February 23, 2012 (PROJECTS & CONCEPTS) The Sparkfun Inventor's Kit is an easy way to get into Arduino. It comes with components for 14 different test circuits that works with code included with Arduino's software found on their website. If you have no experience with electronics at all, it would be a great way to get into it. No soldering is required, and since the experiments run off of power provided by your computer's USB port, no batteries or power sources are needed either.
What is an Arduino? Arduino The Documentary (2010). A history of the Arduino microcontroller and an introduction to open source hardware. from gnd on Vimeo.
The code included with the examples is well annotated. For those with a little experience in coding, changing parameters and uploading them takes seconds and the results easily observed. The first circuit - 01 - is a simple blinking LED with parameters to switch it on, off, and the duration it remains in each state. A video of the circuit being assembled and running can be found here. From the simple example that turns on and off for one second each, you can easily shorten the duration, double the loop, and end up with an LED mimicking the rhythm of a human heart.
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| An open source Arduino "Uno" microcontroller. Claims of how easy it is to use are understated - the software and interface are approachable even for people who feel uncomfortable around programming and electronics. For those with even a little experience in either coding or electronic (or both) it is all the more easy. |
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| The Sparkfun Inventor's Kit. This set up is "Circuit 01" and allows you to control a single LED. Upon setting it up, following the instructions, in less than 5 minutes I was already changing the code and observing my handy work. Other circuits include controlling a DC motor, a servo, and several types of input devices - sensors and buttons. |
