Arduino Workshop

Arduino Workshop

Abraham Black

B R I e f C O nte nt S

Acknowledgments.....................................................xix

Chapter 1: Getting Started................................................1

Chapter 2: Exploring the Arduino Board and the IDE.............................19

Chapter 3: First Steps...................................................33

Chapter 4: Building Blocks...............................................55

Chapter 5: Working with Functions.........................................95

Chapter 6: Numbers, Variables, and Arithmetic................................111

Chapter 7: Liquid Crystal Displays.........................................147

Chapter 8: Expanding Your Arduino........................................161

Chapter 9: Numeric Keypads.............................................187

Chapter 10: Accepting User Input with Touchscreens...........................195

Chapter 11: Meet the Arduino Family.......................................207

Chapter 12: Motors and Movement........................................225

Chapter 13: Using GPS with Your Arduino...................................257

Chapter 14: Wireless Data..............................................271

Chapter 15: Infrared Remote Control.......................................285

Chapter 16: Reading RFID Tags..........................................295

Chapter 17: Data Buses................................................307

Chapter 18: Real-time Clocks............................................321

Chapter 19: The Internet................................................337

Chapter 20: Cellular Communications......................................349

Index..............................................................365

viii Brief Contents

Abraham Black

C On t e n t S I n D e t A I l

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xix

1

GETTING STARTED 1

The Possibilities Are Endless.......................................2

Strength in Numbers.............................................6

Parts and Accessories............................................6

Required Software..............................................7

Mac OS X..............................................7

Windows XP and Later.....................................11

Ubuntu Linux 9.04 and Later.................................15

Safety......................................................18

Looking Ahead................................................18

2

EXPLORING THE ARDUINO BOARD AND THE IDE 19

The Arduino Board.............................................19

Taking a Look Around the IDE......................................25

The Command Area......................................25

The Text Area..........................................26

The Message Window Area.................................26

Creating Your First Sketch in the IDE.................................27

Comments.............................................27

The Setup Function.......................................28

Controlling the Hardware...................................28

The Loop Function.......................................28

Verifying Your Sketch.....................................30

Uploading and Running Your Sketch............................31

Modifying Your Sketch.....................................31

Looking Ahead................................................31

3

FIRST STEPS 33

Planning Your Projects...........................................34

About Electricity...............................................34

Current...............................................34

Voltage...............................................35

Power................................................35

Electronic Components..........................................35

The Resistor...........................................35

The Light-Emitting Diode...................................39

The Solderless Breadboard..................................41

Project #1: Creating a Blinking LED Wave............................43

The Algorithm..........................................43

The Hardware..........................................43

The Sketch............................................43

The Schematic..........................................44

Running the Sketch.......................................45

Using Variables...............................................45

Project #2: Repeating with for Loops................................46

Varying LED Brightness with Pulse-Width Modulation.......................47

Project #3: Demonstrating PWM...................................49

More Electric Components........................................49

The Transistor..........................................50

The Rectifier Diode.......................................50

The Relay.............................................51

Higher-Voltage Circuits..........................................52

Looking Ahead................................................53

4

BUILDING BLOCKS 55

Using Schematic Diagrams........................................56

Identifying Components....................................56

Wires in Schematics......................................58

Dissecting a Schematic....................................59

The Capacitor................................................60

Measuring the Capacity of a Capacitor..........................60

Reading Capacitor Values..................................61

Types of Capacitors......................................61

Digital Inputs.................................................63

Project #4: Demonstrating a Digital Input.............................65

The Algorithm..........................................65

The Hardware..........................................65

The Schematic..........................................65

The Sketch............................................69

Modifying Your Sketch.....................................70

Understanding the Sketch...................................70

Creating Constants with #define...............................70

Reading Digital Input Pins...................................70

Making Decisions with if....................................71

Making More Decisions with if-then-else.........................71

Boolean Variables..............................................72

Comparison Operators.....................................72

Making Two or More Comparisons.............................73

Project #5: Controlling Traffic.....................................74

The Goal..............................................74

The Algorithm..........................................74

The Hardware..........................................75

The Schematic..........................................75

The Sketch............................................76

Running the Sketch.......................................79

Analog vs. Digital Signals.........................................79

Project #6: Creating a Single-Cell Battery Tester........................80

The Goal..............................................81

The Algorithm..........................................81

The Hardware..........................................81

x Contents in Detail

The Schematic..........................................81

The Sketch............................................82

Doing Arithmetic with an Arduino....................................83

Float Variables..........................................84

Comparison Operators for Calculations..........................84

Improving Analog Measurement Precision with a Reference Voltage.............84

Using an External Reference Voltage...........................85

Using the Internal Reference Voltage...........................86

The Variable Resistor...........................................86

Piezoelectric Buzzers...........................................87

Piezo Schematic.........................................88

Project #7: Trying Out a Piezo Buzzer...............................88

Project #8: Creating a Quick-Read Thermometer........................90

The Goal..............................................90

The Hardware..........................................90

The Schematic..........................................91

The Sketch............................................91

Hacking the Sketch.......................................93

Looking Ahead................................................93

5

WORKING WITH FUNCTIONS 95

Project #9: Creating a Function to Repeat an Action.....................96

Project #10: Creating a Function to Set the Number of Blinks...............97

Creating a Function to Return a Value.................................98

Project #11: Creating a Quick-Read Thermometer That Blinks the Temperature..98

The Hardware..........................................99

The Schematic..........................................99

The Sketch...........................................100

Displaying Data from the Arduino in the Serial Monitor.....................101

The Serial Monitor.......................................102

Project #12: Displaying the Temperature in the Serial Monitor.............103

Debugging with the Serial Monitor............................105

Making Decisions with while Statements..............................105

do-while.............................................105

Sending Data from the Serial Monitor to the Arduino.......................106

Project #13: Multiplying a Number by Two...........................106

long Variables...............................................107

Project #14: Using long Variables.................................107

Looking Ahead...............................................109

6

NUMBERS, VARIABLES, AND ARITHMETIC 111

Generating Random Numbers.....................................112

Using Ambient Current to Generate a Random Number..............112

Project #15: Creating an Electronic Die.............................113

The Hardware.........................................114

The Schematic.........................................114

The Sketch...........................................115

Modifying the Sketch.....................................116

Abraham Black

A Quick Course in Binary........................................116

Byte Variables.........................................117

Increasing Digital Outputs with Shift Registers...........................118

Project #16: Creating an LED Binary Number Display...................119

The Hardware.........................................119

Connecting the 74HC595..................................119

The Sketch...........................................121

Project #17: Making a Binary Quiz Game............................122

The Algorithm..........................................122

The Sketch...........................................122

Arrays.....................................................124

Defining an Array.......................................124

Referring to Values in an Array..............................125

Writing to and Reading from Arrays............................125

Seven-Segment LED Displays.....................................126

Controlling the LED......................................127

Project #18: Creating a Single-Digit Display..........................129

The Hardware.........................................129

The Schematic.........................................129

The Sketch...........................................130

Displaying Double Digits...................................131

Project #19: Controlling Two Seven-Segment LED Display Modules.........131

The Hardware.........................................131

The Schematic.........................................132

Modulo..............................................133

Project #20: Creating a Digital Thermometer..........................134

The Hardware.........................................134

The Sketch...........................................134

LED Matrix Display Modules......................................135

The LED Matrix Schematic.................................136

Making the Connections...................................137

Bitwise Arithmetic.............................................139

The Bitwise AND Operator.................................139

The Bitwise OR Operator..................................139

The Bitwise XOR Operator.................................140

The Bitwise NOT Operator.................................140

Bitshift Left and Right.....................................140

Project #21: Creating an LED Matrix................................141

Project #22: Creating Images on an LED Matrix........................142

Project #23: Displaying an Image on an LED Matrix.....................144

Project #24: Animating an LED Matrix..............................145

The Sketch...........................................145

Looking Ahead...............................................146

7

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS 147

Character LCD Modules.........................................148

Using a Character LCD in a Sketch............................149

Displaying Text.........................................150

Displaying Variables or Numbers.............................151

Project #25: Defining Custom Characters............................152

Graphic LCD Modules..........................................153

Connecting the Graphic LCD................................154

Using the LCD.........................................155

Controlling the Display....................................155

Project #26: Seeing the Text Functions in Action.......................155

Creating More Complex Display Effects.........................156

Project #27: Creating a Temperature History Monitor....................157

The Algorithm..........................................158

The Hardware.........................................158

The Sketch...........................................158

The Result............................................160

Modifying the Sketch.....................................160

Looking Ahead...............................................160

8

EXPANDING YOUR ARDUINO 161

Shields....................................................162

ProtoShields................................................164

Project #28: Creating a Custom Shield with Eight LEDs..................165

The Hardware.........................................165

The Schematic.........................................165

The Layout of the ProtoShield Board...........................166

The Design...........................................166

Soldering the Components.................................167

Modifying the Custom Shield................................169

Expanding Sketches with Libraries..................................169

Importing a Shield’s Libraries................................169

MicroSD Memory Cards.........................................173

Testing Your MicroSD Card.................................174

Project #29: Writing Data to the Memory Card.........................175

Project #30: Creating a Temperature-Logging Device....................177

The Hardware.........................................177

The Sketch...........................................177

Timing Applications with millis() and micros()...........................179

Project #31: Creating a Stopwatch.................................181

The Hardware.........................................181

The Schematic.........................................181

The Sketch...........................................182

Interrupts...................................................184

Interrupt Modes........................................184

Configuring Interrupts.....................................185

Activating or Deactivating Interrupts...........................185

Project #32: Using Interrupts....................................185

The Sketch...........................................185

Looking Ahead...............................................186

9

NUMERIC KEYPADS 187

Using a Numeric Keypad........................................187

Wiring a Keypad........................................188

Programming for the Keypad................................189

Testing the Sketch......................................189

Making Decisions with switch-case..................................190

Project #33: Creating a Keypad-Controlled Lock.......................190

The Sketch...........................................191

How It Works..........................................192

Testing the Sketch......................................193

Looking Ahead...............................................193

10

ACCEPTING USER INPUT WITH TOUCHSCREENS 195

Touchscreens...............................................195

Connecting the Touchscreen................................196

Project #34: Addressing Areas on the Touchscreen....................197

The Hardware.........................................197

The Sketch...........................................197

Testing the Sketch......................................198

Mapping the Touchscreen.................................199

Project #35: Creating a Two-Zone On/Off Touch Switch..................200

The Sketch...........................................200

How It Works..........................................202

Testing the Sketch......................................202

Project #36: Creating a Three-Zone Touch Switch......................202

The Touchscreen Map....................................203

The Sketch...........................................203

How It Works..........................................205

Looking Ahead...............................................205

11

MEET THE ARDUINO FAMILY 207

Project #37: Creating Your Own Breadboard Arduino...................208

The Hardware.........................................208

The Schematic.........................................211

Running a Test Sketch....................................214

The Many Arduino Boards.......................................217

Arduino Uno..........................................219

Freetronics Eleven......................................219

The Freeduino.........................................220

The Boarduino.........................................220

The Arduino Nano.......................................221

The Arduino LilyPad.....................................221

The Arduino Mega 2560...................................222

The Freetronics EtherMega................................222

The Arduino Due.......................................223

Looking Ahead...............................................224

Abraham Black

12

MOTORS AND MOVEMENT 225

Making Small Motions with Servos..................................225

Selecting a Servo.......................................226

Connecting a Servo......................................227

Putting a Servo to Work...................................227

Project #38: Building an Analog Thermometer........................228

The Hardware.........................................228

The Schematic.........................................229

The Sketch...........................................229

Using Electric Motors...........................................231

The TIP120 Darlington Transistor.............................231

Project #39: Controlling the Motor.................................232

The Hardware.........................................232

The Schematic.........................................233

The Sketch...........................................234

Project #40: Building and Controlling a Tank Robot.....................235

The Hardware.........................................235

The Schematic.........................................238

The Sketch...........................................240

Sensing Collisions............................................243

Project #41: Detecting Tank Bot Collisions with a Microswitch.............243

The Schematic.........................................243

The Sketch...........................................244

Infrared Distance Sensors.......................................246

Wiring It Up...........................................247

Testing the IR Distance Sensor..............................247

Project #42: Detecting Tank Bot Collisions with IR Distance Sensor.........249

Ultrasonic Distance Sensors......................................251

Connecting the Ultrasonic Sensor............................252

Using the Ultrasonic Sensor................................252

Testing the Ultrasonic Distance Sensor.........................252

Project #43: Detecting Tank Bot Collisions with an Ultrasonic Distance Sensor.254

The Sketch...........................................254

Looking Ahead...............................................256

13

USING GPS WITH YOUR ARDUINO 257

What Is GPS?...............................................258

Testing the GPS Shield.........................................259

Project #44: Creating a Simple GPS Receiver.........................261

The Hardware.........................................261

The Sketch...........................................261

Displaying the Position on the LCD............................262

Project #45: Creating an Accurate GPS-based Clock....................263

The Hardware.........................................263

The Sketch...........................................264

Project #46: Recording the Position of a Moving Object over Time..........265

The Hardware.........................................265

The Sketch...........................................266

Displaying Locations on a Map...............................268

Looking Ahead...............................................269

14

WIRELESS DATA 271

Using Low-cost Wireless Modules..................................271

Project #47: Creating a Wireless Remote Control......................272

The Hardware for the Transmitter Circuit........................273

The Transmitter Schematic.................................273

The Hardware for the Receiver Circuit..........................274

The Receiver Schematic...................................274

The Transmitter Sketch...................................275

The Receiver Sketch.....................................276

Using XBee Wireless Data Modules for Greater Range and Faster Speed........277

Project #48: Transmitting Data with an XBee..........................279

The Sketch...........................................279

Setting Up the Computer to Receive Data.......................279

Project #49: Building a Remote Control Thermometer...................281

The Hardware.........................................281

The Layout...........................................281

The Sketch...........................................282

Operation............................................283

Looking Ahead...............................................284

15

INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL 285

What Is Infrared?.............................................285

Setting Up for Infrared..........................................286

The IR Receiver........................................286

The Remote Control.....................................287

A Test Sketch..........................................287

Testing the Setup.......................................288

Project #50: Creating an IR Remote Control Arduino....................289

The Hardware.........................................289

The Sketch...........................................289

Expanding the Sketch....................................290

Project #51: Creating an IR Remote Control Tank......................291

The Hardware.........................................291

The Sketch...........................................291

Looking Ahead...............................................293

16

READING RFID TAGS 295

Inside RFID Devices...........................................296

Testing the Hardware...........................................297

The Schematic.........................................297

Testing the Schematic....................................297

Project #52: Creating a Simple RFID Control System....................299

The Sketch...........................................299

How It Works..........................................300

Storing Data in the Arduino’s Built-in EEPROM..........................301

Reading and Writing to the EEPROM..........................302

Project #53: Creating an RFID Control with Last Action Memory..........303

The Sketch...........................................303

How It Works..........................................306

Looking Ahead...............................................306

17

DATA BUSES 307

The I²C Bus.................................................308

Project #54: Using an External EEPROM............................309

The Hardware.........................................309

The Schematic.........................................310

The Sketch...........................................311

The Result............................................312

Project #55: Using a Port Expander IC..............................313

The Hardware.........................................313

The Schematic.........................................313

The Sketch...........................................314

The SPI Bus.................................................315

Pin Connections........................................316

Implementing the SPI.....................................316

Sending Data to an SPI Device..............................317

Project #56: Using a Digital Rheostat...............................318

The Hardware.........................................318

The Schematic.........................................318

The Sketch...........................................319

Looking Ahead...............................................320

18

REAL-TIME CLOCKS 321

Connecting the RTC Module......................................322

Project #57: Adding and Displaying Time and Date with an RTC............322

The Hardware.........................................322

The Sketch...........................................323

How It Works..........................................325

Project #58: Creating a Simple Digital Clock..........................326

The Hardware.........................................326

The Sketch...........................................327

How It Works and Results..................................330

Project #59: Creating an RFID Time-Clock System......................330

The Hardware.........................................331

The Sketch...........................................331

How It Works..........................................335

Looking Ahead...............................................336

Abraham Black

19

THE INTERNET 337

What You’ll Need.............................................337

Project #60: Building a Remote-Monitoring Station.....................339

The Hardware.........................................339

The Sketch...........................................339

Troubleshooting........................................341

How It Works..........................................342

Project #61: Creating an Arduino Tweeter...........................343

The Hardware.........................................343

The Sketch...........................................343

Controlling Your Arduino from the Web...............................344

Project #62: Setting Up a Remote Control for Your Arduino...............345

The Hardware.........................................345

The Sketch...........................................346

Controlling Your Arduino Remotely............................347

Looking Ahead...............................................348

20

CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS 349

The Hardware...............................................350

Preparing the Power Shield................................351

Hardware Configuration and Testing...........................352

Changing the Operating Frequency...........................354

Project #63: Building an Arduino Dialer.............................356

The Hardware.........................................356

The Schematic.........................................356

The Sketch...........................................357

How It Works..........................................358

Project #64: Building an Arduino Texter.............................358

The Sketch...........................................359

How It Works..........................................359

Project #65: Setting Up an SMS Remote Control.......................360

The Hardware.........................................360

The Schematic.........................................361

The Sketch...........................................361

How It Works..........................................363

Looking Ahead...............................................364

INDEX 365

1

G e t t InG S t A R t e D

Have you ever looked at some gadget and wondered how it really worked? Maybe it was a remote control boat, the system that controls an elevator, a vending machine, or an electronic toy? Or have you wanted

to create your own robot or electronic signals for a model railroad, or per- haps you’d like to capture and analyze weather data over time? Where and how do you start?

The Arduino board (shown in Figure 1-1) can help you find some of the answers to the mysteries of electronics in a hands-on way. The original creation of Massimo Banzi and David Cuartielles, the Arduino system offers an inexpensive way to build interactive projects, such as remote-controlled robots, GPS tracking systems, and electronic games.

The Arduino project has grown exponentially since its introduction in 2005. It’s now a thriving industry, supported by a community of people

united with the common bond of creating something new. You’ll find both individuals and groups, ranging from interest groups and clubs to local hackerspaces and educational institutions, all interested in toying with

the Arduino.

Figure 1-1: The Arduino board

To get a sense of the variety of Arduino projects in the wild, you can simply search the Internet. You’ll find a list of groups offering introductory programs and courses with like-minded, creative people.

The Possibilities Are Endless

A quick scan through this book will show you that you can use the Arduino to do something as simple as blinking a small light, or even something more complicated, such as interacting with a cellular phone—and many different things in between.

For example, have a look at Philip Lindsay’s device, shown in Figure 1-2.

It can receive text messages from cellular phones and display them on a large sign for use in dance halls. This device uses an Arduino board and a cellular phone shield to receive text messages from other phones (similar to Project 65). The text message is sent to a pair of large, inexpensive dot- matrix displays for everyone to see.

Figure 1-2: SMS (short message service) text marquee

You can purchase large display boards that are easy to interface with an Arduino, so you don’t have to make your own display from scratch. (For more information, visit http://www.labradoc.com/i/follower/ p/project-sms-text-scroller.)

How about creating a unique marriage proposal? Tyler Cooper wanted an original way to propose to his girlfriend, so he built what he calls a reverse geocache box—a small box that contained an engagement ring, as shown in Figure 1-3. When the box was taken to a certain area (measured by the internal GPS), it unlocked to reveal a romantic message and the ring. You can easily reproduce this device using an Arduino board, a GPS receiver, and an LCD module (as used in Chapter 13), with a small servo motor that acts as a latch to keep the box closed until it’s in the correct location. The code required to create this is quite simple—something you could create in a few hours. The most time-consuming part is choosing the appropriate box in which to enclose the system. (For more information, visit http://learn.adafruit.com/reverse-geocache-engagement-box/.)

Figure 1-3: Marriage proposal via Arduino

Here’s another example. Kurt Schulz was interested in monitoring the battery charge level of his moped. However, after realizing how simple it is to work with Arduino, his project morphed into what he calls the Scooterputer: a complete moped management system. The Scooterputer can measure the battery voltage, plus it can display the speed, distance traveled, tilt angle, temperature, time, date, GPS position, and more. It also contains a cellular phone shield that can be controlled remotely, allow- ing remote tracking of the moped and engine shutdown in case it’s stolen. The entire system can be controlled with a small touchscreen, shown in

Abraham Black

––––––––

Figure 1-4. Each feature can be considered a simple building block, and anyone could create a similar system in a couple of weekends. (See http:// www.janspace.com/b2evolution/arduino.php/2010/06/26/scooterputer/.)

Figure 1-4: The Scooterputer display (courtesy of Kurt Schulz)

Then there’s John Sarik, who enjoys the popular Sudoku math puzzles; he also likes working with Nixie numeric display tubes. With those two drivers in mind, John created a huge 81-digit Sudoku game computer!

The user can play a full 9-by-9 game, with the Arduino in control of the digits and checking for valid entries. Although this project might be consid- ered a more advanced type, it is certainly achievable and the electronics are not complex. The device is quite large and looks great mounted on a wall, as shown in Figure 1-5. (See http://trashbearlabs.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/ nixie-sudoku/.)

The team at Oomlout even used the Arduino to create a TwypeWriter. They fitted an Arduino board with an Ethernet shield interface connected to the Internet, which searches Twitter for particular keywords. When a keyword is found, the tweet is sent to an electric typewriter for printing. The Arduino board is connected to the typewriter’s keyboard  circuit,  which allows it to emulate a real person typing, as shown in Figure 1-6. (See http://oomlout.co.uk/blog/twitter-monitoring-typewritter-twypwriter/.)

These are only a few random examples of what is possible using an Arduino. You can create your own projects without much difficulty—and after you’ve worked through this book, they are certainly not out of your reach.

Figure 1-5: Nixie tube Sudoku

Figure 1-6: The TwypeWriter

Strength in Numbers

The Arduino platform increases in popularity every day. If you’re more of a social learner and enjoy class-oriented situations, search the Web for Cult of Arduino to see what people are making and to find Arduino-related groups. Members of Arduino groups introduce the world of Arduino from an artist’s perspective. Many group members work to create a small Arduino- compatible board at the same time. These groups can be a lot of fun, intro- duce you to interesting people, and let you share your Arduino knowledge with others.

Parts and Accessories

As with any other electronic device, the Arduino is available from many retailers that offer a range of products and accessories. When you’re shopping, be sure to purchase the original Arduino, not a knock-off, or you run the risk of receiving faulty or poorly performing goods; why risk your project with an inferior board that could end up costing you

more in the long run? For a list of Arduino suppliers, visit http://arduino

.cc/en/Main/Buy/.

Here’s a list of current suppliers (in alphabetical order) that I recom- mend for your purchases of Arduino-related parts and accessories:

Adafruit Industries (http://www.adafruit.com/)

DigiKey (http://www.digikey.com/)

Jameco Electronics (http://www.jameco.com/)

Little Bird Electronics (http://www.littlebirdelectronics.com/)

Newark (http://www.newark.com/)

nicegear (http://www.nicegear.co.nz/)

Oomlout (http://www.oomlout.co.uk/)

RadioShack (http://www.radioshack.com/)

RS Components (http://www.rs-components.com/)

SparkFun Electronics (http://www.sparkfun.com/)

As you’ll see in this book, I use several Arduino-compatible products from Freetronics (http://www.freetronics.com/). However, you will find that all the required parts are quite common and easily available from various resellers.

But don’t go shopping yet. Take the time to read the first few chapters to get an idea of what you’ll need so that you won’t waste money buying unnecessary things immediately.

Abraham Black

Required Software

You should be able to program your Arduino with just about any computer using a piece of software called an integrated development environment (IDE). To run this software, your computer should have one of the following oper- ating systems installed:

Mac OS X or higher

Windows XP 32- or 64-bit, or higher

Linux 32- or 64-bit (Ubuntu or similar)

Now is a good time to download and install the IDE, so jump to the heading that matches your operating system and follow the instructions. Make sure you have or buy the matching USB cable for your Arduino from the supplier as well. Even if you don’t have your Arduino board yet, you can still download and explore the IDE. Because the IDE version number can change quite rapidly, the number in this book may not match the current version, but the instructions should still work.

n Ote Unfortunately, as this book went to press, there were issues with Windows 8 instal- lations. If you have Windows 8, visit the Arduino Forum at http://arduino.cc/ forum/index.php/topic,94651.15.html for guidance and discussion.

Mac OS X

In this section, you’ll find instructions for downloading and configuring the Arduino IDE in Mac OS X.

Installing the IDE

To install the IDE on your Mac, follow these instructions:

Using a web browser such as Safari, visit the software download page located at http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software/, as shown in Figure 1-7.

Figure 1-7: The IDE download page in Safari

Click the Mac OS X link. The file will start downloading, and it will appear in the Downloads window shown in Figure 1-8.

Figure 1-8: File download is complete.

Once it’s finished downloading, double-click the file to start the instal- lation process. You will then be presented with the window shown in Figure 1-9.

Figure 1-9: Your new Arduino IDE folder

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n Ote The third file icon shown in Figure 1-9 needs to be installed only if you have an Arduino board older than the current Uno.

Drag the Arduino icon over the Applications folder and release the mouse button. A temporary status window will appear as the file is copied.

Now connect your Arduino to your Mac with the USB cable. After a moment, the dialog shown in Figure 1-10 will appear.

Figure 1-10: A new Arduino board is detected. Your dialog may read Uno instead of Eleven.

Click Network Preferences..., and then click Apply in the Network box. You can ignore the not configured status message.

Setting Up the IDE

Once you have downloaded the IDE, use the following instructions to open and configure the IDE:

Open the Applications folder in Finder (shown in Figure 1-11) and double-click the Arduino icon.

Figure 1-11: Your Applications folder

A window may appear warning you about opening a web app. If it does, click Open to continue. You will then be presented with the IDE, as shown in Figure 1-12.

Abraham Black

Figure 1-12: The IDE in Mac OS X

You’re almost there—just two more things to do before your Arduino IDE is ready to use. First, you need to tell the IDE which type of socket the Arduino is connected to. Select ToolsSerial Port and select the

/dev/tty.usbmodem1d11 option, as shown in Figure 1-13.

Figure 1-13: Selecting the USB port

The final step is to tell the IDE which Arduino board you have connected. This is crucial, since Arduino boards do differ. For example, if you have the most common board, the Uno, then select ToolsBoardArduino Uno, as shown in Figure 1-14. The differences in Arduino boards are explained in more detail in Chapter 11.

Now your hardware and software are ready to work for you. Next, move on to Safety on page 18.

Figure 1-14: Selecting the correct Arduino board

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Windows XP and Later

In this section, you’ll find instructions for downloading the IDE, installing drivers, and configuring the IDE in Windows.

Installing the IDE

To install the Arduino IDE for Windows, follow these instructions:

Using a web browser such as Firefox, visit the software download page located at http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software/, as shown in Figure 1-15.

Figure 1-15: The IDE download page in Windows Firefox

Click the Windows link, and the dialog shown in Figure 1-16 will appear. Select Open with Windows Explorer, and then click OK. The file will start to download, as shown in Figure 1-17.

Figure 1-16: Downloading the file

Figure 1-17: Firefox shows the progress of your download.

Once the download is complete, double-click the file, and the window shown in Figure 1-18 will appear.

Figure 1-18: The IDE package

Abraham Black

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Copy the folder named arduino-0022 (or something similar) to the loca- tion where you store your applications. Once the copying is finished, locate the folder and open it to reveal the Arduino application icon, as shown in Figure 1-19. You may wish to copy the icon and place a short- cut on the desktop for easier access in the future.

Figure 1-19: Your IDE folder with the Arduino application icon selected

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Installing Drivers

The next task is to install the drivers for your Arduino board’s USB interface.

Connect your Arduino to your PC with the USB cable. After a few moments an error message will be displayed, which will say something like Device driver software not successfully installed. Just close that dialog or balloon.

Navigate to the Windows Control Panel. Open the Device Manager