NatesNotes

Arduino First Impressions

From: arduino explained in 60 seconds

“it’s a programmable circuit board used to control electronic projects”

  • Will have to learn a good amount about circuits

The arduino uno is most common

The circuitboard runs off of a microcontroller, which is “like a mini computer”

There are pins on the circuitboard that allow you to connect components. These pins give power to the components

Digital pins send/receive binary values (high, low) Analog pins can read continuous data Digital pins marked with a “squiggle” can simulate analog signals by sending high pulses, creating variable voltages

can plug it into your computer and use the arduino software to code it in C++

  • mentions “sketch” with this

We have a setup function that runs once to initialize settings and the loop function that runs the code over and over

  • can set pinMode by giving parameters “LED, 13” and use use digitalWrite with parameters(LED, HIGH) and alternate with low every X amount of seconds for an easy blinking circuit

Thoughts: pretty simple, but this doesn’t really teach the low level stuff. Still a lot of abstraction. A solid overview, though. We basically learned what the circuitboard is, that there is a microcontroller that is the computer, and that we can hook things up and write basic C++ code to use and control components. I would still like to learn how the circuitry and computing works.

From: arduino is easy, actaully

The arduino circuitboard is the brain of your project. He already is showing the breadboard, which I think is where I would be learning more about the circuitry and electronics

Arduino is an italian company that makes this sort of hardware Arduino uno is standard, arduino nano for size limits, arduino mega for no size limits and more pins

Arduino open-sources their designs to all boards. So many clones available

Microcontroller used: ATmega328P

  • 8-bit processor
  • 32Kb memory
  • 16MHz clock speed Made by a company called “Atmel” Costs around $3 on it’s own, but to use it need the rest of the arduino board.
  • I’d like to learn more about this microcontroller, like what it consists of and what else it is used for, the major competitors and if companies usually outsource these, etc.

USB port gives it power and allows you to upload code. USB-Serial is the translator

  • USB signal -> serial Serial is the message of communication that the arduino uses

Some components of the board he goes over quickly after mentioning USB:

  • Polyfuse: stops from drawing too much current
  • Voltage regulator: gives the arduino a clean 5V
    • Another voltage regulator for clean 3.3V

Also DC barrel jack for a battery if you don’t want to use USB power

  • Onboarding LED useful for basic debugging
  • Another two for “TX and RX”
    • TX: transmit, RX: received
    • When data is transmitted (TX) it flashes, and when data is received (RX), that flashes There is a red reset pin at the top corner by the USB

Digital I/O pins with 3 modes

  • Can program to high, low (turns off and on components), and setting them as inputs that can read voltage.
  • The ones with the Tilde sign (or as the last guy said, squiggly sign) are capable of generating “Pulse Width Modulated Signals”
    • Can turn off and on really fast, can control dimming lights or the speed of a motor (gradient voltage)
    • Wow, a light can look like it is on at 50% power, but really it is just being turned on and off so fast that it looks that way

Pausing at 3:15 Continuing

Power pins are in a separate row. The I/O pins can also power, but with less current. The power pins are connected directly to the voltage regulators. The I/O pins connect to the microcontroller, the power pins connect to the voltage regulators

Power pins

  • 3.3V and 5V Ground pins
  • Ground is a common return path for all electrons
  • Must connect components to the ground so that current can flow through them

Can use Vin pin to hook up more power

Analog input pins

  • Can measure continuous voltages
  • Converts these to digital values since microcontroller uses binary Analog pins are connected to the analog-to-digital converter, “ADC”
  • ADC has 10 bit range

Shields: circuitboard you can attach to arduino for more functionality

  • data logger shield for recording data with sd card
  • thinker shield for buttons and lights

Aduino IDE uses modified C++

  • He did a short software overview and how to make the built in light blink, will probably mess around with that and come back

Paused at 7:23

Thoughts: Serial is the communication signal that arduino uses, would like to learn more about that. And how USB signal is translated to this. I’d also like to learn more about the microcontroller itself, and the Atmel company, and how real businesses use and buy/build microcontrollers. Could be cool to see the open source design of arduino boards, or even use software to design and test a mock board that I create. Also the guy had gloves on, might want to pick up some of those at the store. Cool to know that lights may really just be turning on and off really fast when they are dimmed. Will have to do more research to see if this is how it always works. Need to learn more about grounding and electrons

Notes after videos, and before first startup

It’s a really cool piece of technology. I like the look of the circuitboard, and the mystery of the microcontroller. There is plenty to learn, but I’m glad that I went ahead and got the necessary things to start. I’ll let curiosity guide the way since this is very interesting naturally.

Seeing on their website that they have professional solutions as well. I’d like to see what all they do. Arduino for students, makers,a nd professionals.