Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Powering up Arduino
There is nothing as exciting as ordering and finally receiving a new piece of hardware; yet,
things can go poorly even in the first few minutes. This chapter will hopefully help you
avoid the pitfalls that normally accompany unpacking and configuring your Arduino. We'll
step through the process, answer many of the different questions you might have, and help
you understand what is going on. If you don't get through this chapter, you'll not be suc-
cessful at any of the others, and your HW will go unused, which would be a real tragedy.
So, let's get started.
One of the most challenging aspects of writing this guide is to decide to what level I should
describe each step. Some of you are beginners, others may have some limited experience,
and others will know significantly more in some of these areas. I'll try to be brief but still
detail the steps to take in order to be successful.
The items you'll need for this chapter's projects are as follows:
• An Arduino
• A USB cable to go between your Arduino and the host computer
• A host computer running a Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system
