Section outline

  • Before you can bring your robot to life, you need a way to talk to your Arduino board. That’s where the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) comes in. It’s a free software that helps you write code and send it to the Arduino.

    • 🛠️ Step-by-Step: Installing Arduino IDE

      1. Go to arduino.cc/en/software
      2. Download the version for your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
      3. Install and open the software

      Once installed, you’ll see a clean editor window — this is where the magic begins!

      🔌 Connecting Your Arduino

      1. Plug your Arduino board into the computer using a USB cable
      2. In the IDE, go to Tools → Board and select Arduino Uno (or your board)
      3. Then go to Tools → Port and choose the correct port (it usually shows “Arduino Uno” next to it)

    • 💡 Your First Program: Blink an LED

      The classic first program for Arduino is called “Blink” — it turns an LED on and off. Here’s what the code looks like:

      void setup() {
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);  // Set pin 13 as an output
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);  // Turn LED on
  delay(1000);             // Wait 1 second
  digitalWrite(13, LOW);   // Turn LED off
  delay(1000);             // Wait 1 second
}

      🚦 What’s Happening Here?

      • setup() runs once when your Arduino turns on. It prepares the pin.
      • loop() runs over and over again. It turns the LED on and off every second.
      • pin 13 is connected to the onboard LED on most Arduino boards.

      ✅ Try It Out!

      Click the checkmark button to verify the code, and then click the right-arrow button to upload it to your board. If everything goes well, the LED on your Arduino should start blinking every second. Congratulations — you just made your Arduino do something!

      🎉 Fun Tip

      You can change the number in delay(1000) to blink faster or slower. Try delay(200) for fast blinking, or delay(2000) for a slow blink.