Arduino

Choosing a development board for your projects can be a daunting task. Given the large number of development boards available today, it’s no wonder.

For those who don’t already know this, let’s first come up with a definition for development board.

A development board is a small circuit board containing either a microcontroller, microprocessor (or both) which supplies the necessary components and software for design and programming.

Most of us are familiar with boards like the various incarnations of Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and even BeagleBone. These are some of the most popular options among hobbyists and makers.

Some of us are familiar with other, lesser known boards like Intel’s Galileo or Texas Instrument’s TI LaunchPad. [Read more…] about Choosing a Development Board for Your Project

C Programming Tutorial 2: Intro to Variables

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The first C programming tutorial gave a quick history of the C language. Then, it talked about how high-level instructions get converted to the 1s and 0s a microcontroller can understand. Finally, we went over some good programming practice.

In this C programming tutorial, we’re going to talk about one of the core concepts of C, or any programming language for that matter. We’re going to talk about variables.

If you have a decent amount of C programming experience you probably know something about variables. You should still read this because, as usual, it will be a good review.

If you’re new to C or programming in general, understanding variables is not an option. You need to read this and know this stuff.

Of course, it’s hard to know who knows what, so we’ll assume you’re just getting started with C programming.

On we march into C programming tutorial 2!

C Programming Tutorial 1: Intro to C

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This C programming tutorial will be the first in a series of C tutorials. The posts in this blog thus far cover both the theoretical and the more practical, but until now none covered programming.

The C programming language is universal. Some readers may be C programming experts (unlike me). Others may be new or maybe haven’t even written one line of code. This series of posts will assume you’re brand new to C programming (and I’m sure I’ll get to scrape some of the rust off my C skills in the process). Those with C experience may find it makes a good review. If you are new to C, this C programming tutorial is a great place to start.

If you’ve worked with PICs or any sort of microcontroller before, there’s a good chance you have some experience in C programming. Arduino sketches are very similar to C, so ditto there.

Video – Arduino vs Naked Microcontroller

Arduino vs. Raspberry Pi: Which is Better?

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It’s time to settle the debate. Arduino vs. Raspberry Pi: which is better? Which of the two is the ultimate ecosystem for makers, students, and development? Some swear by the Arduino, others are die-hard RPi fans.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past 10 years, you’ve heard of Arduino. The Raspberry Pi, though newer than Arduino, also has a special place in the hearts of many makers and is now mega-popular. Many other single board computers and ecosystems have emerged — such as the BeagleBone, but the RPi and Arduino have funneled their way to the top of the list as far as popularity goes.