Introduction to Arduino - Arduino Sketches: Tools and Techniques for Programming Wizardry - page 23

Arduino is an excellent way to learn about software development and elec-
tronics because it is a low-cost, robust device that is easy to program.
Some people use Arduino for hobbyist electronics, with projects ranging
from the simple to the incredibly absurd. I know of one person who has entirely
automated his house using 10 Arduino Megas, each room communicating with
the others to better estimate electrical consumption, heating, and personal
comfort.
Arduino is also used professionally because the components are low-cost
and highly reliable and have the added l exibility of being open source. When
an initial design is completed, developers can make a board much smaller to
be included in toys, small embedded systems, and even industrial machines.
Several 3-D printers are based on Arduino for their ease of use and reliability.

What You Will Need for This Topic

Each chapter has a list of elements required to complete. However, when creat-
ing an Arduino project, a few items are required every time. Following is a list:

A power supply —The Arduino Uno accepts an input voltage of 6 to 20 V,
with 7 to 12 V being recommended. Any standard AC-to-DC center-positive
adapter should work i ne, preferably one that can supply up to or over 1
amp of current.

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Multimeter —Almost any model. You do not need to buy the most expen-
sive, far from it, but it should test DC voltage, DC amperage and continu-
ity, with optional resistance calculation, and AC voltage and amperage if
you plan to interface your Arduino to main's power.

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Breadboard —The size depends on your project. Consider a medium-sized
board; if it is too small you might not i t all your components (or it might
be too cramped, possibly creating short circuits), and large breadboards
can cost more and require more space. (I use 680-point breadboards for
most of my examples and projects.)

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Resistors —A common element of every project. There are numerous
values, but there are some values that will be used more often. There are
kits on the market that propose 10 of every value, or you can go with the
most common, the choice is yours. To start out, ten 220-ohm, ten 1-kilohm,
and ten 10-kilohm resistors should sufi ce.

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LEDs —A great way of knowing the output of a pin. Coupled with a resis-
tor, it can instantly show the state of your project.

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Other electronic components —Sometimes it is handy to have a small
collection of capacitors, switches, and diodes on hand. Each example in
this topic has a complete list of the required components.

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