Getting started with Arduino – the official guide

This is Arduino’s official guide for anyone starting out with Arduino boards, published on Arduino’s documentation site. Its value is that it comes from the source itself, so its information is current and matches the latest versions of the programming environment and the boards – which matters in a field whose tools keep changing. In clear language, the guide explains what Arduino is, what the board is made of and how to prepare your computer, then takes you to a first program that you upload to the board and watch run.

What you will find in the guide

• An introduction to the Arduino platform: the board, the microcontroller, the programming environment and how they work together.
• Steps for installing the Arduino IDE on different operating systems, and choosing the correct board and port.
• The structure of an Arduino program, and the meaning of the setup and loop functions.
• A first practical experiment, and links to other guides on the same site about sensors, motors and communication.

Who it suits

It suits preparatory and secondary-school students interested in robots and electronics, university students in engineering and science, and teachers who want to bring Arduino into science and technology lessons. The guide is in English, but its vocabulary is limited and repetitive, and the browser’s machine translation can help when needed. You need an Arduino or compatible board, a suitable USB cable and a computer.

A beginner needs no previous knowledge of programming or electronics: the guide starts from zero, explains each step with illustrations, and points out the common mistakes people make when using the board for the first time.

How to use it, step by step

1. Read the introduction first so you understand what each part does, rather than starting with the wiring.
2. Install the programming environment and follow the steps for choosing the board and port carefully; most early problems happen here.
3. Carry out the first experiment as written, then change one value at a time and watch the result.
4. Keep the guide as a reference to return to when you have trouble uploading or getting the board recognised.
5. Then move on to the more advanced guides on the same site, depending on the project you want to build.

Before you start

If this is your first time working with electronics, first read “What is Arduino?” and “Circuit basics” on the academy’s blog, then “Your first Arduino program”, which walks through the first experiment in Arabic, step by step. In the robotics and embedded systems course at Badr Academy Education we build complete projects under the instructor’s supervision. Remember the safety rules: always work with low voltage, and disconnect the power before changing connections. The content and its rights belong to Arduino.