Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use software and hardware development. When it comes to Arduino, some people may have heard of Arduino microcontrollers or Arduino circuit boards, as well as the Arduino IDE that can be used to program these boards. Arduino boards can read external signals, such as detecting light sources through sensors or inputting information through buttons, and convert them into outputs, such as activating LED lights or connecting to the cloud. The Arduino IDE is software that allows control and programming of the Arduino board simply by connecting it to a computer.

Arduino was designed by the Ivrea Interaction Design Institute in Italy. The original intention of its design was to allow students without a background in programming or electronic circuits to complete product development through the concept of rapid prototyping. However, as Arduino has grown, its audience has gradually expanded, and now, from students to hobbyists and even professionals, many people are using Arduino.

Although there are many different microcontroller systems on the market, Arduino has many advantages compared to many other systems for entry-level users, such as:

– Affordable, with many Arduino boards costing no more than $50

– Cross-platform, the Arduino IDE supports use on Windows, MacOS, and Linux, while many other platforms only support Windows

– User-friendly, the Arduino IDE is very simple to use and friendly for beginners.

As a simple demonstration, we can build a basic Arduino circuit using the Tinkercad simulation software.

This circuit connects the Arduino to a potentiometer as shown below.

The potentiometer can change its resistance by turning the knob on top, thus allowing us to change the voltage it consumes by adjusting its resistance.

The working principle of this circuit is to connect the A and C terminals of the potentiometer to a 5V voltage and the ground pin, while the output voltage B terminal is connected to the A0 interface of the Arduino board.

At this point, we can enter the following code in the Arduino IDE:

void setup() {

// initialize serial communication at 9600 bits per second:

Serial.begin(9600);

}

// the loop routine runs over and over again forever:

void loop() {

// read the input on analog pin 0:

float sensorValue = analogRead(A0);

// convert ADC value to voltage

float Vin = 5 * sensorValue / 1023;

// print out the value you read:

Serial.println(Vin);

delay(1); // delay in between reads for stability

}

Analyzing line by line, this code has the following functions:

Serial.begin(9600);

Indicates that the board starts serial communication at 9600 bits per second with the computer.

float sensorValue = analogRead(A0);

Indicates that the Arduino board reads the signal from the A0 interface and stores it in a floating-point number named sensorValue.

float Vin = 5 * sensorValue / 1023;

Since the voltage data read by the Arduino board has been stored as a number between 0 and 1023 by an analog-to-digital converter, we need to perform a mathematical operation to convert it back to voltage.

Serial.println(Vin);

Indicates that Arduino prints the read voltage value in the serial monitor.

By adjusting the resistance of the potentiometer, we can see that its output voltage is changing.

At this point, we can detect the voltage output from a potentiometer using Arduino and have a very basic understanding of the functionality and working principle of the Arduino board. If you are interested, we will further explain the uses and functions of Arduino in the future.

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