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The Arduino Open Source Platform
ArduWHAT?
The Arduino is a physical computing platform based on open source hardware and a free open source integrated development environment.
It was first released in 2006 and since then it has taken the electronics hobbyist world by storm.
Arduino Uno
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A growing number of creative individuals have taken advantage of Arduino's easy to program interface to create unique and fun interactive gadgets. You can find an astonishing number of projects on the Internet if you search for "Arduino project". There is no limit to the fun creative possibilities of the Arduino.
The Wonderful World of Arduino
The Arduino can be used to develop all sorts of cool objects that sense inputs and collect data from a variety of sensors (light, force, temperature, sound, etc...), and then control buzzers, lights, motors, displays and other physical outputs in the real world according to the information gathered.
The contraptions thusly created can interact with each other and with our environment, a growing trend dubbed "The Internet of Things" (also a budding community over at pachube.com). Typical creations include temperature sensors that broadcast their readings over the Internet, tweeting air quality monitors, geiger counters, and interactive electricity meters.
Extending Arduino Functionality
In order to extend Arduino's functionality, add-on boards (called shields) were created that sit on top of the main Arduino board. These "shields" allow your projects to include additional features like motors, Internet or WiFi connectivity or any custom circuitry.
Several Arduino shields are available and still more are being created daily by the avid Arduino community. Some examples are Motor Shield (to control motors), WiFi Shield (to allow for WiFi connectivity), Proto Shield (to extend your project with a custom prototype area) and Xbee shield (a wireless ZigBee module for communication between Arduino devices).
Programming the Arduino
The Arduino Uno is based on the 8-bit ATmega328 microcontroller by Atmel. It has a 16MHz crystal oscillator, 14 digital Input/Output pins, 6 analog input pins, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header and a reset button.
It contains everything needed to program the microcontroller, you just connect it to a computer with a USB cable and use the simple IDE to write and upload your code (called "sketches") to it. Once programmed, the board can be powered with an AC-to-DC adapter or battery.
Arduino on Wikipedia
A Simple Arduino Sketch to Blink an LED
/*
Blink
Turns on an LED on for one second, then off for one second, repeatedly.
This example code is in the public domain.
*/
void setup() {
// initialize the digital pin as an output.
// Pin 13 has an LED connected on most Arduino boards:
pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
digitalWrite(13, HIGH); // set the LED on
delay(1000); // wait for a second
digitalWrite(13, LOW); // set the LED off
delay(1000); // wait for a second
}
Interesting Arduino Projects Around the Web
Arduino and Ikea = Superb RGB LED Table Hack Arduino RGB LED Spinning Night Light Silly String ShooterArduino Books and Boards on Amazon
Arduino Projects from My Blog
I have a hobby electronics blog where I document my projects with the Arduino and hobby electronics in general. As a software engineer turned electronics hobbyist, I share my experience learning about electronics using the Arduino as my main platform.
Disclosure: This page generates income for authors based on affiliate relationships with our partners, including Amazon, eBay, Google and others.
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