CSCI 345: Lab 4

Intro to Arduino
Due: 10PM on Monday, March 9th

In this lab, you should learn:

  • How to program arduinos
  • How to control LEDs with your arduino

To complete this lab, you will need:

  • A computer.
  • An arduino.
  • A USB cable to connect your arduino to your computer.
  • Three or more LEDs.
  • Three or more 270 Ω resistors, a 470 Ω resistor, a 2.2 kΩ, and a 10 kΩ resistor, or resistors in the closest values you have.
  • A breadboard.
  • Wires.

Part 0 - Github

To create the github repo for this lab, click here

Part 1 - Setting Up the Arduino Software

Follow this guide to set up the arduino IDE on your computer, and get your computer talking to your arduino. After this, you should be able to load the blink program to your arduino, and see your onboard LED blink.

Part 2 - Editing Arduino Programs

Follow this guide to edit the blink program and change the speed at which your onboard LED blinks. After this, you should be able to edit arduino programs and see the resulting changes run on your board.

Part 3 - Blinking a LED

Follow this guide to controling an LED that is not built into your arduino.

This guide asks you to use different sizes of resistors. If you do not have the exact size resistor it calls for, use the closest size you have. To tell a resistor's value, you can read its colored bands. A guide on how to do this is available here.

Part 3 - Blinking multiple LEDs

Now you will take what you learned in the previous parts of the lab, and use it to blink multiple LEDs in the pattern of your choosing.

First, connect at least three LEDs to your arduino. To do this, each LED will connect to its own output pin, but they will all share the same ground pin. This will look something like the image below.


image courtesy of sparkfun.com

Now, write a program that blinks your LEDs in some interesting pattern. This pattern should include both multiple LEDs being on at the same time, and LEDs being turned on and off one at a time.

Handin

You will submit your assignment by posting a comment on the piazza thread for lab 4. Your post should include a link to the a video of your LEDs blinking, and a link to a github repository that contains your arduino code.

C. Taylor