Does an Arduino get worn out by too much command execution?

No, the code doesn't "wear out" the MCU. In general no matter what you are doing roughly the same level of activity is being performed. Even delay() does lots of work while it's "idling".

There are commands to make the CPU do less - place it in an IDLE or SLEEP mode - but these are used to save power rather than to reduce "wear" on the MCU.

Of course there are specific things that do have a limited lifetime and you can only use them a limited amount of times - things like writing to EEPROM and writing to the Flash memory - so you don't want to be doing those all the time. Other than that, no, no matter what you are doing it doesn't wear the MCU out.


It's not. Well, it might slowly wear out if you run it like 20 years....(like most other physical products)? At least it does not rely on code complexity but how many writing operation done in the same memory section. Moreover, when it wear out it will just get bricked and it won't become a simpler code like blinking the LED.

An Arduino (Uno) has three memory parts. SRAM, FLASH, and EEPROM. SRAM is more like a logical transistor gate. It won't wear out by storing variables. FLASH and EEPROM consist of floating gates. They slowly wear out when you write new data. From the datasheet of Ateml microcontroller, it states:

The Flash memory has an endurance of at least 10,000 write/erase cycles. (From Chapter 8.2)

The EEPROM has an endurance of at least 100,000 write/erase cycles. (From Chapter 8.4)

However, FLASH memory is a space for code execution. Writing operation is not be done while Arduino is running. You only write FLASH memory when you upload a new code. So it will wear out when you upload code at least 10,000 times.

If you really want you can make a special code to self-reprogram FLASH memory usually for the purpose of keeping variable data when Arduino is turned off. When you write this kind of program it will wear out slowly because FLASH memory doesn't have much writing endurance. That's why you will be suggested to use EEPROM which has much more life expectancy, if you want to keep data even when Arduino is turned off.

To sum up, it will wear out by re-writing FLASH or EEPROM memory, not by code execution.


For a hobbyist:

About the only life limiting software related issue might be writing to the FLASH memory as fast as you can from inside a program. But few programs make use of variables that need to survive events like changing batteries.

About the only life limiting hardware related issue is over loading the outputs with low resistance loads (incandescent light bulbs), inductive loads (like directly driving mechanical relays) to name just two. But the question is only about software.