The modern era that we currently share is a time of technology innovation in budding glory. The communication, entertainment and electronic tools we have now were mere musings of –if not one, then—several minds centuries ago. Lucky us, we need not send letters via birds or cook food in primitive manner or travel by foot just to get to the nearest town. We have better options, for short.
Last month, we heard about Onion Omega and how its creators aim for a generation of creators. What we are going to talk about now is Arduino.
Inevitably, the question is: What is Arduino, actually? It is an open-source program utilized to create electronic projects. It consists of both physical programmable circuit board dubbed as microcontroller, and the software that runs it which is the IDE (short for Integrated Development Environment).
The circuit (microcontroller) contains input/output pins and LED buttons that make up as sensors. Hence, to have an Arduino within your computer system means having a computer that can actually see and hear. It can sense the physical changes at the outside and interpret them in different codes.
However, unlike the old programmable circuit boards, Arduino is an independent piece that doesn’t need to rely to programmer hardware to load new code to the board. Using a mere USB cable, you can do the code loading. Moreover, Arduino IDE employs the simplified C++ program.
Originally, Arduino was designed for designers, developers, hackers, engineering students and artists. Yet, anyone with the skill and fundamental knowledge of electronic concepts can do just fine. An Arduino platform can communicate with buttons, motors, speakers, cameras, the internet, smartphones, LEDs, GPS units and TV.
If you’re a newbie with limited budget, know that the Arduino circuit is affordable and the software is gratis. You can start with your project and explore the numerous outcomes you can create using this platform.
Types of Arduino Boards
- Arduino Uno– the most basic and simplest board highly recommended for newbies. It practically has everything you need for a start off like the 14 digital I/O pins, 6 analog pins, a USB connection, a power jack and a reset button.
- LilyPadArduino– not only attractive looking but this board is practically washable. Why would you need to wash this LilyPad? Because it’s a wearable or can be sewn in clothing.
- Arduino Mega 2560– the largest Arduino board since it holds the most number of I/0 pins and memory. It can be used for large size projects and can fetch you a good few bucks, but it’s all worth it.
For more options of Arduino boards and shields, visit the Amazon website and choose what you need.