Arduino

[|Arduino] - a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer. It's an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board.

[|Arduino] is a single-board microcontroller, intended to make the application of interactive objects or environments more accessible. The hardware consists of an open-source hardware board designed around an 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontroller, or a 32-bit Atmel ARM. Pre-programmed into the on-board microcontroller chip is a boot loader that allows uploading programs into the microcontroller memory without needing a chip (device) programmer.


 * [|Glowing balloon blimps] - a mini gondola hanging from the bottom of a regular balloon which holds a small motor with a propeller, an Arduino Pro Mini, LEDs, an ultrasonic sensor and of course, a battery. They float up to a certain height with the LEDs shining bright, and when the ultrasonic sensor trips, it all turns off and the balloon sinks gently back to the ground.


 * [|Dash robotics] - Arduino-compatible, uses Bluetooth 4 communication, has a dual motor driver, several LEDs and connects with Micro-USB. The battery can be charged through the Micro-USB connector and lasts about 40 minutes. The electronics are plug-and-play, so you can run Dash without any programming knowledge. But we’ve also made him hackable so you can take advantage of the sensors


 * [|Sylvia's Simple Arduino Projects] ([|video 9:55]) - two different super simple Arduino Projects: The "Randomly Influenced Finger Flute", or R.I.F.F., and an Adjustable Strobe! For these easy projects, all you need are a computer, an Arduino, and one or two other common parts.


 * [|Sew Electric!] - LilyPad is a set of sewable electronic pieces designed to help you build soft interactive textiles. A set of sewable electronic modules–including a small programmable computer called a LilyPad Arduino–can be stitched together with conductive thread to create interactive garments and accessories. LilyPad can sense information about the environment using inputs like light and temperature sensors and can act on the environment with outputs like LED lights, vibrator motors, and speakers.

[|Arduino power limitations] - Many of the pins are limited to 40 mA.
 * What's the problem?**
 * **Ask** - What type of [|power supply] should I use with my Arduino board? To avoid damaging the Arduino, it is important to understand the current carrying capacity of wires and  resistance heating. To operate the Arduino board disconnected from a USB port  acquires a power supply that provides from 7 to 12V (Volts) of DC (Direct Current) power with enough current capacity for your needs.
 * **Imagine** - How can these limitations be achieved?
 * **Plan, Create** - The AC adapters commonly available in retail stores for use with consumer products are often suitable, but make sure that it has the proper connector for plugging into the power socket on your Arduino board: 5.5mm diameter cylindrical plug with 2.1mm pin hole, and that provides Positive voltage on the inside pin hole and Negative (or common/ground) voltage on the outside cylindrical sleeve of the connector plug.
 * **Improve** - For most applications, 1A (Amp) of current supply capacity is sufficient


 * That's engineering**
 * [|Universal Serial Bus (USB)] - an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and communications protocols used in a bus for connection, communication, and power supply between computers and electronic devices
 * [|ultrasonic sensor] - convert ultrasound waves to electrical signals, used to determine the distance to an object

> sense, control, program, open-source, micro-controller, current, voltage, LED, motor, Direct Current (DC)
 * Engineering ideas**

Here are some challenges for you to work on...
 * Do it**
 * [|Intro to Arduino] - use the Arduino to read sensors and control things like motors and lights. This allows you to upload programs to this board which can then interact with things in the real world.


 * News, updates**


 * Learn more...**
 * [|Arduino Power, Current, and Voltage Limitations]
 * [|10 Ways to Destroy An Arduino]
 * [|Arduino Pin Current Limitations]
 * [|Arduino tutorial] - need [|starter pack] and some basic tools.

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