Exploring Arduino, 2nd Edition

8Emulating USB Devices

Parts You'll Need for This Chapter

• Arduino Leonardo or Seeeduino Lite or Pololu A-Star 32U4 Prime LV
• USB cable (Type A to Micro-B)
• Half-size or full-size breadboard
• Assorted jumper wires
• Pushbuttons (×3)
• 220Ω resistor
• 10kΩ resistors (×3)
• Photoresistor
• 5 mm red LED
• TMP36 analog temperature sensor
• Two-axis joystick
  • CODE AND DIGITAL CONTENT FOR THIS CHAPTER
  • Code downloads, videos, and other digital content for this chapter can be found at:
  • exploringarduino.com/content2/ch8
  • Code for this chapter can also be obtained from the Downloads tab on this book's Wiley web page:
  • wiley.com/go/exploringarduino2e

In the last chapter, you experimented with USB/serial communication between your computer and your Arduino. To accomplish this task, your computer connected to your Arduino's serial interface, allowing any software capable of interfacing with a serial port to talk to your Arduino. While this is really useful for basic data transfer, it doesn't even come close to using the full potential of what a native USB connection is capable of.

USB is the international de facto standard for connecting computer peripherals; its capabilities are ever expanding with USB SuperSpeed and USB-C connectors that can transport data, HD video, enough power to charge a laptop, and more. USB devices can be recognized by your computer as a variety of things. In this chapter, you'll move beyond USB/serial interfaces to learn how Arduinos with native USB support can act as human-interface ...