a-i P Embedded Microcontroller Pdip-18 8-bit 20 Mhz Number In Island 16 | kr. 67,- |
