GUIDEBOOK FOR

ARDUINO MODIFIED DCCDUINO KIT

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PREFACE
Thank you for your interest and support for our product. We hope you find the fun in doing this project.

Please use the checklist below to ensure you have received below components and let us know if there
is any discrepancy.

NO ITEM QTY
1 Modified Arduino DCC Board 1
2 24cm USB Cable (A-B type) 1
3 9V Battery Connector 1

This microcontroller board is modified to increase the power (Vcc) and ground (GND) ports so that it
can support more components at the same time. Therefore, you can use this board to run more
complex application which involves more sensor modules and outputs.

We have also added in a power pin connector on Vin so that you can have the second entry point to
supply power to the microcontroller board.

This guidebook would show you how you should be using this kit to complete your project.

(i) We will start from giving you a basic concept of a microcontroller system and how it works
(ii) Then we will go to the steps on how you upload the coding into the microcontroller
(iii) And how to get this microcontroller to function on its own without any computer
connection

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1. THE BASIC CONCEPT OF MICROCONTROLLER

INPUT OUTPUT

 Program Arduino Board  LED Light

Input with  Buzzer
 Push  LCD
Micro Controller
Button  Motor
 Switch  Robot
 Temp  etc
Sensor
Input Program into the
Arudino Board
PC/Laptop running Arduino IDE

To run a microcontroller-based application, you need to have below items ready.

1. Input –
The components which is able to send signal to the controller board. This includes sensor
modules or a simple limit switch. Sometimes we can also run microcontroller without any
electronic components but the coding itself, such as LED blinking or traffic light routine.

2. Microcontroller board (Modified UNO DCCDuino board, USB Cable and power connector) -
Microcontroller is the brain of the system. With the instruction/coding uploaded into it (we
will learn how to upload the coding later), the microcontroller will react according to the input
signal and give some output response.

3. Output –
This includes the components such as LED (which emit lights), buzzer (which produce sound
or music), servo motor (which will move in certain angles) or DC motor (which will rotate
clockwise or anti clockwise continuously.

To design a smart light which will automatically switch on at night, we would use LDR (Light Dependent
Resistor) sensor module as its input. The LDR Sensor will give different voltage feedback to the
microcontroller. At night, the voltage will reach a level to tell the micro-controller it is dark then and
the microcontroller will turn on the LED connected as an output. This is an example on how a
microcontroller system function.

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2. UPLOAD CODING INTO MICRO-CONTROLLER BOARD

2.1 Install Arduino IDE in your PC/Laptop

Please click on the website below to download the latest version of the Arduino Integrated
Development Environment (IDE) program and install it on your PC/laptop. Please make sure that you
have agreed to install all Arduino drivers during the installation process.

https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

2.2 Install CH341 Chip Driver in your PC/Laptop

Please double-click to activate the driver installation process on the CH341SER.EXE file sent together
in the package to install the chip driver on your PC/laptop also. This driver is needed to provide USB
communication to the Arduino board. You will see uploading error if you do not run this step.

2.3 Set Up the sensor module and output device

Please connect the sensor modules and output devices to the microcontroller board using jumper
wires. If you are playing with our project kit, please refer to the project schematic on the wire
connection.

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2.4 Connecting the Arduino board to your PC/Laptop

Using the USB cable provided, please connect both end of the cables to the Arduino USB plug and the
PC/laptop USB port.

2.5 Open Arduino IDE Application and locate your code file on your PC/Laptop
You can proceed to double-click to open the Arduino IDE application that you have just installed and
click File>Open to locate the coding file in your PC/Laptop and load it.

2.6 Set Up the Right Board Type and USB Port Number

Click Tools>Board> and select ‘Arduino UNO’

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Click Tools>Port> and select the port listed on the menu. There should only be one if the program
only can find one Arduino board connected to your PC/laptop. If there are more than one, you have
to try out each one to find the right port connected to your board.

Make sure the com port is ‘ticked’

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2.7 Verify and Upload the code onto the Arduino Board
After you have completed the above task, you can click the ‘√’ sign on the left side of the menu to do
the ‘verify’ command. The IDE program would help you to check if there is any error of the commands
and it will show ‘Done compiling’ on the bottom left corner when everything is completed.

Click the ‘√’ sign to verify ‘Done Compiling’ shown at

end of the verify process

After the compiling is completed, you can proceed to click the ‘→’ sign next to it. This command will
upload the code into the board.

Click the ‘→’ sign to verify ‘Done Uploading’ shown at

end of the uploading process

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2.8 Open Up Serial Monitor

If you are buying project kit from our shop and you could click on the ‘microscope’ icon on the top
right corner to open up the Serial Monitor. The serial monitor would show you the status/info of the
microcontroller operation such as sensor reading, output status etc.

Our coding is written is such a way that you can monitor each command state in your program so that
you can have the whole picture of the operation.

3. MICRO-CONTROLLER BOARD IN OPERATION

Congratulation!!

When you are at this stage, it means you have successfully uploaded the coding inside the micro-
controller!!

You can know detached the USB cable and plug in the 9V battery with the battery connector and let
your microcontroller run on its own.

The coding will reside in your microcontroller until it is overwritten by another uploading. It means
even you try to unplug the battery and plug it in again, the coding will forever stay inside the
microcontroller until you decided to load in another application.

You could use this product and buy any other project kit from our shop. The coding and schematic for
each project will be provided for each set of kit.

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4. PRODUCT WARRANTY
 Product Warranty is valid for one month.
 Warranty only applied to manufacturing defect
 Damage caused by misuse is not covered under warranty
 Warranty does not cover shipping cost in both way

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