What is Arduino: Things you need to know to get started
Have you thought about embarking on the adventure of physical computing, robotics and the like? There are numerous ways to get started, and an excellent option is with Arduinos. There are several configurations and versions of different cards on the market, each with its features and recommendations. But before you even think about getting started, you need to know what an Arduino is. And ask yourself what you’re going to use it for. For this, I will explain a little more about what Arduino is. Come check.
First, you need to have a defined objective, in my case, it was the creation of Snappy Droid (robot built with the mascot of HostGator, Snappy), so you will be able to choose the best card for your Project. In addition, you will be able to buy components relevant to your Project and learn the same way you would buy a separate kit.
Explaining in a simple way, think that you have a project for the creation of a drone, so a kit for assembling a car will not have the correct plates and components to build your drone, agree? But first, let’s start from the basics.
What is Arduino?
Arduino is an open-source prototyping platform; its multiplatform software is flexible and easy to use. It is intended for people interested in creating interactive objects or environments, with Arduino you can interact with lights, motors and other electronic objects.
An Arduino board consists of a microcontroller (which is a single circuit microcomputer, it processes the code developed by the developer), with complementary components to facilitate programming and incorporation into other circuits.
The most popular and best-selling version of the entire line is the Arduino UNO, in addition to serving as a basis for other models, such as the Arduino MEGA 2560 for example. The Arduino Mega 2560 is a board that I use the most (including the Snappy Droid project ) and is a board that has some interesting features that can help you in your learning; it becomes very attractive especially for more elaborate projects and that need more memory.
The Arduino Mega 2560 has 54 pins of digital inputs and outputs where 15 of these can be used as PWM outputs. It has 16 analogue inputs, four serial communication ports.
In addition to the number of pins, the Arduino Mega 2560 has a larger amount of memory than the most popular and best-selling version (Arduino UNO) – making it a great option for projects that require many input and output pins, as well as program memory with greater ideal capacity for those who want to use a touchscreen screen, for example.
The Arduino IDE is a multiplatform development tool written in Java with a simple to use graphical interface, but it also has flexibility for more experienced users. It is a program that brings together features and tools to streamline the software development process.
IDE Arduino is a compiler of GCC programming languages derived from the Processing and Wiring projects, so it has the ability to program in C and C ++.
The SnappyDroid Project
Last tip: Before starting a project with Arduino, research the limitations of each board and if it will really meet all your needs during the Project. A very good place to research and learn everything Arduino is the official forum (in English).