Arduino – First Steps

Posted on Friday 17th February 2012 @ 8:57pm NZDT by

My first real project is to attempt to use this popular “open source” physical computing system, Arduino, to take readings from Karola’s water meter and send them wirelessly to my computer and from there to the Hawkes Bay Regional Council Internet server. Karola has to provide regular readings to show she’s not exceeding her “water consent” issued by the council. I’m fairly apprehensive that this may be beyond me, but here goes … This is all a punt in the dark to see if I could become useful to Harry and his automation of pasture management systems.

The photo is of tutorial example two, just eight LEDs being switched on and off in sequence by a tiny program in the Arduino.

To my delight the Arduino kitset equipment arrived today; ordered on the Internet early yesterday. I spent the active part of the afternoon and evening getting set up and working through the first few examples.

About Ian

I am a New Zealand and EC citizen, living and working in Hastings in the North Island of New Zealand. On March 5th in 2004 I retired from exactly 30 years with IBM UK Ltd, working in the Hursley software development lab near Winchester in the south of England. I am now an IBM Distinguished Engineer emeritus, working to my own agenda while retaining access to my colleagues and information inside IBM.
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One Response to Arduino – First Steps

  1. admin says:
    Sunday 19th February 2012 @ 9:01am NZDT at 9:01 am

    Geoff,

    The thing that slowed me down re programming for the iPxxxx family is: – the streamlined but still heavy learning and time spent with Apple’s security/authentication stuff – wasting my programming time and complicating sharing – the sheer size, and hence learning and remembering, of the libraries – the emphasis on superb visual/tactile design which I admire but am not particularly adept at

    Re Arduino: It’s like programming for Z80 or MC6800 using simple C with a handful of special functions and so reminds me of nothing so much as our brief flirt with Ron and the Z80/MC68000 of long ago

    One gets a rather silly warm fuzzy just from making one’s first LED turn on and off.

    There’s a lot one can do without soldering – the “breadboard” as they call it is like the old IBM 077 and 519 tabulating machines wiring panels – push to connect.

    Programming environment is a doddle – available on Mac, Windows, and Linux and especially easy on the Mac as in that case it uses USB drivers shipped with the OS. The “host” powers and communicates with the micro via a USB cable – couldn’t be simpler.

    So far this is mainly just what I’ve read – but the setup was just so simple I couldn’t believe it; I’ve had the tutorial example of 8 LEDs being turned on in sequence: 1 to 8 and then 8 to 1 ever since, on the dining room table, which doesn’t have everyone’s heartfelt approval 🙂

    I see in the local electronics shop, Jaycar, there are inexpensive sensors for Arduino for: light, heat, proximity, timed.

    Arduino Uno board has, among other things:

    It is rather fun.

    ….Ian.