The electronics world is evolving at an astonishing speed, leading to the launch of many innovative electronic devices every other day. Although many hardware and software solutions empower developers to develop new electronic products, Arduino remains a popular choice, especially for new programmers or students with minimal programming experience.

Arduino provides a full-fledged ecosystem to create DIY (Do It Yourself) projects without hassle. Therefore, this article thoroughly explores everything you need to know about Arduino, including its types, basic electronic components, and the working principle.

What is Arduino?

Arduino is an open-source electronic platform that helps to build electronic projects. It includes both software or IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and a physical programmable circuit board (microcontroller). The users use IDE to write code in simplified C and C++ and upload code to the physical board, which then commands the connected components/devices to perform as required. For example, you can program it to light the LED whenever the user presses the button. Besides that, it can also take input data from the sensor and then make the corresponding actions easily.

Arduino was created in 2005 by Massimo Banzi and his students and colleagues at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, Italy. They built Arduino for students who don't have prior programming experience. However, it gradually got attention and became a popular device. Today, Arduino is used in millions of projects and applications.

Different Types of Arduino Boards

Since the application area of Arduino has expanded a lot, there are now many types of Arduino boards for different projects. Below is a quick glimpse of some of the popular types of Arduino boards:

1. Arduino Uno

Arduino Uno is the most widely used Arduino board that provides everything to start using the Arduino. It is powered by an ATMega328P microcontroller and comes with 14 digital input/output pins, 6 analog inputs, a power jack, a USB port, and a rest button.

2. Arduino Nano

Arduino Nano is a compact version of Arduino Uno. It has the same connections as Uno, i.e., 14 digital pins, 8 analog pins, and a reset pin. The pre-soldered headers make it convenient to use with breadboards. However, there is no power jack like in the Arduino Uno.

3. Arduino Leonardo

Arduino Leonardo is a bigger board compared to Arduino Uno, which is powered by an ATmega32U4 chip compared to the ATMega328P chip in Uno. It comes with 20 digital pins, 12 analog pins, and 7 PWM pins. It also comes with a built-in USB communication, which eradicates the need for a USB to UART bridge chip. This makes it possible to connect it to the computer as a HID (Human Interface Device).

4. Arduino Mega

As the name implies, Arduino Mega is a bigger and more powerful Arduino board that is powered by an ATmega2560 microcontroller. It comes with 54 digital pins, 16 analog pins, and 4 serial ports. It is best suited for more memory and processing power, mainly for applications related to 3D printing, robotics, home automation, etc.

5. Arduino Giga R1 WiFi

The Arduino Giga R1 WiFi is an upgraded version of Arduino Mega. It comes with wireless capabilities and 32-bit computing. It comes with an STM32H747XI dual-core microcontroller containing a 240 MHz Cortex-M4 processor and 480 MHz Cortex-M7. This empowers the board to provide advanced parallel processing for applications such as machine learning. It comes with 76 digital pins, 14 analog pins, and 2 DAC outputs. It is best suited for advanced robotics and IoT projects, complex data acquisition, signal processing, wireless monitoring, etc.

Besides the above five types of Arduino boards, you will need many other types as well, including Arduino Micro, Arduino Nano Every, Arduino Mini, Arduino MKR Zero, Arduino Due, and many more. In short, a wide variety of Arduino is available today to fulfill basic to advanced needs.

Basic Electronic Components of Arduino Boards

You will see a set of common electronic components in almost all Arduino boards. So, let's take the Arduino UNO board as an example and quickly list its basic electronic components:

1. USB Connector: It is used to load the code from the computer to the board and also to power the board in some cases.

2. Power Port: It is used to power the board. It connects a 2.1mm center-positive plug from an AC-to-DC adapter or a battery. It requires 5 volts to operate but can handle up to 20 volts.

3. Reset Switch: It is a pressable switch that sends a pulse to the microcontroller's reset pin when pressed. Afterward, it restarts any code that is currently located. Often, users use this switch to run the code repeatedly if it cannot repeat automatically.

4. Microcontroller: It is the brain of the Arduino that includes the memory, RAM, CPU, and EEPROM. The Arduino Uno includes the Atmega328P with the below specs:

· RAM: 2KB

· Flash Memory: 32KB

· EEPROM: 1KB

· Maximum Clock Frequency: 20MHz

· On-board Peripherals: Timers, ADC, comparators, SPI, UART, and a watchdog.

5. Digital Pins: These pins are used both as input and output pins. They can receive signals when used as inputs and supply power when used as outputs.

6. Analog Pins: These pins convert analog signals to digital signals. They can read the signal from the analog temperature sensor and convert it into a digital signal.

7. Crystal Oscillator: It oscillates/ticks millions of times per second. For every tick, the microcontroller carries out one function.

8. USB Interface Chip: A signal translator translating the USB signals to make them understandable by Arduino UNO board.

9. Voltage Regulator: It regulates the voltage and protects the board from overvoltage issues.

10. TX-RX Indicators: These are blinking LEDs. The TX indicator blinks when the board is transmitting data, while the RX indicator blinks when the board is receiving data.

Besides the above basic components, you can find slightly different components in other Arduino types.

How to Use Arduino Boards

Now that we know the basics of Arduino, let's clarify our concepts on how to use Arduino boards. To better understand this, we will create a small project involving an LED circuit and discuss its steps one by one.

We will create a blinking LED circuit in which the LED keeps blinking continuously with a gap of one second. Follow the below steps to create your first Arduino project:

Step 1. Arrange Components

The first thing is to arrange all the things you need for this project, as follows:

· Arduino board

· Breadboard (not necessary)

· USB cable

· LED

· 220 ohm resistor (current controlling)

· Jumper wires

Once you have these components, head for the next steps.

Step 2. Download and Launch Arduino Software

Download the Arduino IDE software from its official website. After installation, launch the software to start writing the code.

Step 3. Connect the PC and Arduino

Use the USB cable to connect the PC and Arduino.

Step 4. Write and Upload the Code

Copy and paste the below code in the Arduino IDE.

The comments in the code reflect what each command means. Once you have written the code, click the "Upload" button to transfer the code to the Arduino board.

Step 5. Design the Circuit

Design the circuit as per the below image.

You can even design it without using the breadboard. The resistor is used to control the current flow to the LED.

Step 6. Start the Arduino

Once the circuit is completed, turn on the Arduino by powering it through the adapter. You will see that the LED starts blinking continuously.

This way, you can easily use the Arduino board and its software to create simple to complex projects.

DIY Arduino Project Ideas

If the simplicity and powerful functionality of Arduino have attracted you to build some projects, then below are some of the DIY (Do It Yourself) project ideas you can try out:

· Automated plant watering system

· Window alarm annunciator

· DIY hand sanitizer dispenser

· RGB LED infinity mirror

· RFID smart lock

· Human following robot

· Automated humidifier

In short, there are endless project possibilities with Arduino. All it requires is passion and a proper understanding of the syntax to create any DIY project.