Arduino Projects
Download the Arduino IDE
The Arduino IDE is the software you will need to program your Arduino and also upload the program to the Arduino. Arduino has kindly released this software with an open source license so it is free to download.
When the file has downloaded unzip the zip file.
Connect Your new Arduino Uno R3 Clone
Connect your new Arduino Uno R3 clone to your PC using the USB cable that was bundled with your kit. The USB cable is used to supply power to the board and also upload the micro controller software we write using the Arduino IDE.
Install the drivers
In the event that the Windows drivers are not loaded automatically click on the start menu to open the control panel.
In the device manager open “Ports (COM & LPT)”
Right Click “Arduino UNO (COM??)” and select the update driver software option.
Select the option to browse your local PC to find the file “arduino.inf” (C:Program Files (x86)Arduinodrivers)
Windows will automatically install the driver.
Runing the Arduino IDE for the First Time
Double click the application file to run the Arduino software. You may also want to left click on the application icon and drag to your desktop.
Open the Blink Example
Load the software for our first example by navigating to File > Examples > 1.Basics > Blink in the open Arduino IDE
Select “Arduino Uno” from the Tools > Board > Arduino Uno (Tools is a top menu item in the Arduino IDE top menu)
Set the USB port number your Arduino is connected to by navigating to Tools > Port (This would be the port number detected in the “Install the drivers” section above.
Upload your First Program
Click the upload button highlighted with yellow in the image above to upload your first program to your new Arduino. The program turns on a LED on the Arduino board that is connected to pin 13 for one second and then turns it off for one second, repeatedly.