Arduino is an electronic designer with the ability to connect various peripherals and programming. It is designed to replace bulky analog devices or microcircuits and is ideal as a gift to all hams.
Arduino: High-Tech Designer
"Arduino" is a board on microcontrollers with many contacts and its own processor. The board is the basis to which you can connect a fairly large number of so-called shields (from the English shield - shield), expanding the functionality of the board. It is used in process automation systems, but can also be easily applied in robotics. The areas of activity of the Arduino board are many. But she gained popularity among hams precisely as an inexpensive, but simple and very multifunctional designer.
Making Arduino work as needed using programming. This process is easy, and even a beginner can handle it. And if the user has the skills of the C ++ language, then programming the board will be very simple and fast.
The main advantage of the board is the ability to connect to it an unlimited number of peripheral devices, thereby you can achieve maximum automation. In addition, if something does not work out for a beginner, it does not matter. There are a huge number of communities on the network with lots of information and instructions on programming and connecting. Arduino for beginner hams is a great choice.
It should be noted that the designer works on free software (for example, a special Linux distribution), so you do not have to pay extra for the OS and software.
Work with shield-boards (shields)
As mentioned above, the functionality of the device is enhanced with the help of special boards - shields. These are ready-made boards for controlling a particular process. Shields are connected using connectors - pins. The range of processes that can be controlled using shields is very wide: from data transmission via Ethernet to motor control. A process control system with the help of shields can be assembled by yourself. Arduino only distributes the role of an external device prescribed in the program, and the expansion cards themselves directly work.
There are times when you need to write some data to the memory (for example, GPS points). Arduino itself cannot do this, since it lacks a memory drive. This is where the shield comes in handy, adding the ability to use micro-SD cards up to 64 GB.
Oddly enough, but you can even create shields yourself. For example, a simple LCD shield. Take the screen from the calculator or old pager and attach to the pins of the board. Of course, you still have to register a program for Arduino to display the image. And that's it, the homemade shield is ready.
Programming "Arduino"
Programs for Arduino are written in Wired. This language is very similar to C ++. However, even if you do not have programming skills, then dealing with Wired will still not be difficult. On forums dedicated to Arduino, programs for him are called "sketches." Even if you yourself are too lazy to program, you can find a huge number of ready-made sketches.
Each sketch requires its own set of libraries. You can also search them on the Arduino forums. For beginners, there is a very good reference guide with step-by-step instructions for writing sketches for a particular process.
Do-it-yourself shields for Arduino
Buy shields for "Arduino" is not necessary. Let's say you do not have extra $ 30, but there is a lot of unnecessary details and a huge desire to automate something. Not a problem. The main thing is that you already have a main board with a flashed OS and the ability to write sketches.
From improvised parts the Arduino scheme can turn out. Do it yourself will only solder the components. Although, if the design is supposed to be motionless, then nothing needs to be soldered. Simply connect the components with wires. It should be noted that such a home-made shield for Arduino at cost will be several times cheaper than the factory one. For example, the Arduino set for automating the operation of electric motors will cost $ 80-90. But if you do the assembly yourself, you can reduce the cost to $ 30.
There are also many other sets created for various areas, and they include, in addition to the main board, all the necessary details. For example, a kit for creating a “smart” home, video surveillance, climate control or stereo systems.
Naturally, not all shields can be done by yourself. In some cases, you just might not find the right parts. For example, a shield with an extension for a memory card will have to be bought.
What can I use "Arduino"
There are a lot of applications for this device, we will consider only some examples of use.
For example, you have a car. And you need speed information to be displayed on the LCD screen of the radio. How to make a speedometer out of the Arduino? Very simple. We buy a fee. For example, Arduino Mega 2560, GPS-module Ublox NEO 6m GPS. After that, we search the network for ready-made sketches for management, write it all down in Arduino, attach it to each other, and you're done.
It’s also easy to create an entire do-it-yourself control system. Arduino gives such an opportunity. The main thing is to stock up on the necessary sketches and details.
The use of Arduino in robotics
Arduino is widely used in robotics. Due to the fact that a large number of servos, motors, sensors are connected to the board, you can get a whole robot made by yourself. Arduino also allows you to program it as you wish. If you are interested in crawling, riding and jumping pieces of iron, then Arduino is definitely for you.
In addition, if you connect the device, along with some sensors to the quadrocopter, you can get a good robot observer. And this is a pretty useful development.
It is in robotics that you can show remarkable fantasy, and with the help of Arduino you can put it into practice. Some craftsmen even make prototypes of the Bender robot from Futurama using just this constructor.
Instead of a conclusion
Arduino controller boards are ideal for automating any process due to its flexibility in configuration. In addition, no one will have problems with programming boards thanks to the rich reference manual on this topic. If something breaks during the work, it will not be difficult to repair it with your own hands. "Arduino" allows a person to show boundless imagination. Using this board, you can create almost anything, from a floor heating control system via a smartphone to a robot.