Quickly Set Up an Arduino Prototype

In portfolio projects, Arduino prototypes are often used for design research and testing. Some students with no background in smart hardware and programming may encounter issues when using the Arduino platform, which can delay progress or even lead to a loss of interest in circuits and programming. These problems can mainly be divided into two categories: overestimating the capabilities of the Arduino development board and complicating simple problems.

Let’s analyze the causes of these two situations and their corresponding solutions.

Problem 1:

Overestimating the Capabilities of the Arduino Development Board

The Arduino development board was originally designed as an entry-level platform for designers and artists, with its ease of use being an advantage, which also means its computational processing power is not very strong. Taking the Arduino Uno as an example, its maximum output voltage is 5V, which means it can only drive smaller motors and a limited number of LEDs. If you need to drive higher-power appliances, it is not recommended to use the Uno for development.

Quickly Set Up an Arduino Prototype

Maximum output voltage 5V

Additionally, the computational processing power of Arduino is limited and cannot handle some cutting-edge technologies (such as VR, etc.). When such technology is genuinely needed in a project, please choose other methods to implement it.

Problem 2:
Complicating Simple Problems
As an open-source platform, the advantage of the Arduino development board lies in its rich third-party libraries that can drive various sensors or actuators. Some components with complex wiring (such as LED matrix screens) can be greatly simplified by purchasing third-party modules. Many students still use the most basic components (like diodes, resistors, etc.) to learn Arduino. While these are useful for understanding basic circuit principles and program logic, it is still recommended to purchase powerful and easy-to-use third-party modules to efficiently complete functions in practice.
“Discussing Three Common Arduino Development Boards”

Quickly Set Up an Arduino Prototype

Loading Third-Party Libraries

At the same time, its third-party libraries are also very powerful. By calling third-party libraries, a few simple lines of code can achieve seemingly “cool” functions. I hope everyone checks some basic information online before starting to program to understand if there are easily accessible third-party libraries to drive the board to achieve the required functions: when using Arduino, think of yourself as a “driver of a car” rather than “inventing the wheel.” “How to Install and Add Libraries to Arduino IDE”

Well, these are some quick tips for learning Arduino. I hope they are helpful to everyone.

Article Author: Jing
Master’s in Industrial Design, Loughborough University
PhD, Beijing Institute of Technology

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