Beginning your Adventures in Electronics: Arduino

Jaroslaw LupinskiNYCResistor Teacher: Beyond

Arduino

The Recent Revolution

• Arduino has dominated the market

• Low-cost, easy to use• Less hardware logic,

more software• Programmed in C++

What is the Arduino

• Easy to use platform• Ease of programming• Simple USB interface• Modifiable IDE• Many shields available

Components of the Arduino

• ATMega168/328• 16MHz crystal/filtering

capacitors• Onboard power

regulators• FTDI USB <-> Serial Chip• Hardware

Schematic

Necessary parts for any circuit

• ATMega168/328• The ‘brains’ of the

Arduino• Program is loaded onto

the chip• Runs main loop until

power is removed• That’s it! All other parts

are optional!

Optional parts: Timing• 16Mhz Crystal• The ‘heartbeat’ of the

ATMega chip• Speed of crystal

determines chip speed• Possible to

over/underclock depending on application

• ATMega series has onboard oscillator; less precise

Power Supply

• 5 Volt and 3.3 Volt Regulators

• Filtering capacitors• Automatic switching

between external and USB Power

• Leave it out if you have a filtered 5 Volt power supply

FTDI USB Chip

• Allows your Arduino to communicate with your computer over a simple USB link

• Abstraction• Only necessary for

communicating with USB

Hardware

• Circuit Board• Headers• USB port• Sockets• All optional, use them if you need them

Two methods of using the Arduino

• Working with the Arduino to solve a problem

• Temporary solution• One time only

• Prototyping with the Arduino to solve a need

• Preparing a product for market

• Mass production

Phases of Circuit Design

Arduino Approach•Idea•Sketch•Read datasheets•Gather materials•Prototype•Testing•Optional ---------------->

Stand-alone approach•Idea•Sketch•Read datasheets•Gather materials•Prototype•Testing•Refining•Testing•Release to manufacture

Using the Arduino as a Prototyping Platform

• You can prototype using an Arduino, and skip many steps from the stand-alone approach

• Use the Arduino to develop your product

• When your planned circuit works, skip straight into stand-alone product testing

Idea

• Problem to be solved• Market need to be filled• “Necessity is the

mother of all invention.”

Sketch

• Draw out what you need to do to solve your problem

• No need to get technical, rough ideas and abstractions will suffice

• Take constraints into consideration: Size, budget, audience

Optional step: Present

• If the project requires substantial resources (funding, rare materials/components), you will need to create a presentation

• Venture capitalists• Crowd-sourcing• Material Sourcing

Read datasheets/Gather materials

• Start turning sketch into reality

• Read about chips/parts that are available

• Examine options for unavailable/non-existent parts

• Order materials

Prototype

• Using protoshield or long jumper wires, develop your solution

• Attach external chips, sensors, circuits

• Leave breadboarded or solder permanently

• Most hands-on part, usually taught in labs or dedicated classes

Side-note: How to learn to prototype

• Desire• Choose a project that

appeals to you• Easier to rebuild an

existing circuit, or have an experienced tutor for your first design

• Time-Cost/Experience tradeoff: Premade kits are less expensive, but may teach less technical skills

• Example of good first projects to complete by yourself:– Digital Clock– Basic Robot

• Good projects to complete with a tutor:– Nixie tube clock– Advanced Robot

Testing

• Does it fulfill it’s purpose?

• Can it be optimized?• Can you add/remove

features? (consider cost)

• Have friends, family, colleagues break it!

• Debugging

Creating a Stand-alone Product

• Sketch out Arduino circuit

• Eliminate unnecessary/ redundant components• Add broken-down

Arduino circuit back into design

Side-Note: Making your own shield

• Depending on your audience, you may choose this route

• Best of both worlds approach

• Assurance that it will work with any Arduino: The Mac Approach

• Limited to Arduino-owning market

That’s the great thing about Arduino

• Programming an identical chip with the same Arduino code will result in identical execution

• No need for complicated IDE, porting code

Using EAGLE to design your circuit

• Powerful schematic capture tool

• Integrated circuit board design tool• Free version’s

limitations are enough for a shield

Lay out the circuit board• Position

components using electrical engineering principles

• There aren’t many, but there are a few critical ones

• Power supply splitting, Star Ground, Ground plane, EMI

Take your time laying out the board

• Most designers spend ~5-10 hours laying out a simple shield!

• Personal preferences, aesthetic appeal, ease of use, ease of manufacturing

Send circuit board out for production

• Research fabrication houses

• Compare rates, lead times, shipping

• Consider assembly

Marketing

• Kickstarter!• Word of mouth• Reach out to

hackerspaces/hacker fairs

• Get people talking about it!

Cost Analysis• Determining costs is usually

done at the idea phase• Spreadsheets!• Excel is your friend• Understand that prices rise

and fall, stock is depleted and replenished, and suppliers may fail to deliver

• The longer it takes to develop, the more variables will develop

Start selling your product!

• Keep up to date on your products status

• Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, News

• Every product is 1% inspiration, 9% perspiration, and 90% marketing!

Congratulations!

• You are now a marketable inventor!

• Consider patenting your idea if it is worth more than $10,000

• Open source alternatives

• Creative Commons

Understand that your product will not always sell

• Many factors go into making a successful product

• Even if you did all the steps correctly, you may still fail to make a profit

• Engage the customers that you do bring in

Questions/Comments

• Notes: • Contact:• Jaroslaw Lupinski• jarek@soniktech.com• AIM: jarek319