5/8 Arduino Basics

[Katie Dunne]

Meetup Link: www.meetup.com/BhamHackerSpace/events/62035752/

JD is holding a Arduino Basics meeting! Arduino is an open source microcontroller platform that allows you to combine actuators, sensors and the logic that controls them on a single platform. Their website is arduino.cc/en/ ... Come out to learn the basics or to help those of us who are learning! Here are some things to bring if you have them:

1) Arduino(s) (there should be plenty to go around)

2) A laptop

3) A multimeter

If you're bringing a laptop be sure to install the arduino software before hand: arduino.cc/en/Main/Software ... This software will allow you to upload a control program to any arduino microcontroller.

Arduinos are a lot of fun and working with them will be sure to get creative ideas flowing!

Side note, there will also be some brief planning items at this meetup: updates by the committees and narrowing down of name choices. Check proboards for both -- volunteers welcome!

[dwilkins]

Folks - I'll be prepared to help any Linux (and maybe windows) users get going without[\b] the arduino software if desired. Not recommended if you're new to arduino, but definitely recommended if you like knowing everything[\b] that's in your tool chain.

[dhj]

I am all about this. The arduino software is nice for making lights blink, but it seems like any sort of complex project needs a better IDE. I was just scratching my head last week about how to turn those sketch files into compiled code without their gui. What distro do you use/recommend? Debian based? I use Slitaz on a virtualbox, but it seems to be lacking prepackaged avr tools.

[drprofessordanger]

This is from the Arduino FAQ:

Can I use a different IDE to program the Arduino board?

It is possible to compile programs for the Arduino using other build tools (e.g. Makefiles and/or AVR Studio). You'll need to configure these to link against the appropriate files in the Arduino core libraries. See the description of the Arduino build process.

I guess you just need to find one you like and that works on your operating system.

I always have considered the Arduino an entry level microcontroller and therefore have assumed that when I carry on to more complex projects I will move to a different development environment or use the Arduino board and IDE as an AVR programmer.

There are also instructions for Linux distros in the Arduino FAQ.

[dwilkins]

It's not really a distro thing. You end up creating a Makefile and using that in a traditional C/C++ sense. I guess loading the toolchain might take a bit of work on Windoze - I'm using Fedora and sudo yum install arduino gets me everything I need except for the Makefile.

I've got a "starter" Makefile, but I really need to bundle it up into a rails-style generator script that makes/takes a directory and puts the framework in place with a <your code goes here> comment.

[drprofessordanger]

I am adding the agenda (PDF format) for the brief planning meeting due to convene before tonight's project.

Sorry to add this at the last minute. Future agendas will be available at least five days before meetings to allow participating members a chance to add issues.

If you are attending tonight's meeting please feel free to suggest matters for discussion.

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