Projects and description
Intro:
Basic security measuresWorking on projects requires the use of electricity and therefore precautions are necessary when performing many actions to primarily prevent any injuries and protect your devices.
The projects mainly use DC curent: 3.3V, 5V, 12V, 24V, but in some cases we will use 220V AC, so in that case you should be especially careful.
To avoid unwanted consequences, NEVER connect components while connected to a power source.
Arduino uses a variant of the C++ programming language. Although we can use any program to write program code for easier use, we use the Arduino IDE because with it we transfer the written program directly to the microcontroller after validation. You can find the free program on the official website.
We will introduce some more free online tools later. We will mention specific hardware, but you can choose the manufacturer yourself. There are many manufacturers and the range of prices and quality varies and it is up to you to decide what you will use in your projects.
Experimental breadboard and wires
for prototype connection of electronic components.
The breadboard is divided into three basic parts. The red and blue lines (red +, blue -) indicate the part for connecting the components with the desired voltage and they are connected in a line. In the opposite direction, lines are connected to which we connect electronic components and connecting wires. That part is also divided into two parts down the middle. The fields are marked with letters and numbers for easier navigation.
Although the wires in electrical engineering are intentionally different colors to distinguish, for example + - or phase from neutral, here we use multi-colored wires for easier navigation in our projects.
Let's try to make the first connection with only a breadboard and two wires. Connect the red wire to + and connector d2, and the black wire to - and g2. To begin with, we learned how to navigate the experimental breadboard. Now we will add an LED to this simple circuit (LED = light-emitting diode).
On the LED, we can notice that one leg, which we call the terminal, is longer. No, it's not a factory error. This is how we distinguish which terminal we connect to + or -. Different electronic components are marked in some way. The longer leg is the positive side of the LED, called the “anode,” and the shorter leg is the negative side, called the “cathode.” If we connect the LED incorrectly, it will not work because it is a semiconductor. In this case, nothing will happen in the event of a wrong connection. It simply won't work, but in the future we have to be careful with other more complex electronic components because we can damage or even destroy the part.
Ok, now let's connect the LED to the experimental breadboard. Connect the longer terminal to e2 and the shorter terminal to f2. Now connect the 3V voltage source to + and - and the LED will light up. Here is our first simple circuit.
A simple circuit.
We will not deal with the basics of electrical engineering here. As we mentioned, some prior knowledge is required, so before starting more complex works, if you don't know the basics, study them before starting our first project.
Now let's meet our first programming tool. Arduino IDE.
After you have installed the program, let's describe the basics of using the program and the microcontroller.