Exploring Arduino, 2nd Edition

7 USB Serial Communication

Parts You'll Need for This Chapter

• Arduino Uno or Adafruit METRO 328
• USB cable (Type A to B for Uno, Type A to Micro-B for METRO)
• Half-size or full-size breadboard
• Assorted jumper wires
• 220Ω resistors (×3)
• 10kΩ trim potentiometer
• 5 mm red LED
• 5 mm common-anode RGB LED
  • CODE AND DIGITAL CONTENT FOR THIS CHAPTER
  • Code downloads, videos, and other digital content for this chapter can be found at:
  • exploringarduino.com/content2/ch7
  • Code for this chapter can also be obtained from the Downloads tab on this book's Wiley web page:
  • wiley.com/go/exploringarduino2e

Perhaps the most important part of any Arduino is its capability to be programmed directly via a USB serial port. This feature enables you to program the Arduino without any special hardware, such as an AVRISP mkII. Ordinarily, microcontrollers rely on a dedicated piece of external hardware (such as the mkII) to serve as a programmer that connects your computer to the microcontroller you are trying to program. In the case of the Arduino, this programmer is essentially built into the board, instead of being a piece of external hardware. What's more, this gives you a direct connection to the ATmega integrated Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter (USART). Using this interface, you can send information between your host computer and the Arduino, or between the Arduino and other serial-enabled components (including other Arduinos).

Both this chapter and the following chapter will cover ...