Currently Empty: $0.00
Introduction
Getting started with electronics can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry—your Arduino kit comes with everything you need to learn step by step. This guide introduces each component in your kit, explaining what it does and how you’ll use it in your projects. Think of this as your quick reference sheet whenever you’re unsure about a part.
Components
Breadboard
A board on which you can build electronic circuits. It’s like a patch panel, with rows of holes that allow you to connect wires and components together. Versions that re- quire soldering are available, as well as the sol- der-less type used here.
Capacitors
These components store and release electrical energy in a circuit. When the circuit's voltage is higher than what is stored in the capacitor, it allows current to flow in, giving the capacitor a charge. When the circuit's voltage is lower, the stored charge is released. Often placed across power and ground close to a sensor or motor to help smooth fluctuations in voltage.
DC motor
Converts electrical energy into me-
chanical energy when electricity is applied to its
leads. Coils of wire inside the motor become
magnetized when current flows through them.
These magnetic fields attract and repel mag-
nets, causing the shaft to spin. If the direction
of the electricity is reversed, the motor will
spin in the opposite direction.
Diode
Ensures electricity only flows in one di- rection. Useful when you have a motor or other high current/voltage load in your circuit. Di- odes are polarized, meaning that the direction that they’re placed in a circuit matters. Placed one way, they allow current to pass through. Placed the other way, they block it. The anode side generally connects to the point of higher energy in your circuit. The cathode typically connects to the point of lower energy, or to ground. The cathode is usually marked with a band on one side of the component’s body.
Gels (red, green, blue)
These filter out different wavelengths of light. When used in con- junction with photoresistors, they cause the sensor to only react to the amount of light in the filtered color.
H-bridge
A circuit that allows you to control the polarity of the voltage applied to a load, usually a motor. The H-bridge in the kit is an in- tegrated circuit, but it could also be construct- ed with a number of discrete components.
Jumper wires
Use these to connect compo- nents to each other on the breadboard, and to the Arduino.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
A type of diode that illuminates when electricity passes through it. Like all diodes, electricity only flows in one direction through these components. You’re probably familiar with these as indicators on a variety of electronic devices. The anode, which typically connects to power, is usually the long- er leg, and the cathode is the shorter leg.
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
A type of alpha- numeric or graphic display based on liquid crys- tals. LCDs are available in a many sizes, shapes, and styles. Yours has 2 rows with 16 characters each.
Male header pins
These pins fit into female sockets, like those on a breadboard. They help make connecting things much easier.
Optocoupler
This allows you to connect two circuits that do not share a common power supply. Internally there is a small LED that, when illuminated, causes a photoreceptor in- side to close an internal switch. When you ap- ply voltage to the + pin, the LED lights and the internal switch closes. The two outputs replace a switch in the second circuit.
Piezo
An electrical component that can be used to detect vibrations and create noises.
Photoresistor
(also called a photocell, or light- dependent resistor). A variable resistor that changes its resistance based on the amount of light that falls on its face.
Potentiometer
A variable resistor with three pins. Two of the pins are connected to the ends of a fixed resistor. The middle pin, or wiper, moves across the resistor, dividing it into two halves. When the external sides of the poten- tiometer are connected to voltage and ground, the middle leg will give the difference in voltage as you turn the knob. Often referred to as a pot.
Pushbuttons
Momentary switches that close a circuit when pressed. They snap into bread- boards easily. These are good for detecting on/ off signals.
Resistors
Resist the flow of electrical energy in a circuit, changing the voltage and current as a result. Resistor values are measured in ohms (represented by the Greek omega char- acter: Ω). The colored stripes on the sides of resistors indicate their value (see resistor color code table).
Servo motor
A type of geared motor that can only rotate 180 degrees. It is controlled by sending electrical pulses from your Arduino. These pulses tell the motor what position it should move to.
Temperature sensor
Changes its voltage out- put depending on the temperature of the com- ponent. The outside legs connect to power and ground. The voltage on the center pin changes as it gets warmer or cooler.
Tilt sensor
A type of switch that will open or close depending on its orientation. Typically they are hollow cylinders with a metal ball in- side that will make a connection across two leads when tilted in the proper direction.
Transistor
A three legged device that can operate as an electronic switch. Useful for controlling high current/high voltage components like motors. One pin connects to ground, another to the component being controlled, and the third connects to the Arduino. When the component receives voltage on the pin connected to an Arduino, it closes the circuit between the ground and the other component.
USB Cable
This allows you to connect your Arduino Uno to your personal computer for programming. It also provides power to the Arduino for most of the projects in the kit.
