The Basics

Abstract

The Arduino microcontroller (Figure 1–1) is like a little command center that is awaiting your orders. With a few lines of code, you can make your Arduino turn a light on or off, read a sensor value and display it on your computer screen, or even use it to build a homemade circuit to repair a broken kitchen appliance. Because of the versatility of the Arduino and the massive support available from the online community of Arduino users, it has attracted a new breed of electronics hobbyists who have never before touched a microcontroller, let alone programmed one.