Hey guys, this is my very first post. I have been very fascinated with electrical and electronics for years even though I am actually a trained Software Engineer by profession. But with the passion in computing, and in recent years IoT, I am finally getting my opportunity for a hands-on on Arduino. I do like the idea of adding Arduino Engineering into my arsenal of skills, but I am a little concerned about how much background knowledge I will need in electrical circuits and electronics in general. I have watched a couple of online tutorials and read the first few chapters of some introductory texts, but I am still feeling a little overwhelmed, or worried it's not enough.

Just for getting started, can someone help to provide some tips and advice? Point me in the right direction. I have on-hand an Arduino-related project which gives me an opportunity to put my passion into actual experience.

I really appreciate the advice and tips in advance.

 

Hello,

On the internet archive you will find a lot of projects and books for the arduino:
https://archive.org/search.php?query=arduino&and[]=mediatype:"texts"&and[]=languageSorter:"English"

Bertus

 

Hello,

On the internet archive you will find a lot of projects and books for the arduino:
https://archive.org/search.php?query=arduino&and[]=mediatype:"texts"&and[]=languageSorter:"English"

Bertus

Hey Bertus, thank you for sharing that link, I am definitely going to bookmark it! The resources look amazing.

 

I do like the idea of adding Arduino Engineering into my arsenal of skills...

I've never heard the term "Arduino Engineering" until now. Can you get a degree in it?

Just for getting started, can someone help to provide some tips and advice? Point me in the right direction.

Arduino has its own set of forums where all things Arduino can be discussed: http://forum.arduino.cc/

 

I've never heard the term "Arduino Engineering" until now. Can you get a degree in it?


Arduino has its own set of forums where all things Arduino can be discussed: http://forum.arduino.cc/

Haha, yeah, it doesn't exist. Maybe I just created it moments ago

 

Lots of fun ahead of you! I'd just dive in. There are literally 1000s of example projects on-line for you to look at. I'd treat the arduino-verse as a big lego-like playground. Lots of building blocks to get to know. From the first blink sketch (arduino's equivalent of "hello world") to a complex sensor and control system (robots and such) you will be constantly learning. The actual amount of software is pretty small. I'm building a camera focus rail control system and only have around 600 lines of code written with a little more to go. I'd say it's on the moderately complex end of the arduino spectrum.

I'd recommend a simple starter kit of an arduino, some LEDs, switches/buttons, various sensors, solderless breadboard, jumpers. Maybe a simple LCD display. Personally, I'd use an Arduino Nano or a Teensy because they are breadboard friendly.

For knowledge, understanding ohms law and learing how to read data sheets are two keys. The arduino reference page is good for looking up various libraries interfaces. If you are used to well documented APIs, you're in for a bit of disappointment - I find myself regularly digging into the library code to see what actually happens. The good news there is that the library code is usually straightforward. I'd look for example projects that do more than just show how to wire things up. They should help you understand underlying concepts.

 

Google "ASK Manual".
It is a good reference that was for an Arduino Starter Kit from some years ago. Even though it is a bit dated in some places, it is worth a read.

 

I began with an Arduino starter kit which included sensors, servos, and other electric and electronic parts, plus the starter kit projects book. Arduino is a great development platform, but to go beyond the breadboard, you may want to program an AVR to mount permanently in a project. I recommend the books, Make: AVR Programming, and Arduino Robotics.