How to Get Started with Arduino
Learn some basic electronic principles before purchasing the actual board., Find out about different Arduino boards., Purchase the board you have decided on., Start using the board., Join the community.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn some basic electronic principles before purchasing the actual board.
These include Ohm's law, breadboard basics, reading resistors and the use of electronic components such as LEDs, piezos, transistors and switches.
This information is easily available on YouTube and the Internet.
A series of tutorials by Jeremy Blum on YouTube provide ample information on both the Arduino and electronics basics. -
Step 2: Find out about different Arduino boards.
Varieties include the Arduino Uno (which most beginners use), the Arduino Mega (With more input and output pins) and the Arduino Lilypad.
As the Arduino is open-source technology, many companies produce clone boards, which come at a cheaper price or with different functions. , These can be bought online on websites such as eBay, Amazon, Adafruit, element14 and many others.
Real life shops such as Radio Shack also sell Arduinos.
Purchasing them in kits which include electronic components is also a good option, as they eliminate the need of finding more components elsewhere.
These kits normally include the board itself, a breadboard for prototyping, some wires, a USB cable to program it with a computer and some LEDs, resistors, motors and the like. , Many projects with the Arduino can be found online.
These include LED cubes, robots, simple motor movement projects and even a fart detection module! Learning the programming language is also an advantage as you will not need to rely on other peoples' code and can instead program your board on your own. , Joining a Makerspace, writing on forums and making tutorial videos of your own are great ways to merge yourself with the quickly growing open-source electronics community. -
Step 3: Purchase the board you have decided on.
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Step 4: Start using the board.
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Step 5: Join the community.
Detailed Guide
These include Ohm's law, breadboard basics, reading resistors and the use of electronic components such as LEDs, piezos, transistors and switches.
This information is easily available on YouTube and the Internet.
A series of tutorials by Jeremy Blum on YouTube provide ample information on both the Arduino and electronics basics.
Varieties include the Arduino Uno (which most beginners use), the Arduino Mega (With more input and output pins) and the Arduino Lilypad.
As the Arduino is open-source technology, many companies produce clone boards, which come at a cheaper price or with different functions. , These can be bought online on websites such as eBay, Amazon, Adafruit, element14 and many others.
Real life shops such as Radio Shack also sell Arduinos.
Purchasing them in kits which include electronic components is also a good option, as they eliminate the need of finding more components elsewhere.
These kits normally include the board itself, a breadboard for prototyping, some wires, a USB cable to program it with a computer and some LEDs, resistors, motors and the like. , Many projects with the Arduino can be found online.
These include LED cubes, robots, simple motor movement projects and even a fart detection module! Learning the programming language is also an advantage as you will not need to rely on other peoples' code and can instead program your board on your own. , Joining a Makerspace, writing on forums and making tutorial videos of your own are great ways to merge yourself with the quickly growing open-source electronics community.
About the Author
Gloria Cooper
Brings years of experience writing about creative arts and related subjects.
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