Arduino For Beginners

Learn about Arduino and the Arduino UNO and how you can integrate this board into your makerspace and coding program. Make interactive makerspace projects while learning to code and problem solve.

More and more makerspaces around the world are looking to add coding and
electronics to their maker education programs. One of the best ways to do this is by
integrating an Arduino board into makerspace projects and lessons.
We’ve found that a lot of maker educators haven’t taken the plunge into coding or
Arduino because they think programming is scary. Because of this, we wanted to
make sure this tutorial was written for the absolute beginner with no experience
whatsoever.

This tutorial is a high level view of all the parts and pieces of the Arduino
ecosystem. In future posts, we will take you step by step in creating your first simple
Arduino project.
What Is Arduino?
Arduino is an open source programmable circuit board that can be integrated into a
wide variety of makerspace projects both simple and complex. This board contains
a microcontroller which is able to be programmed to sense and control objects in the
physical world. By responding to sensors and inputs, the Arduino is able to interact
with a large array of outputs such as LEDs, motors and displays. Because of it’s
flexibility and low cost, Arduino has become a very popular choice for makers and
makerspaces looking to create interactive hardware projects.
Arduino was introduced back in 2005 in Italy by Massimo Banzi as a way for non-
engineers to have access to a low cost, simple tool for creating hardware
projects. Since the board is open-source, it is released under a Creative Commons
license which allows anyone to produce their own board. If you search the web, you
will find there are hundreds of Arduino compatible clones and variations available
but the only official boards have Arduino in it’s name.
In the next section, we’re going to discuss a few of the Arduino boards available and
how they differ from each other.
Types of Arduino Boards
Arduino is a great platform for prototyping projects and inventions but can be
confusing when having to choose the right board. If you’re brand new to this, you
might have always thought that there was just one “Arduino” board and that’s it. In
reality, there are many variations of the official Arduino boards and then there are
hundreds more from competitors who offer clones. But don’t worry, we’re going to
show you which one to start with later on in this tutorial.

Below are a few examples of the different types of Arduino boards out there. The
boards with the name Arduino on them are the official boards but there are also a lot
of really great clones on the market as well. One of the best reasons to buy a clone is
the fact they are generally less expensive than their official
counterpart. Adafruit and Sparkfun for example, sell variations of the Arduino boards
which cost less but still have the same quality of the originals. One word of caution,
be careful when buying boards from companies you don’t know.

Image credit – Sparkfun.com

Another factor to consider when choosing a board is the type of project you are
looking to do. For example, if you want to create a wearable electronic project, you
might want to consider the LilyPad board from Sparkfun. The LilyPad is designed to
be easily sewn into e-textiles and wearable projects. If your project has a small form
factor, you might want to use the Arduino Pro Mini which has a very small footprint
compared to other boards. Check out Sparkfun’s Arduino Comparison Guide for a
breakdown and comparison of the top boards out there.
Next, we’re going to focus on our favorite Arduino board which we recommend
beginners start with.

Arduino Uno
One of the most popular Arduino boards out there is the Arduino Uno. While it was
not actually the first board to be released, it remains to be the most actively used and
most widely documented on the market. Because of its extreme popularity, the
Arduino Uno has a ton of project tutorials and forums around the web that can help
you get started or out of a jam. We’re big fans of the Uno because of it’s great
features and ease of use.
Board Breakdown
Here are the components that make up an Arduino board and what each of their
functions are.

1. Reset Button – This will restart any code that is loaded to the Arduino board
2. AREF – Stands for “Analog Reference” and is used to set an external reference
voltage
3. Ground Pin – There are a few ground pins on the Arduino and they all work the
same
4. Digital Input/Output – Pins 0-13 can be used for digital input or output
5. PWM – The pins marked with the (~) symbol can simulate analog output
6. USB Connection – Used for powering up your Arduino and uploading sketches
7. TX/RX – Transmit and receive data indication LEDs
8. ATmega Microcontroller – This is the brains and is where the programs are
stored
9. Power LED Indicator – This LED lights up anytime the board is plugged in a
power source
10. Voltage Regulator – This controls the amount of voltage going into the Arduino
board
11. DC Power Barrel Jack – This is used for powering your Arduino with a power
supply
12. 3.3V Pin – This pin supplies 3.3 volts of power to your projects
13. 5V Pin – This pin supplies 5 volts of power to your projects
14. Ground Pins – There are a few ground pins on the Arduino and they all work the
same
15. Analog Pins – These pins can read the signal from an analog sensor and convert
it to digital
Arduino Power Supply
The Arduino Uno needs a power source in order for it to operate and can be powered
in a variety of ways. You can do what most people do and connect the board directly
to your computer via a USB cable. If you want your project to be mobile, consider
using a 9V battery pack to give it juice. The last method would be to use a 9V AC
power supply.
Arduino Breadboard
Another very important item when working with Arduino is a solderless
breadboard. This device allows you to prototype your Arduino project without having
to permanently solder the circuit together. Using a breadboard allows you to create
temporary prototypes and experiment with different circuit designs. Inside the holes
(tie points) of the plastic housing, are metal clips which are connected to each other by
strips of conductive material.

On a side note, the breadboard is not powered on its own and needs power brought to
it from the Arduino board using jumper wires. These wires are also used to form the
circuit by connecting resistors, switches and other components together.
Here is a visual of what a completed Arduino circuit looks like when connected to a
breadboard.
How To Program Arduino
Once the circuit has been created on the breadboard, you’ll need to upload the
program (known as a sketch) to the Arduino. The sketch is a set of instructions that
tells the board what functions it needs to perform. An Arduino board can only hold
and perform one sketch at a time. The software used to create Arduino sketches is
called the IDE which stands for Integrated Development Environment. The software
is free to download and can be found at https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
Every Arduino sketch has two main parts to the program:

void setup() – Sets things up that have to be done once and then don’t happen again.
void loop() – Contains the instructions that get repeated over and over until the board
is turned off.

How Everything Works Together

Check out our quick Arduino video to see how a breadboard, Arduino, jumper wires
and the sketch work together to perform a function. In this video, we use a
momentary push button switch to blink an LED.

Arduino Projects
You may be wondering what an Arduino board can do besides blink an LED. Below
are some example projects which help to showcase how truly amazing this board is
and the capabilities of it. If you’re looking for more project ideas, check out sites
such as Instructables or Make Magazine which are loaded with helpful tutorials.

Arduino Light Following Robot – Instructables

Arduino Drone That Follows You – Instructables

LED Cube w/ Arduino Uno – Instructables

Control A Doorlock Using Arduino and Bluetooth – MAKE Magazine
Tools Needed
Next we will help to highlight some of the most common tools you will need when
working with Arduino projects.

 Needle-nose Pliers
 Wire Strippers
 Precision Screwdriver Set
 Flush Cutters
 Fine Tip Straight Tweezers
 Digital Multimeter
 Soldering Iron
 Panavise Jr
 Solder Sucker
Arduino Sensors
If you want your Arduino to sense the world around it, you will need to add a
sensor. There are a wide range of sensors to choose from and they each have a
specific purpose. Below you will find some of the commonly used sensors in
projects.

 Distance Ranging Sensor

 PIR Motion Sensor
 Light Sensor
 Degree of Flex Sensor
 Pressure Sensor
 Proximity Sensor
 Acceleration Sensor
 Sound Detecting Sensor
 RGB and Gesture Sensor
 Humidity and Temperature Sensor

Examples of Arduino Sensors

Simple Arduino Projects For Beginners

Arduino Projects
In this tutorial, we’re going to help you create a few simple arduino projects that are
perfect for beginners. These basic projects will help you understand how to set up the
Arduino software and then connect the components to perform a specific action.

If you’re completely brand new to Arduino, make sure you download our free ebook
below. This guide was created for the absolute beginner and will help you to
understand the Arduino board along with its parts and components.
Tools and Parts Needed
In order to complete the projects in this tutorial, you’ll need to make sure you have the
following items.

 Arduino Uno Board

 Breadboard – half size
 Jumper Wires
 USB Cable
 LED (5mm)
 Push button switch
 10k Ohm Resistor
 220 Ohm Resistor

Download The Software

At this point, we’re ready to download the free software known as the IDE. The
Arduino IDE is the interface where you will write the sketches that tell the board what
to do.

You can find the latest version of this software on the Arduino IDE download page.

To install the software, you will need to click on the link that corresponds with your
computer’s operating system.
Arduino IDE
Once the software has been installed on your computer, go ahead and open it up. This
is the Arduino IDE and is the place where all the programming will happen.

Take some time to look around and get comfortable with it.
1. Menu Bar: Gives you access to the tools needed for creating and saving Arduino
sketches.
2. Verify Button: Compiles your code and checks for errors in spelling or syntax.
3. Upload Button: Sends the code to the board that’s connected such as Arduino
Uno in this case. Lights on the board will blink rapidly when uploading.
4. New Sketch: Opens up a new window containing a blank sketch.
5. Sketch Name: When the sketch is saved, the name of the sketch is displayed
here.
6. Open Existing Sketch: Allows you to open a saved sketch or one from the stored
examples.
7. Save Sketch: This saves the sketch you currently have open.
8. Serial Monitor: When the board is connected, this will display the serial
information of your Arduino
9. Code Area: This area is where you compose the code of the sketch that tells the
board what to do.
10. Message Area: This area tells you the status on saving, code compiling, errors
and more.
11. Text Console: Shows the details of an error messages, size of the program that
was compiled and additional info.
12. Board and Serial Port: Tells you what board is being used and what serial port
it’s connected to.

Connect Your Arduino Uno

At this point you are ready to connect your Arduino to your computer. Plug one end
of the USB cable to the Arduino Uno and then the other end of the USB to your
computer’s USB port.

Once the board is connected, you will need to go to Tools then Board then finally
select Arduino Uno.
Next, you have to tell the Arduino which port you are using on your computer.

To select the port, go to Tools then Port then select the port that says Arduino.
Next, you need to click on the verify button (check mark) that’s located in the top left
of the IDE box. Once it says “Done Compiling” you are ready to upload it. Click the
upload button (forward arrow) to send the program to the Arduino board.

Press the button switch on the breadboard and you should be able to turn on and off
the LED as shown in this Youtube video.

Troubleshooting
If you are having any problems with the projects we did, make sure the following has
been checked.

1. Verify the LED is actually functional. Use a 3v coin cell battery and connect the
LONG leg of the LED to the (+) and SHORT leg to the (-) of the battery.
2. Verify the correct leg of the LED is connected properly. LONG leg to positive
and SHORT leg to negative.
3. Make sure the Arduino IDE shows the correct board. Go to Tools > Board then
select Arduino Uno.
4. Make sure the Arduino IDE shows the correct port. Go to Tools > Port then
select the port that says Arduino.
5. Verify all component connections are secure with the Arduino board and
breadboard.

Resources
 This instructable and LED calculator will help you determine which size resistor
to use for projects involving LEDs
 This resistor color code calculator will help you decode what size resistor you
have based on the color bands
 Download our FREE Ebook (PDF) – Beginners Guide to Arduino for more info
on the basics of Arduino
Conclusion

This may be the end of this tutorial, but it’s just the beginning of your journey
working with Arduino. Stay tuned for future posts and guides on Arduino.

Makerspaces.com