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> On 26 Feb 2024, at 14:10, Gordon Henderson <gordon+lug@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > On Mon, 26 Feb 2024, rds_met wrote: > >> Hi there. >> >> Was *shown* an "Arduino" - and example programs in C/C++ >> Looked online next day - says "Arduino" device has advantages when >> dealing with analog inputs. >> eg. voltage from a thermocouple? >> >> I have programmed in "C" before. >> Was mainly in later 1990's - somewhat credible programs >> >> I'd like to be able to say I have tried an "Arduino". >> Anyone in the vicinity have "Arduino"s? > > I have many Arduinos, use then, build systems with them (commercial and hobby), > but I live in another country so can't directly help. > > However... What you need to know now is that Arduino is more than one thing. > > Now; it's a common software platform with an IDE and a means to compile your code > (usually C or C++) with libraries of common code and download that to your > hardware "Arduino" target. > > The target... Well, once upon a time it was "an Arduino" with a common board > size/layout/pin format and the same CPU (Typically ATmega 328p on a Uno or Uno > compatible, or 168 on the older Duemilanove (2009) board, although a lot of these > were upgraded to the 328p. > > This is a small RISC style 8-bit CPU with typically 2KB of RAM, 32KB of Flash for > code storage and 256 bytes of Flash/EEPROM. It also features a number of GPIO > pins, some can be used for serial, SPI, I2C, analog in and so on. > > Today it's a multitude of physical hardware boards incluing the original ATmega > CPUs and many other such as the RP 2040 and other ARM based microcontrollers as > well as platforms like the ESP32 SoC - both the Xtensa and RISC-V cores. > > You get a common IDE written in Java which is mostly cross plaform. > (Win/Mac/Linux) A common(ish) set of libraries to do things like access the GPIO > pins, serial, I2C, SPI, analog read/write and so on. There are libraries to do > other stuff like drive TVs via composite video, VGA on some systems, Wi-Fi, > Bluetooth, USB and so on. > > There are also millions of web sites with examples out there too which is a handy > resource. > > FWIW: I don't use the Arduino software at all. Almost 15 years back, I had a job > where they wanted no open source software so I obliged and wrote my own micro task > scheduller, wiring lirary and librarys for the hardware we needed, all in pure C. > I was allowed to keep and re-use that code so I've used it ever since, adding, > tweaking, etc. So you don't need to use the Arduino IDE and libraries if you don't > want to, but it's often a bit of a struggle and some devices have "binary blobs" > with an interface for your own code to call, but no idea what the code you're > calling is doing. > > I tend to use Arduno hardware for prototyping then build it into dedicated > hardware - or sometimes just design a "shield" to go on-top if that fits the bill. > > Enjoy "Arduino" ... > > Gordon > -- > The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG > FAQ: https://www.dcglug.org.uk/faq/ Thanks for explanations and words of encouragement. Ultimately I benefit from at this juncture only needing to make an Arduino do something like say “Hello World!”. Well, measuring some instrument putting voltage to one fo the inputs would get me home-and-dry for now - maybe a thermocouple, with its voltage computed to a temperature and displayed. Regards, Rich Smith -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG FAQ: https://www.dcglug.org.uk/faq/