Copy and Paste Coding
Arduino IDE Version

There are three sections in an Arduino program. The Variable Section is used to declare global variables and/or import libraries (i.e., #include). Global variables are defined outside of all the functions so all functions can use them. The Setup Section is a function, void setup(), used to start tasks that need to be executed only once. Opening communication with the serial monitor is a good example, Serial.begin(9600);. The Loop Section, void loop(), runs as a continuous loop. It contains instructions that will be executed until the board is reset or turned off. It is where the I/O tasks of the microcontroller are defined and executed.

To Begin Coding

1. Install the Arduino IDE on your computer.

Installing the Arduino Desktop IDE: [Windows],[Mac OS]

2. Connect the board to your computer via the USB port.

3. Open the Arduino IDE.


Check the board and COM port. Make changes if needed.	Open the Serial Monitor.

The Serial Monitor is helpful for displaying input from sensors connected to the board. It can also be used for debugging a program. Printing variables as a program runs lets you see the execution. The Serial Potter is very useful also.

4. Now that the programming environment and board are connected,


select [New] to open a new window.	Then, [Select All] and [Cut] to create a blank workspace.

Give it a try. Copy the code below to your clipboard.


int mynumber= 1001;                   // Global Variable Section
char mytext[]="Hello World";        
void setup() {                        // Setup Section
      Serial.begin(9600);
      delay (3000);
      Serial.println("Program Started");
      Serial.println(mytext); 
}
void loop() {                        // Loop Section
 // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
}

Then,


Paste the code into the IDE workspace.	Upload and watch it run. Note: if you get a COM error, try recompiling, then upload again.

The code will begin to run immediately. Look at the serial monitor.

Notice that when you [Verify/Compile] or [Upload] a program, the message window at the bottom of the screen displays compiling status or errors. It will help with debugging.

Edit Code

Add a line in the setup() function to print the variable ‘mynumber’.


  Serial.println("Program Started");
  Serial.println(mytext);
 Serial.println(mynumber);

Upload the code with this change and see what happens.

Add a Serial.println() line in the void loop() function.


 void loop() {                        // Loop Section
 // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
Serial.println(mytext);

Upload the program with this change. Observe the display. Is this what you expected?

A delay command, delay(1000);, after this print command will slow the loop so you can see the scroll.


 Serial.println(mytext);
delay(1000);

Change the numbers and text, then observe the results, experiment. Understanding the code structure, some basic commands, and edits you can make to customize the program is a good start to coding this microcomputer.

Copy and Paste Coding Arduino IDE Version

To Begin Coding

Edit Code

Copy and Paste Coding
Arduino IDE Version