Chapter 2. Embarking on hardware with Arduino
This chapter covers
- What Arduino is and the features of the Arduino Uno R3 development board
- Connecting components and power to the Arduino Uno
- Coding and uploading a sketch using the Arduino IDE to make an LED blink
- Configuring an Arduino Uno in a host-client setup using Firmata firmware and the Johnny-Five Node.js framework
- Using JavaScript to control an Arduino Uno and make an LED blink
Arduino. It’s a company. It’s a project. It’s hardware. It’s a user community. Arduino is, well, it’s Arduino, a broad concept combining open source hardware and software with the goal of making it easy (and inexpensive) for beginners to build interactive devices.
Like most development boards, Arduino boards have a microprocessor, I/O pins, power connections, and other standard features. There are a dozen or so current board models, including the Uno, shown in figure 2.1. Each Arduino board has standardized dimensions and layouts, such that modular shields can be used. Shields are manufactured to fit the shape of an Arduino and provide an extra feature—like WiFi or GPS—that isn’t provided by the board itself. (Breakout boards are another way to extend the functionality of development boards, but shields are tailored to the Arduino’s form factor specifically.)
Figure 2.1. The Arduino Uno is Arduino’s most popular board and the one we’ll be exploring over the next several chapters.
