Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
USB with a Computer or a 5V Wall Adapter
This connection method defeats the point of going wireless, but you can leave
the Arduino plugged into your computer via USB. The USB cable will provide
5V power to your Arduino, and the XBee will communicate with a separate USB
XBee Explorer plugged into a different USB port on your computer. This is fine
for testing your wireless communication, but is a bit silly for any practical appli-
cation. If you go this route, make sure to choose the serial port connected to the
USB Explorer to receive communication in the serial monitor or in Processing.
You can also use the 5V USB connection with a wall adapter. This makes a
bit more sense because you are no longer tethered to same computer that you
are programming from. If you have a smartphone, you probably already have
one of these adapters; they are commonly used for charging iPhones, Android
devices, and other smartphones and tablets. Figure 11-13 shows a standard USB
wall adapter for U.S. outlets.
Figure 11-13: 5V USB wall adapter
Batteries
You can also power the Arduino using batteries. One of the most popular meth-
ods is to use a 9V battery hooked into the direct current (DC) power jack or the
“Vin” input pin. Both of these inputs feed into the Arduino's onboard linear 5V
regulator, which generates a clean 5V signal for your microcontroller and other
logic. Figure 11-14 shows an example of a 9V battery pack with an integrated
switch and DC power jack from adafruit.com .
Search WWH ::




Custom Search