Getting Started With Arduino

While some reviewers decry the intro "fluff" chapters and the simplicity of some of the projects, by the end of this short book, you will have been exposed to many of the capabilities of the Arduino microcontroller. I found the book's projects to be very informative and fun. One warning to buyers: You will need to buy a few more electronic parts to take full advantage of this book and it's projects. Here's what you should get: 1. 5-10 x 10K-Ohm resistors 2. 1 x Momentary push button switch (4 pin), compatible with a breadboard 3. 5 x LEDs of differing colors (most will work with the 3-5V output of the Arduino). 4. 1 x MOSFET or 1 x 5V actuated relay (this is to turn on/off motors) 5. 1 x solder-less breadboard 6. 1 x jumper wire kit (various lengths and colors of short wires) 7. 1 x LDR (light dependent resistor) 8. 1 x 9V (or similar magnitude) battery case with leads for a breadboard 9. 1 x small motor (5-9V). It seems like quite a bit, but if you get and use these parts with the projects, you will learn how to use sensors to take in data from the environment, have the Arduino process it, and then drive a response (in the form of lighting LEDs, turning on motors, etc.). Fortunately, the Arduino itself is USB-powered, so the other power sources (i.e. the battery case) will only be needed to run things like the motor.

If you're new to electronic circuits and micro controller programming, this book is a great introduction. It walks you through step by step creating basic circuits and programming the Arduino to activate LED's, accept input from various buttons and sensors, and even interact with data from the computer. It's a must read for any beginner!

First, this is a primer. As a primer, this is one of the best primers I have ever used. The primer covers the coding and the hardware features of the Arduino platform quite well and the examples and circuit diagrams in the booklet are clear, concise, easy to build, and use. The author even tells you where to get any of the electronic components that you might need for prototyping and experimenting. If you are buying, using or curious about the Arduino prototyping platform, you should definitely pick this up, it will save you a lot of time.

As mentioned, the material in this book is also available online, but it isn't really geared toward a technical person. The purpose of this book is to spark creativity in creative people who wouldn't think of what to do with a microcontroller. It's aimed at people who don't have a lot of experience with electronics and are considering making their art projects a bit more interactive. It has a few little examples in it. Not exhaustive by any means, but still a good primer. I would read this book and pass it on to those who may be on the fence about microcontrollers.

I cannot offer high enough praise for this brief, artistic introduction to the Arduino Microcontroller and its enthusiastic user community. In this 118 page handbook, easily stored with your electronics tools, the author a co-designer of the Arduino controller, provides everything needed for the non-technical DIYer to program, test and build simple electronic projects with the Arduino board. In addition to Massimo Banzi's clear and informal writing about experimenting with electronics, software, and even descriptions of how to get answers from the open source community online, this pamphlet contains clear but artistic illustrations of the equipment used and ancillary tools by Elisa Canducci. It is an excellent introduction for the Artist, Teacher, DIYer, Electronics Hobbyists and Software People who are afraid to assemble physical electronics. I only wish there was more content along the lines of this book--but then it wouldn't fit in your toolkit or be available for $12.99. --Ira Laefsky