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Getting Started with the Arduino Board

The Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. It is intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive projects.

The Arduino board is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328 (some older models use the ATmega168 or ATmega8). The board has sets of digital and analog input/output (I/O) pins that may be interfaced to various expansion boards (shields) and other circuits. The board features a serial communication interface, including Universal Serial Bus (USB) communication, for loading programs from a personal computer. The microcontroller is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino software (IDE), based on Processing.

Arduino boards can be purchased pre-assembled, or as do-it-yourself kits. Hardware design information is available for those who would like to assemble an Arduino by hand. Arduino boards may be purchased from a variety of retailers.

The key features of the Arduino are: • Inexpensive - Arduino boards are relatively inexpensive compared to other microcontroller platforms. • Cross-platform - The Arduino software (IDE) runs on Windows, Macintosh OS X, and Linux operating systems. • Simple, clear programming environment - The Arduino programming language is easy-to-use for beginners, yet flexible enough for advanced users to take advantage of. • Open source and extensible software - The Arduino software is published as open source tools, available for extension by experienced programmers. • Open source and extensible hardware - The plans of the Arduino boards are published under a Creative Commons license, so experienced electronics engineers can make their own version of the module, if they choose.

To get started with Arduino, you will need the following: • Arduino board • USB cable (A male to B male) to connect the Arduino board to your computer • Arduino IDE software (available for free from the Arduino website) • A computer running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux

Once you have all the necessary items, you can start exploring the world of Arduino! The Arduino IDE software is used to write and upload programs (called "sketches") to the Arduino board. The IDE includes a text editor for writing code, a message area, a text console, a toolbar with buttons for common functions, and a series of menus.

When writing a sketch, you will use the two fundamental functions that all Arduino programs must have: • setup(): This function is called once when the program starts. It is used to initialize variables, pin modes, start using libraries, etc. • loop(): After the setup function completes, the loop function gets repeatedly called. This is where the main program logic goes.

In addition to the setup() and loop() functions, you can add your own custom functions to organize your code and make it more readable.

After writing your sketch in the Arduino IDE, you can upload it to the board. The IDE will compile your code and upload it via the USB connection. Once uploaded, your program will start running automatically.

That's the basics of getting started with the Arduino board! With this foundation, you can start exploring a wide range of projects and applications for the Arduino platform.

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