Learning Arduino – Part 1
What is Arduino?
Arduino is an open source microcontroller board based on Atmel’s Atmega range of microcontrollers, used for electronics prototyping. It is used by hobbyists and students alike to build interactive electronic projects. It is used as a brain which controls various elements in a circuit like sensors or other input devices, can process data acquired from all those and present the data in output devices like LCD screens and such. It is also used as a platform for Internet Of Things, where different devices will be interconnected and each device serves as a node in a network of devices working together.
Why should you learn Arduino?
Arduino lets you do whatever you can imagine of. Wanna build a smartwatch on your own with customized apps? Get an Arduino Pro Mini board along with components like an OLED screen, a Bluetooth module, a Lithium-Polymer battery, and you’re all set! Do you want to make a wireless speaker that notifies you every time Donald Trump posts on Twitter? You can do that too.
Arduino lets you build interesting and useful electronic gadgets or circuits. It can be a fun saturday afternoon project. Or even a possible business proposition. The fact is, as I said earlier, you are only limited by your own imagination.
How to learn Arduino?
Making an Arduino project is simple. It is especially user friendly due to the huge online community of makers and tinkerers who are always there to help you and inspire you. The very first place to learn about Arduino will be their own official website.
For trying it out on your own, however, you’ll need one of the varieties of the Arduino boards. For beginners, the most recommended flavour of the microcontroller board is the Arduino Uno. It is the most basic and beginner friendly.
You’ll need a computer and will have to install the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) to write the code and upload it in your microcontroller.
The “Hello World” program in the world of Arduino is the LED Blink example. You’ll use the microcontroller to alternatively switch on and off an LED. (This will be covered in the next part)
These are just the basics and once you are comfortable with it, you can start implementing different sensors and make your own interactive electronics which react to external stimuli. You can make robots, IOT electronics, gesture controlled cars or even just blink an LED.
Note : - This is just to serve as an introduction for a series of posts which I will be writing on this topic!!