Exploring Arduino: Tools and Techniques for Engineering Wizardry

CHAPTER 6

USB and Serial Communication

Parts You'll Need for This Chapter

Arduino Uno

Arduino Leonardo

USB cable (A to B for Uno)

USB cable (A to Micro B for Leonardo)

LED

RGB LED (common cathode)

150Ω resistor

220Ω resistor (×3)

10kΩ resistor (×2)

Pushbutton

Photoresistor

TMP36 temperature sensor

Two-axis joystick (SparkFun, Parallax, or adafruit suggested)

Jumper wires

Breadboard

Potentiometer

CODE AND DIGITAL CONTENT FOR THIS CHAPTER

Code downloads, video, and other digital content for this chapter can be found at www.exploringarduino.com/content/ch6.

In addition, all code can be found at www.wiley.com/go/exploringarduino on the Download Code tab. The code is in the chapter 06 download and individually named according to the names throughout the chapter.

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 AVR ISP MKII. Ordinarily, microcontrollers rely on a dedicated piece of external hardware (such as the MKII) to serve as a programmer that connects between your computer and 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's integrated Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter (USART). Using this interface, you can send information ...