1. Having fun with Arduino

2. What is Arduino
Arduino is a generic name for a family of microcontrollers. A microcontroller (mcu) is a simple computer that can read information from sensors and send electric power to actuators, e.g. LED lamps, LCD screens, buzzers, motors etc.

3. Sensors
A sensor is an electric component that measures a physical property and translate the value to voltage for the mcu to process, e.g distance, light, gas, tilt etc.

4. First program – Blinking a LED
A control system is made of: MCU, sensors, actuators, wires, resistors and breadboard all connected together. A computer program is loaded into the MCU memory to control all the components.

5. How to connect? – step 1
Take a LED and plug it into two holes on the breadboard as shown in the picture. Pay attention that the LED has on long leg and the other is shorter.

6. How to connect? – step 2
Take a wire and plug one end in a pin header marked by GND on the Arduino MCU (bottom of the picture). Connect the other end of the wire to a hole on the breadboard near the shoter LED leg

7. How to connect? – step 3
Take a resistor and plug one end near the LED longer leg, and the other end at some hole on the breadboard

8. How to connect? – step 4
Take a wire and plug one end in a pin header marked by 7 on the Arduino MCU. Connect the other end of the wire to a hole on the breadboard near the resistor

9. How to connect? – step 5
Connect a USB cable to the Arduino MCU on one side and to a USB port on the computer

10. Loading the program Open the Arduino IDE
Click the link on the web site and copy the lines of code
In the Arduino IDE click CTRL+A, than click DELETE
Paste the copied lines of code into the empty IDE screen

11. Loading the program Goto Tools menu and select board
On the popup menu select Arduino Genuino/UNO

12. Loading the program Goto Tools menu and select port
On the popup menu select a COM with Arduino Genuino/UNO

13. Loading the program Click the right pointing arrow on the icon bar
Wait until the loading complete message appears

14. Eureka!!!
If all went OK, the LED is blinking