Getting your parts
Software
The open-source Arduino IDE software is available for Windows PC, Mac OS X, and Linux, and it is free.
For Windows
- Download the Arduino IDE software for Windows here or here.
- Open the Downloads folder. You should see a file named arduino-1.x.x-windows.exe inside the folder.
- Double click on this exe file to install the Arduino program. After the installation, there should be an Arduino program icon on the desktop.
- You will also need to install this driver (or this driver if the first one doesn't work). After downloading the driver, extract the folder from inside the zip file by dragging the folder to your desktop. Open this folder that is on your desktop (not the zip file). Double click the setup program that is inside the folder to run it.
For Macs
- Download the Arduino IDE software for Macs here or here.
- Open the Downloads folder. You should see a zip file named Arduino-1.x.x-macosx.zip inside the folder.
- Double click on the zip file to expand the contents. After expanding, you should see a file named Arduino.
- Copy this Arduino program by dragging the program from inside the zip file (not the zip file itself) to your Applications folder.
- You will also need to install this driver. During the installation it will ask for a security permission. You need to allow it.
- Double click on the Arduino icon inside the Applications folder to run the program. The first time you run the program you will see a message saying “Arduino” is an application downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it? Click Open to open it.
For Chromebooks
- Install the Arduino Create for Education app from the Chrome web store.
- Click the Add to Chrome button.
- Run the downloaded app.
- Sign in or create a new Arduino Cloud account.
- Click the Install button when you see the yellow popup window that says "To upload sketches via USB port, make sure you have Create App installed on your computer."
Circuit drawing program
Fritzing is a free open-source circuit drawing program that is very useful for teachers who want to draw their own Arduino circuits. All of the circuit pictures found in these tutorials are done with Fritzing. Furthermore, there is an option to professionally custom make a PCB board of your circuit.
Hardware Parts
Email to parts@robotsforfun.com if you want to purchase any of the following kits and parts.
Pay with
to pay@robotsforfun.com.
or
Pay with to @EnochHwang.
Kits
Instead of getting individual parts, you can get more for less by getting a kit.- Kit 1: $55. Includes Arduino and USB cable, robot chassis with two DC motors, wheels, battery holder, mounting hardware, and the L293D H-Bridge IC, LEDs 5x, buzzer, ultrasonic distance sensor, resistors 9x (150 Ω x5 brown-green-brown, 330 Ω orange-orange-brown, 1K Ω brown-black-red, 4.7K Ω yellow-violet-red, 22K Ω red-red-orange), breadboard with 400 tie points, wires 12x (3 long & 9 short).
- Kit 2: $40. Includes Arduino and USB cable, 128x64 OLED display, 8-point RGB LED strip with built-in WS2812 controller chip, RGB LED, 7-segment LED (1 digit), push button, light sensor, tilt sensor, servo motor, potentiometer, , breadboard with 400 tie points, wires 12x (3 long & 9 short).
Parts
Parts subject to change or vary slightly.