The Basics of Programming for the Arduino

The Basics of Programming for the Arduino

Arduino is an open-source hardware and software company, project and user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices. It is used by students and teachers to build low-cost scientific equipment, by designers to create interactive prototypes, and by artists and musicians to experiment with new instruments. It works with a variety of inputs and outputs including lights, motors, sensors and displays. It runs on a variety of operating systems and can be programmed in several languages.

The arduino development environment is available free of charge for Windows, Linux and Mac OS. It has a graphical user interface and is designed to be easy for beginners to use. Users write code in the IDE and then upload it to the Arduino, where the code executes, interacting with the input and output pins. The Arduino platform has spawned a cottage industry of hardware and software companies, from large distributors like SparkFun Electronics in Boulder, Colorado to mom-and-pop operations serving local needs.

When writing a program for the arduino, you have to keep in mind that it has limited resources and is not as powerful as a desktop computer. It has less memory, a smaller CPU frequency and no support for multi-threading. It also has limited access to hardware stuff, such as PWMs and hardware timers, which require a deeper understanding of how they work in order to be properly implemented.

In addition, the arduino language is different from normal C/C++ in that you must wrap your entire program into 2 main functions. The first one is called setup() and the second is loop(), which will be called continuously while your program is running. The arduino IDE will automatically preprocess your code to make sure it is valid arduino code and add the missing glue for you.

Another thing to remember is that arduino uses different data types than standard C/C++. For example, there is a boolean variable and a byte variable that are both specific to arduino. This can be confusing at first, but it is important to understand as it will make your code more readable.

Finally, arduino has its own set of libraries, which are collections of functions that can be used in your program. To add a library to your sketch, simply choose the "Import Library" menu option and select the library you wish to use. This will add an #include statement at the top of your sketch for each header file in the library. This signals the Arduino IDE to link that library's code with your sketch whenever it is compiled or uploaded.

Once you have a basic understanding of the arduino programming language, it's time to start tinkering with your hardware! To do this, you will need to connect your arduino board to your PC via USB. Once the connection is complete, the green color power LED on the arduino should glow. After that, go to the Tools menu in the IDE and select the arduino board you want to use from the list of installed boards. Then, click the upload button (the right-facing arrow). Your code will be uploaded if it passed compilation and your arduino is now ready to run!