Arduino

Mini-Course
Lecture Slides

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 Digital Signals

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What is a Digital Signal?

● Like a light switch, can be “On” or “Off”

● On
○ Supply voltage, VCC, or 5V
○ “High”, “1”
● Off
○ Ground, GND, or 0V
○ “Low”, “0”
● Digital signals can be a series of 1’s and 0’s

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How to Use a Digital Signal
● 14 digital input-output (IO) on Arduino UNO
○ Pins 0 – 13
● Digital output
○ Arduino to another device
○ Use digitalWrite() function
● Digital input
○ Another device to Arduino
○ Use digitalRead() function
● Pin 13 is connected to an on-board LED

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Digital Output Example

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Digital Output Example: Outline

Blinky Example:
● The “Hello World” for microcontrollers
● Use the on-board LED
○ Turn ON for half a second
○ Turn OFF for half a second

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Digital Output Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● LED is connected to pin 13
● Signal comes from the Arduino to the LED – Digital Output
● Send signal to turn ON (“High”) and OFF (“Low”)

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Turning the LED On and Off: pinMode()

Description: Syntax:
Configures the specified pin to pinMode(pin, mode)
behave either as an input or an Parameters:
output. pin: the Arduino pin number to set the
Example: mode of.
void setup() {
mode: INPUT, OUTPUT, or INPUT_PULLUP.
// Sets the digital pin 13 Returns:
// as output Nothing
pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
}

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Digital Output Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● LED is connected to pin 13
● Signal comes from the Arduino to the LED – Digital Output
● Send signal to turn ON (“High”) and OFF (“Low”)

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Turning the LED On and Off: digitalWrite()

Description: Syntax:
Write a HIGH or a LOW value to a digitalWrite(pin, value)
digital pin. Parameters:
pin: the Arduino pin number
Example: value: HIGH or LOW
void loop() { Returns:
// Sets digital pin 13 on Nothing
digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
}

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Digital Output Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● LED is connected to pin 13
● Signal comes from the Arduino to the LED – Digital Output
● Send signal to turn ON (“High”) and OFF (“Low”)

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Digital Output Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● LED is connected to pin 13
● Signal comes from the Arduino to the LED – Digital Output
● Send signal to turn ON (“High”) and OFF (“Low”)
How do we get the Arduino to wait?
● Use a specific built-in function

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Get the Arduino to Wait: delay()

Description: Syntax:
Pauses the program for the amount delay(ms)
of time (in milliseconds) specified as Parameters:
parameter. ms: the number of milliseconds to pause.
Example: Returns:
void loop() { Nothing
digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
delay(1000); // Wait for 1 second
digitalWrite(13, LOW);
delay(1000); // Wait for 1 second
}

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Digital Output Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● LED is connected to pin 13
● Signal comes from the Arduino to the LED – Digital Output
● Send signal to turn ON (“High”) and OFF (“Low”)
How do we get the Arduino to wait?
● Use a specific built-in function

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 Breadboards

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How to Use a Breadboard

● Helps prototype circuits quickly

● Full of wires to make creating circuits
faster and cleaner
● Red positive (+) rails are the supply
voltage (5 V)
● Black negative (-) rails are ground (GND or
0V)
● Middle space (A – J) are is where the
components go

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Breadboard Practice Problems
# Question Answer

1 Is hole A1 connected to B1?

2 Is hole D20 connected to J22?

3 Is hole A5 connected to A6?

4 Is hole G15 connected to J15?

5 Is hole A10 connected to I10?

6 Is hole E30 connected to F30?

7 Is hole (- bottom rail)1 connected to (- bottom rail)25?

8 Is hole (- bottom rail)1 connected to (+ bottom rail)1?

9 Is hole (- top rail)1 connected to (- bottom rail)25?

10 Is hole (+ top rail)1 connected to J1?

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Breadboard Practice Problems: Answers
# Question Answer

1 Is hole A1 connected to B1? Yes

2 Is hole D20 connected to J22? No

3 Is hole A5 connected to A6? No

4 Is hole G15 connected to J15? Yes

5 Is hole A10 connected to I10? No

6 Is hole E30 connected to F30? No

7 Is hole (- bottom rail)1 connected to (- bottom rail)25? Yes

8 Is hole (- bottom rail)1 connected to (+ bottom rail)1? No

9 Is hole (- top rail)1 connected to (- bottom rail)25? No

10 Is hole (+ top rail)1 connected to J1? No

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Digital Input Example

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Digital Input Example: Outline

LED and Switch Example:

● When switch is on, LED turns on
● When switch is off, LED turns off

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Digital Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() function
How do we read the value from the switch?
● Setup the switch hardware
● Signal comes from the switch to the Arduino - Digital Input
● When switch is on, turn LED on
● When switch is off, turn LED off

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Digital Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() function
How do we read the value from the switch?
● Setup the switch hardware
● Signal comes from the switch to the Arduino - Digital Input
● When switch is on, turn LED on
● When switch is off, turn LED off

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Reading a Digital Pin: digitalRead()

Description: Syntax:
Reads a HIGH or LOW value from a digitalRead(pin)
digital pin. Parameters:
pin: the Arduino pin number to read.
Example: Returns:
void loop() { HIGH or LOW
// Reads pin 13 and stores
// result into val
int val = digitalRead(13);
}

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Digital Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() function
How do we read the value from the switch?
● Setup the switch hardware
● Signal comes from the switch to the Arduino - Digital Input
● When switch is on, turn LED on
● When switch is off, turn LED off

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If-Else Statement

Description: Example:
A statement used when you have if(x < 5)
multiple different actions to choose {
from. // Run if x is less than 5
}
Syntax:
else
if(conditional statement){
{
// Run if statement is true
// Run if x is greater than
}
// or equal to 5
else{
}
// Run if statement is false
}

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Digital Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() function
How do we read the value from the switch?
● Setup the switch hardware
● Signal comes from the switch to the Arduino - Digital Input
● When switch is on, turn LED on
● When switch is off, turn LED off

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Digital Signal Challenge Project

Use the LED to output a message in morse code and a

switch to control the message.
Requirements:
1. Must use variables or constants only within void
loop()
○ Ex: Use delay(variableName) instead of
delay(500)
2. Must output a word that is 3 or more letters long
3. The switch must turn on and off the morse code
message

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 Analog Signals

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What is an Analog Signal?

● Like a dimmable light dial

○ Can be fully off or on
○ But can also be turned to halfway brightness or any value in between
● An analog signal can be any voltage between ground and the supply voltage (5V)

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How to Use an Analog Signal

● 6 analog inputs on Arduino UNO

○ Pins A0 – A5
● Analog input
○ Uses an “ADC” to convert it to a digital
signal
○ Use analogRead() function
● No analog output

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Analog Input Example

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Analog Input Example: Outline

LED and Potentiometer Example:

● Start with blinking LED
● As the potentiometer gets turned up, LED
blinks faster
● As the potentiometer gets turned down,
LED blinks slower

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() and delay() function
How do we read the value from the potentiometer?
● Setup the potentiometer hardware
● Analog signal comes from the potentiometer to the Arduino - Analog Input
● Map ADC value to the delay in the LED blinking code

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() and delay() function
How do we read the value from the potentiometer?
● Setup the potentiometer hardware
● Analog signal comes from the potentiometer to the Arduino - Analog Input
● Map ADC value to the delay in the LED blinking code

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Reading a Digital Pin: analogRead()

Description: Syntax:
Reads the integer value from an analogRead(pin)
analog pin. Parameters:
pin: the Arduino analog input pin to read.
Example: Returns:
void loop() { The analog reading on the pin as an int
// Reads pin A0 and stores (value between 0-1023).
// result into val
int val = analogRead(A0);
}

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() and delay() function
How do we read the value from the potentiometer?
● Setup the potentiometer hardware
● Analog signal comes from the potentiometer to the Arduino - Analog Input
● Map ADC value to the delay in the LED blinking code

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() and delay() function
How do we read the value from the potentiometer?
● Setup the potentiometer hardware
● Analog signal comes from the potentiometer to the Arduino - Analog Input
● Map ADC value to the delay in the LED blinking code

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() and delay() function
How do we read the value from the potentiometer?
● Setup the potentiometer hardware
● Analog signal comes from the potentiometer to the Arduino - Analog Input
● Map ADC value to the delay in the LED blinking code
How do we make it run smoother?
● When potentiometer is turned all the way down, turn LED completely off
● When potentiometer is turned all the way up, turn LED completely on

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we get the LED to turn on and off?

● Use digitalWrite() and delay() function
How do we read the value from the potentiometer?
● Setup the potentiometer hardware
● Analog signal comes from the potentiometer to the Arduino - Analog Input
● Map ADC value to the delay in the LED blinking code
How do we make it run smoother?
● When potentiometer is turned all the way down, turn LED completely off
● When potentiometer is turned all the way up, turn LED completely on

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Analog Input Challenge Project

Make an LED pattern based on the position

of the potentiometer using several LEDs.
Requirements:
1. Must use at least 3 LEDs
2. Must have at least 3 different patterns.

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 PWM Signals

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What is a PWM Signal?

● Pulse Width Modulation

● Consists of a repeating pattern of digital
pulses
● The width of the pusles can change to
achieve different results

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What is a PWM Signal?

Frequency: Duty Cycle:

● Measured in Hz or 1/s ● Measured in %

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What is a PWM signal?

● Used to simulate an analog signal

● Average voltage over time can be any value between 0V and 5V

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How to Use a PWM Signal

● Uses pins 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11

● Use analogWrite() function
● Pins 5, 6 are 980 Hz
● Pins 3, 9, 10, 11 are 490 Hz

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 PWM Example

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PWM Example: Outline

Dimming LED Example:

● LED gets brighter and brighter
● Then, gets dimmer and dimmer

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we control the brightness/dimness of an LED?

● Use PWM to control the average voltage/current to the LED
● Higher duty cycle → higher average voltage/current → brighter LED
How do we control the PWM duty cycle to get the LED pattern we want?
● Brighter and brighter → Slowly increase duty cycle
● Dimmer and dimmer → Slowly decrease duty cycle

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Write a PWM Signal: analogWrite()

Description: Syntax:
Writes an analog value (PWM wave) analogWrite(pin, value)
to a digital pin. Parameters:
pin: the Arduino pin to write, must be a
Example: PWM pin market with a ‘~’.
void loop() {
value: the duty cycle (value between
// Writes a 50% duty cycle to
0-255)
// pin 11 Returns:
analogWrite(11, 255*0.5); None
}

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we control the brightness/dimness of an LED?

● Use PWM to control the average voltage/current to the LED
● Higher duty cycle → higher average voltage/current → brighter LED
How do we control the PWM duty cycle to get the LED pattern we want?
● Brighter and brighter → Slowly increase duty cycle
● Dimmer and dimmer → Slowly decrease duty cycle

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For Loop

Description: Example:
A repeating loop of code for as long for(int i = 0; i < 7, i++){
as a certain condition is true. // Run while i remains less
// than 7, every loop i
// increases by 1
}

Syntax:
for(initializer; conditional statement; iterator)
{
// Run while statement is true
}

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we control the brightness/dimness of an LED?

● Use PWM to control the average voltage/current to the LED
● Higher duty cycle → higher average voltage/current → brighter LED
How do we control the PWM duty cycle to get the LED pattern we want?
● Brighter and brighter → Slowly increase duty cycle
● Dimmer and dimmer → Slowly decrease duty cycle
● Use for loop for repeating pattern

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Analog Input Example: Problem Breakdown

How do we control the brightness/dimness of an LED?

● Use PWM to control the average voltage/current to the LED
● Higher duty cycle → higher average voltage/current → brighter LED
How do we control the PWM duty cycle to get the LED pattern we want?
● Brighter and brighter → Slowly increase duty cycle
● Dimmer and dimmer → Slowly decrease duty cycle
● Use for loop for repeating pattern

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PWM Challenge Project

Add PWM functionality to the Analog Input

Challenge Project.
Requirements:
1. Must use at least 3 LEDs
2. Must have at least 3 different patterns.
3. Must have at least 2 different patterns
that include dimming/brightening of
LEDs.

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 Course Recap

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Key Concepts Check

Can you define each term? Do you know what each function does?
● Digital signals ● pinMode()
● Analog signals ● digitalWrite()
● PWM signals ● delay()
● digitalRead()
● analogRead()
● analogWrite()

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Final Project

Make a LEDs behaviour changes based on

the position of a potentiometer and switch.
Requirements:
1. Use all signal types covered in this
course
○ Digital input and output
○ Analog input
○ PWM signal

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