Lab Resources: Arduino Hardware
My first comment is this: You will get the maximum benefit from the lab if you actually have your own Arduino to work with. This is not absolutely required but the cost is relatively low so I encourage you to do so. The baseline budget is about $30 for an Arduino Uno R3. If it turns out that you really don't find this stuff interesting you always wrap your Arduino up in Xmas wrapping and give it to some family member or cousin. There is no way for them to know it's not brand new and you're off the hook! The flip side of that scenario is that some of you will get fascinated and you'll have a tool chest of toys that you'll carry everywhere.
Second comment: If you get an Arduino and a small breadboard I will provide all the rest of the stuff you need to build the learning exercises that we will do. You can't keep my stuff but that should reduce your basic expense. On the other hand, if you already have some clear interest in this technology you could get a basic starter kit which will run around $70 (links will follow) and then you will have your own set up to play with at home. If you already have an Arduino setup then I wouldn't get anything else until you have played with my stuff and know what you want to get. All of the sensors etc are available relatively rapidly from a range of sources so there is no point in getting carried away prematurely.
Sources:
Adafruit has been a tremendous evangelist for the Arduino platform. They sell actual Arduino technology as well as carefully vetted products from other vendors. They have wonderful tutorials which they make freely available and generally seem to be a great company. Not surprisingly they are not the cheapest vendor on the web. Their prices are not outrageous but they are always on the high side and the quality is excellent. Note that they have moved to the Arduino Metro platform which is compatible with the Uno and other Arduino platforms. [ 9/15/18 - they seem to be out of a lot of stuff right now -- Amazon may be a better choice for now].
https://www.adafruit.com/product/50 – Just the board $20
https://www.adafruit.com/product/193 – Just the basics $30
https://www.adafruit.com/product/68 – a little bit more $45
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1078 – very fun stuff (sensors) $100
If you look on Amazon you can find similar stuff:
I would include the links here but Amazon is not link friendly (tempted to say they're evil) but you can search for Arduino Uno R3 and watch to see if the board actual says Arduino or made by Arduino on it. Some may say Sun Systems or Elegoo or some other manufacturer. They will all work and be less expensive at some loss in quality. Look at related links for sensor kits etc.
While you're waiting for your hardware:
While you're waiting for your hardware (or even if you're not getting the hardware) download and install the Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) for your computer. If you have a laptop install it on the laptop. If you have a desktop system at home install it there. The IDE is already installed on the lab computers in Bend but we don't have any computers in the lab in Redmond. I'm hoping that those of you who have laptops will bring them to class and lab to help resolve this challenge.
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
Then spend a little time exploring the tutorial pages at arduino.com and Adafruit linked below.
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
https://learn.adafruit.com/category/learn-arduino
And then take a look at the various project pages – NO we will not build any flamethrowers!
