Now I've had a little play programming my BBS02 with the USB-Serial cable, I fancy getting into building some simple projects using an Arduino.

 

I've come across quite a comprehensive looking starter kit on eBay:

 

New SunFounder Lab Starter basic Kit for Arduino Beginner Nano Mega 2560 Uno R3

 

Does anyone else on this forum play about with the Arduino, and is it as easy as they make out building projects and programming them to work?

There's loads of stuff online for arduino. Maplin also do starter kits. You can also get starter kits for other microprocessors, like Picaxe and Genie. Finally there's the Raspberry Pie, which is now being used in school, so plenty of stuff for that too. The school curriculum has been changed away from MS Office and web design to much more emphasis on code and programming, so you could look at some education sites to see what they have there. It's taken them a long time to get there from when we all learnt machine code for our Acorn BBC Micros and Sinclair Spectrums.

It's taken them a long time to get there from when we all learnt machine code for our Acorn BBC Micros and Sinclair Spectrums.

I remember programming the Spectrum well. Spending many hours manipulating fingers on that ghastly rubber keyboard. Typing in the code from magazines bought with hard earned pocket money, only for it crash horribly when it was run lol.

Now I've had a little play programming my BBS02 with the USB-Serial cable, I fancy getting into building some simple projects using an Arduino.

 

I've come across quite a comprehensive looking starter kit on eBay:

 

New SunFounder Lab Starter basic Kit for Arduino Beginner Nano Mega 2560 Uno R3

 

Does anyone else on this forum play about with the Arduino, and is it as easy as they make out building projects and programming them to work?

 

it's pretty limited what you can do with it.

it's pretty limited what you can do with it.

Yeah, I realise that it'll probably only be making LED's flash and very simple stuff like that, but once I grasp the basics, then I can start designing more complex projects.

 

Or do you mean Arduino is pretty limited full stop?

 

I gots to know, coz Dave mentioned Picaxe, Genie and Raspberry Pi and I want to go for something I can turn into a decent hobby.

the arduino bits are like ready meals that you buy from supermarkets, it does not take long to write your first few programs but you don't actually learn much from playing with them, like you'll get the hang of cooking for one from using the microwave, you don't learn any new cookery skill.

More interesting projects will take time and the arduino IDE sucks.

Edited September 6, 201510 yr by trex

the arduino bits are like ready meals that you by from supermarkets, it does not take long to write your first few programs but you don't actually learn much from playing with them, like you'll get the hang of cooking for one from using the microwave, you don't learn any new cookery skill.

More interesting projects will take time and the arduino IDE sucks.

Nice comparison

The other day I came across a site in German and the guy has a page about building an open source controller and was using Arduino and bluetooth. Do a Google on "open source e-bike controller" and you will find heaps of sites.

My display/controller on my bike is soley Arduino based now with the stock controller just doing "dumb" power delivery. have a look at 4D systems for displays as they're super cool. Arduino is great at getting sensor data and acting upon it.

 

This is the kit that started me off, http://www.banggood.com/UNO-Basic-Starter-Learning-Kit-Upgrade-Version-For-Arduino-p-970714.html

 

Now i use the nano version as its a lot smaller to integrate.

I mostly disagree with trex on this matter. Arduino is an amazing platform for rapid prototyping. The IDE is a bit crap, but once you get the hang of the basics, you are only really limited by your own imagination. Most of what I've made in the past has remained a 'prototype' since it all worked so well. As a platform it's well worth getting into if you enjoy hobby electronics.

 

The ready made shields and modules can come in handy and generally cost peanuts nowadays, but most are nothing you couldn't also make yourself. All said and done, that kit would be a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend forty quid.