Lesson 1

An Introduction
To Arduino

[Link]
01
DFRobot 01. An Introduction to Arduino
01
What is Arduino？

Arduino is an open-source hardware and software platform designed for computer programmers, industrial artists, professionals and those
interested in developing interactive devices and applications specific to an interactive development environment.

Arduino can receive input signals from various sensors and inputs. By controlling light sources, motors, or other actuators, Arduino can change
the surrounding environment. Programs for the microcontroller on the Arduino board are written in Arduino’s programming language (based on
“Wiring” - an open source framework for microcontrollers) and run in the Arduino development environment (based on “Processing” - an
open source programming language and integrated development environment).
Arduino is able to run independently or communicate with software running on a computer (for instance, Flash, Processing and MaxMSP).
The open-source Arduino IDE, which is free to download, makes it easy for you to write code, upload it to the board and come up with your
own interactive devices.

What can you do with Arduino?:

◆ Make a line-following robot

◆ Make a fluffy toy that lights up
◆ Make your phone ring when you receive an e-mail
◆ Make a Metroid-style arm cannon
◆ Make a coffee maker that sounds an alarm when your coffee is ready
◆ Make device that can record your heart rate when you ride your bike

All of these things can be achieved with Arduino!

DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
02
The Birth of Arduino
Arduino started in a small picturesque town in northern Italy as as a
project for students at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea. Mem-
bers of Arduino’s core development team were Massimo Banzi, David
Cuartielles, Tom Igoe, Gianluca Martino, David Mellis and Nicholas
Zambetti.

Massimo Banzi’s students often complained that they couldn’t find a

cheap and easy-to-use microcontroller. In the winter of 2005, Banzi
mentioned this issue while talking with David Cuartielles, a Spanish
chip engineer who was a visiting scholar to Massimo’s university.
They decided to design their own circuit board and brought Banzi’s
student David Mellis into this project to design the programming
language for their board. Mellis finished the source code within two
Why “Arduino”?
Ivrea is famous for the story of an oppressed king: In 1002 AD,
days. It took them another three days to etch the circuit board. They
King Arduino took the crown of Italy; however, in 1004 AD, he was
named it Arduino.
dethroned by King Henry II of Germany.
There is now a bar named “de Re Arduino” on
Now, anyone is able to make magic with Arduino, even without
Cobblestone Street in Ivrea which was opened in commemoration
knowledge of computer programming. With Arduino, you can make a
of King Arduino. Massimo Banzi was a regular customer there, and
device respond to its0 environment, make flashing light shows
he fondly named his open-source hardware platform after it.
and control motors.

Introduction to DFRduino
In these lessons we will use DFRobot’s own clone of an Arduino Uno board: “DFRduino Uno”. DFRduino operates in exactly the same way
as an Arduino Uno. To save confusion with names, let’s just call it the microcontroller. Let’s examine its features:
Sections with annotations below are parts that will be regularly used. Digital pins and analog pins marked on the diagram are what we call I/O
(input/output). Digital pins are numbered from 0 to 13. Analog pins are numbered from 0 to 5.
Voltage supply is also shown on the diagram below. DFRduino can be powered either by a USB connection or through a 6～12V DC supply
via the barrel jack connector. Also integrated in to the board are four LED lights and a reset button. The LED light marked with “ON” is the
power indicator, which will be on once power is connected. The LED light marked with ”L” is an indicator for digital pin 13 which will be dis-
cussed in the next section. TX (transmit) and RX (receive) are indicator lights for serial communication. When we upload a program, these
two lights will blink rapidly, showing that data is being transmitted and received between the board and your computer.

Digital Pins 0~13

Reset Button (PWM Pins 3,5,6,9,10,11)




USB Port





















 Power Indicator
 DFROBOT

DFRduino 

UNO v3.0[R3]
D13 Pin Signal Indicator
Port Communication Indicator 


 
















DC Power Jack
(6~12V)

3.3V Output GND Analog Pin 0~5

5V Output
DFRobot 01. An Introduction to Arduino 03
First Use

1. Download Arduino IDE

You can download Arduino IDE from this
website:
[Link]

For Windows users, please click

Windows (ZIP file) . For Mac and Linux
users, please select the corresponding
link for your operating system.

Once downloaded, extract the files to a

directory of your choice. Once extracted,
open the directory. It should look like the
image below:
DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
04

2. Install Drivers
Connect the microcontroller to your comput-
er using a USB cable. Once connected, the
board’s power indicator light will turn on.

Open “Control Panel” and navigate to

“Device Manager” to set up the drivers.
DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
05

You will then see a dialog box pop up.

Select the second item “Manually Search
for Drivers”. A browse window will appear
that requires you to point it to the correct
directory.

Navigate the browse dialog to your

Arduino directory. Inside this directory,
there is a subfolder called “drivers” where
the Arduino drivers are stored. Select this
directory and then click “Next”.
 DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
06

Hopefully this window will appear.

This shows that drivers have been
successfully installed!

If you encounter issues, check this

website for help:

[Link]

Return to “Device Manager”. The computer will

have assigned a serial port to the microcontroller
(your computer will show it as Arduino Uno). The
serial port will vary depending on your computer,
but should appear as “COM”, followed by a
number.
DFRobot 01. An Introduction to Arduino
07
[Link] to Arduino IDE

Inside your Arduino directory, open “[Link]”. The application If you wish to change the language of the interface, select “File” and
will open and the code editing interface will appear. then “Preferences” to open preferences.

The dialog box shown below will pop up. Select “Editor Language”,
choose your language and then click OK.

Close Arduino IDE and then reopen it for the changes to take effect.
DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
08

We will use Arduino IDE a lot in these tutorials, so lets learn about its features:

Verify

Upload

Serial Monitor

Save

Open

New

Coding Area

Compiler Window

Arduino IDE allows you to edit and upload programs to your microcontroller. Arduino IDE
calls programs “sketches”, but in these tutorials, we will simply say “program” or “code”,
rather than “sketch”, but they really mean the same thing.

The interface shown in the picture above is where you’ll write and upload code within Arduino
IDE. The main white area is where you input code. We use the C programming language to
program the microcontroller, which we will discuss in more detail in later chapters. When you
press “verify” or “upload” , the code instructions you have written will be translated in to
machine language by a piece of software called a “compiler” so that the microcontroller
can understand it. This process is called “compiling” or “verifying”. Messages shown in
the black area will show information about the compiling and upload process.
DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
09
4. Upload a Blink Program

Let’s upload a simple program to become familiar with the uploading process and to test the microcontroller. This code will turn the “L” LED
light on the microcontroller on and off. The location of the “L” LED is circled in the diagram below.

In the Arduino IDE, go to File > Examples > [Link] >

Connect your computer to the microcontroller via the USB.
Blink.
DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
10

As this is an example program, there will be no syntax errors in the code. When we write
code ourselves we can click “Verify” to check if there are any syntax errors. Try it now.

The code is run through the compiler. This green bar shows the compiling process.

Hopefully you will see this message:

Before code is uploaded to the microcontroller, the IDE will automatically verify it.
If there are any errors in your code, a big ugly orange message box will appear above the
compiler window indicating a problem, and your code can not upload until it is fixed!
DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
11
Before we can upload a program, we need to tell the computer where to send it. In Arduino IDE, we
need to select which type of Arduino board we are using as well as the serial port that the board is
connected to.

Navigate to Tools > Board and then select Arduino UNO from the list. That’s it!

(There are many different types of Arduino board

of all shapes and sizes. Some have more RAM
and more I/O pins and can hold larger programs.
We are using an Arduino Uno variant, so we must
select Arduino Uno from the boards list.)

Now select the serial (COM) port. Navigate to Tools > Port and your available serial ports will
be listed. Usually this will be “COM” followed by a number. Select the available port.
In our example the board is connected to the computer on COM36.
DFRobot
01. An Introduction to Arduino
12
We should now be able to upload code to the microcontroller.
Click upload in Arduino IDE. If all is well, the code will verify and then upload to the microcontroller.

When the upload has completed successfully, the microcontroller will automatically reset
and the code will execute. Is the light blinking?

This concludes the blink tutorial.

To review, there are three fundamental steps to upload

code to your microcontroller:

1. Verify code
2. Select board and COM port
3. Upload!

If you have any questions or comments about this tutorial, or any other tutorials in
this guide, feel free to contact us on the DFRobot forum:
[Link]

The DFRobot forum is a community where hackers and makers can share their
exciting ideas. Come and visit to get ideas about what you can make with your
DFRduino microcontroller, or just share what you’ve done following these tutorials.
We love your feedback!
 Lesson 2
How Does a Device
“Think”?

[Link]
02
DFRobot 02. How Does A Device “Think”? 01
Simple Automatic Control Devices

Any device that includes a micro- Let’s draw an analogy between an automatic As well as our microcontroller, we simply

controller can be considered a simple control device and a person. In a person, sig- need an acoustic sensor and a buzzer. The

automatic control device. There are nals are sensed through sight, hearing, taste, acoustic sensor “hears” a sound, the

three essential constituent parts for a touch and smell, and then processed by microcontroller receives a signal and then

simple automatic control device: the brain which then outputs responses to outputs a signal to the buzzer for it to buzz.

An input unit for collecting signals each. In this case, the output signal would In this case the acoustic sensor is the

An output unit for sending out signals be the actions of that person. input unit; the microcontroller is the control

A control unit for processing the sig- unit and the buzzer is the output unit.
A microcontroller can output responses as
nals received (such as a microcontroller). well. Output responses include sound, light
and movement (DC Motors, LEDs, servos
etc.)

Think!
Here is another way to explain it: imagine
someone says “hello” to you, and you
Can you tell which components in the
Output Intput immediately reply “hello” in return. In this
kit can be used as input units and
case, your ear is the input unit; your brain is
which can be used as output units?
the control unit and your mouth is the output
unit.
Control

How can we carry out this whole process

(receiving signals, processing signals and
then sending out signals) using our micro-
controller?
 DFRobot 02. How Does A Device “Think”? 02

Input Units - Sensors Control Unit - DFRduino Uno

A sensor (also known as a transducer) is a physical unit whose The microcontroller is the control unit. Think of it as the brain of
purpose is to sense or detect the characteristics of its environment your device.
(such as light, temperature or moisture levels) and then transmit this
data to another device.

Sensor Pins Output Units - Actuators

The three categories of sensor pins are as follows:
There are many different types of actuators. An actuator is a type of
 Digital Pin device that is responsible for moving or controlling a system or

 Analog Pin mechanism. It is also the mechanism by which a control system

acts upon an environment. It may convert electrical energy into mo-
 Protocol Pin (Digital)
tion, sound or light. A buzzer or speaker are actuators that output
A protocol pin is also a kind of digital pin. I2C, Serial and SPI are sound.
frequently used digital pins.
DFRobot 02. How Does A Device “Think”? 03
The Relationship Digital Signals & Analog Signals in the
Between Programs and Hardware World of Electronics
The input unit, control unit and output unit mentioned above are all The input unit, the microcontroller and the output unit

hardware. In the context of our person analogy, hardware is the communicate by signals, which in turn are processed by code.

body of our device. However, the brain is much more important as How do input units and controllers communicate with each

it produces ideas and then controls actions every person takes. other? How do controllers communicate with the output units?

Code here functions as the mind of a person. Both body and mind To answer the above questions, we first need to understand two

are indispensable to a person. concepts: digital signals and analog signals.

The Difference between

Digital & Analog Signals
Digital Signals: “Digital” & “Analog” in a DFRobot Kit
A digital signal has two states: HIGH or LOW. Here are two ways to tell whether sensors in your DFRobot Kit

HIGH is a 5V signal and represents “1” (or on). are digital or analog:

LOW is a 0V signal and represents 0 (or off). (1) If a sensor has a green wire it uses digital signal; if a
sensor has a blue wire it uses analog signal.

(2) “A” or “D” may be marked on the sensor’s board. “D” rep-
Analog Signals:
resents “digital” and “A” represents “analog”.
An analog signal has a range of values.

The analog pins of your microcontroller can have between 0V and

5V is mapped to a range between 0 and 1023. For instance, 0 is
mapped as 0V; 1023 is mapped as 5V and 512 is mapped as 2.5V.
DFRobot 02. How Does A Device “Think”?
04
I/O Expansion Shield V7.1

Let’s take a look at the DFRobot I/O Expansion Shield.

This shield gives us lots of extra pins to connect sensors to.
It stacks neatly on top of your microcontroller, “shielding” it.
Green: Digital Pins (0~13)
The diagram below gives you an overview. APC220/Bluetooth Headers Red: VCC
Black: GND
I2C Port

Servo Power Input

XBee/Bluetooth Bee Headers

SD Module Headers
Black: GND
3.5V/5V Power Output Switch Red: VCC
Blue: Analog Pins(0~5)

Run/Upload Switch

External Power Input (6~12V)

Reset Button
Constant 3.3V Power Output

Analog and digital pins are marked on the expansion shield.

The area with “A” is for analog sensors, and the area with
“D” is for digital ones.
DFRobot 02. How Does A Device “Think”?
05

The advantage of the I/O expansion shield is that there are more power and ground pins than those on the bare microcontroller board. This
gives you enough power pins to connect various sensors at the same time.

On the expansion shield, there are a row of power pins in red and a row of GND pins in black below the digital pins.

If you would like to know more about the sensor expansion shield, please
Different colors shown in our DF Kit have different
meanings: refer to the DFRobot wiki for information:

Green = Digital signal [Link]

Blue = Analog signal

Red = Power This session gives you a general idea of what makes our devices work.
Are you excited to get your devices going? You’ll get a chance to in the next
Black = Ground
lesson!
 Lesson 3
Analog and Digital
Signals

[Link]
03
DFRobot 03. Analog and Digital Signals 01

Let's begin!
Let’s draw an analogy between microcontrollers and people

The microcontroller is the “brain”.

Code is the microcontroller’s “mind”.

Hardware (sensors and actuators) are the microcontroller’s “body”.

Signals, such as analog and digital signals, are the microcontroller’s “nerve impulses”.

In this session, we will explore the differences between analog and digital signals in more
detail.
DFRobot 03. Analog and Digital Signals 02
Digital Signals
We will use a digital button module to demonstrate a digital signal. This is included in your kit.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D

x1 x1
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
DFRduino ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD
RUN SS RXD
SCK

DFRduino Uno PROG

PWR_IN
MISO
3V3 5V
RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
I/O Sensor Expansion
GND
VINGND

VCC

(and USB cable) Shield V7.1

OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1
D

Digital Push
Button Module
Digital Push Button
DFRobot 03. Analog and Digital Signals
03
Connections

Take the Sensor Expansion Shield and stack it on top of your microcontroller – make sure that the pins are correctly aligned to avoid damage
to the shield.

Take the Digital Push Button module and connect it to Digital Pin 2 (be sure that the power, ground and signal connections are correct or you
risk damaging your components!)
See the diagram below for further details:
D

Digital Push Button

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
L *PWM
DFRduino ON

BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]

I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

Fig. 2-1 Digital Pin Connection

When the connections are made, connect the USB cable. This will power on the microcontroller. We can now prepare our program to upload.
DFRobot 03. Analog and Digital Signals
04
Serial Port Monitoring
Open Arduino IDE and select: File > Examples > [Link] > DigitalReadSerial
The following code should appear:

int pushButton = 2; //connect to digital pin 2

void setup() { // initial function

[Link](9600); // set up baud rate of the serial port

pinMode(pushButton, INPUT); // set the button to be in the output mode

void loop() { //main function

int buttonState = digitalRead(pushButton); // record statistics about the status of digital pin 2

[Link](buttonState); // Serial port print statistics about the status of digital pin 2

delay(1); // delay 1ms

Click “Upload”. Arduino IDE will verify the code and then upload it to The serial monitor shows information from the microcontroller. We
your microcontroller. are going to use it to view the status of the button. You should see
Once the upload is complete, open the serial monitor. To do this, “0” appearing continuously. This indicates that the button is off
navigate to Tools > Serial Monitor, or click the magnifying (not being pressed).
glass icon on the top right hand corner of the toolbar. If you press the button, you will see “1” appear for as long as the button
is pressed. This indicates that the button is on (being pressed).

Serial Monitor

The baud rate is the data speed that the serial port communicates. It
needs to be set to 9600 baud.

Autoscroll Both NL & CR 9600 baud

“0” and “1” or off and on are the two values of digital signal. We can
use this in various ways with our devices.
DFRobot
03. Analog and Digital Signals
05

Analog Signal
In this section we are going to explore analog signal in more
detail. We are going to use a sensor which uses analog val-
ues: a rotation sensor.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D

x1 x1
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
DFRduino ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD
RUN SS RXD
SCK

DFRduino Uno PROG MISO

3V3 5V
0 1 2 3 4 5
I/O Sensor Expansion
PWR_IN RST
GND

(and USB cable) Shield V7.1

VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1
Analog Rotation Sensor
A

Rotation Sensor-L
DFRobot
03. Analog and Digital Signals
06

Connections

Connect the rotation sensor to Analog Pin 0. Make sure that signal, ground and power are connected to the correct corresponding pins, just
like in the previous session. Connect the USB cable to the microcontroller to power it on. We can now upload a program.

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
L *PWM
DFRduino ON

BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]

I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V
A

Rotation Sensor-L

Fig. 2-2 Analog Pin Connection

DFRobot
03. Analog and Digital Signals
07

Code Input

In Arduino IDE, navigate to File > Examples > [Link] > AnalogReadSerial

A new window with a program will appear. It should read as follows:

void setup() { //Initial setup

[Link](9600); //Set baud rate

void loop() { //Main function

int sensorValue = analogRead(A0); // Read status of analog pin 0.

[Link](sensorValue); // Print status of pin 0 in Serial Monitor

delay(1);//Delay 1ms

Click “Upload”. Arduino IDE will verify the code and then upload it to the microcontroller.
Once the upload is complete, open Arduino IDE’s serial port monitor. To do this, navigate to Tools > Serial Monitor
Set baud rate of the serial port to be 9600 baud.
A series of values will flash in a column in the serial monitor.
Try to turn the rotational sensor. A figure between 0 and 1023 will show up, depending on how far the rotational sensor’s shaft is rotated. 0
means no rotation and 1023 means a full rotation.
DFRobot
03. Analog and Digital Signals
08

The Difference Between Digital

Pins And Analog Pins

Serial Port Monitor

We use the Serial Monitor to view information from the microcontroller. We can also use it to send information back to the microcontroller, and
interact in with it in various ways while it runs a program.
DFRobot
03. Analog and Digital Signals
09

Code Differences

If you examine the code in detail, you can see that digital pins and analog pins are read using different commands.

To read the value of a digital pin, we use the command: digitalRead()

To read the value of an analog pin, we use the command: analogRead()

Digital Pins:

int buttonState = digitalRead(pushButton); // read values from digital pin2

Analog Pins:

int sensorValue = analogRead(A0); //read values from analog pin0

This will be explained in more detail in the next few sessions.

Try It Yourself
The sensors in your DFRobot kit connect in much the same way as the ones demonstrated. Just make sure your
power, ground and signal connections are correct. Once connected, you can check the serial monitor for output and
see what values they output. Try to experiment and have fun!
 Lesson 4
Make an LED Blink

[Link]
04
DFRobot 04. Make an LED Blink 01
Make an LED Blink

We’ve given you a brief idea of what Arduino is and how it works, as well as some theory behind digital and analog signals. Now let’s
start making some real stuff. We will start with the basics: how to make an LED blink.
In the previous session, we’ve used the blink program to test the microcontroller. This time we’ll attach our own LED to digital pin 13 instead
of using the microcontroller’s integrated LED.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
DFRduino ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND

DFRduino UNO I/O Expansion Shield V7.1

VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

(with USB cable)

x1
Digital piranha LED-R

Digital Piranha LED-R

D
DFRobot 04. Make an LED Blink 02
Connections

Connect the Digital Piranha LED-R module to digital pin 13 on the microcontroller. Make sure your power, ground and signal connections are
correct or you risk damaging your components.
When all your connections are made, connect the microcontroller to your computer via the USB cable.
Digital piranha LED-R

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
L *PWM
DFRduino ON

BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]

I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V
DFRobot 04. Make an LED Blink 03
Hardware Analysis (Digital Output)

In the previous sessions, we’ve mentioned inputs and outputs. The device we will make is
composed of two parts: a control and an output. The microcontroller is the control unit and
the digital Piranha LED-R module is the output unit. No input unit is included in this particular
device.

Digital piranha LED-R

AREF
RX
TX

GND
13
IOREF 12
RESET ~11
3V3 ~10
POWER

5V
DFRduino
UNO v3.0[R3]

~9
DIGITAL (PWM~)

VIN
7
~6
D
A0 ~5
4
ANALOG IN

A1
A2 ~3

A3 2
ON

A4 TX 1
ICSP

RX 0
A5

Control Device Output Device

DFRobot 04. Make an LED Blink 04
Code Input

Open Arduino IDE.

You can open the program by navigating to File > Examples > [Link] > Blink
(Although we encourage you to type the code out by hand to develop your skills).

The code is displayed below:

Sample Code 1-1:

// Item One —— LED Blink

//The LED will turn on for one second and then turn off for one second

int ledPin = 13;

void setup() {
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
delay(1000);
}

Once the code is input and you are happy with it, click “Verify” in Arduino IDE. The IDE will check
the code for errors. If there are no errors, you are ready to upload. Click “upload” and Arduino
IDE will upload the code to your microcontroller. When the upload is complete, your external
LED will blink!

Now let’s review the program and see how it works:

DFRobot 04. Make an LED Blink 05
Code Analysis

A program is composed of two main parts: Consider this code:

pinMode(pin,mode)
void setup() {

The code above shows that ledPin is set up as the output mode.
This part of the code is executed when the device is initialized. It
The comma in the brackets is the code syntax and needs to be there
runs only once. It is used to declare outputs and inputs of the
to separate the parameters.
device.

pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
void loop() {

The code above shows that ledPin is set up as the output mode.
This part of the code is executed after void setup(){. The comma in the brackets is the code syntax and needs to be there
Once initialized, it runs in a loop forever (or until the device is to separate the parameters.
powered off or a component fails). This is where all the key argu-
What is ledPin?
ments of the code are contained.
Examine the first line of the code below:
int ledPin = 13;

Here we have assigned pin13 the variable name “ledPin”. In other

words ledPin represents pin 13 on the microcontroller
“int” stands for integer and means that ledPin is an integer data
type.

What if you want to attach the LED to pin10 instead of pin13?

pinMode(10, OUTPUT);
You just have to change the pin value in the code from 13 to 10.

Let’s take a look at the loop() function, which contains only

one function: digitalWrite().
DFRobot 04. Make an LED Blink 06

The syntax of the function Don’t forget the following line:

digitalWrite() is as follows: delay(1000);
Exercise
digitalWrite(pin,value)
The number in brackets means the
When we set pinMode() as OUTPUT, the amount of milliseconds of delay. There are Try to make the LED light blink faster
voltage will be either be HIGH (5V or 3.3V
for the control board) or LOW (0V). 1000 milliseconds in 1 second, so this means or slower. For example, keep the LED
the duration of delay is 1 second. The LED light off for 5 seconds and then quickly

digitalWrite(ledPin,HIGH); will turn on for 1 second and then turn off blink for 250 milliseconds

//LED on for 1 second continuously.

digitalWrite(ledPin,LOW);
//LED off You might notice “//” and “/*…*/”
located ahead of the code:

When HIGH is included in digitalWrite()

// Item One—LED Blink
as shown above, pin 13 will be HIGH and the
/ *
LED will turn on. When LOW is included in
Description: LED on and off
digitalWrite()as shown above, pin 13
alternately every other sec-
will be LOW and the LED will turn off.
ond
*/

Anything written after “//” or inside “/*…

*/” will not be compiled. These are code
annotations. We use these to write com-
ments about the code in plain English.
“//” will comment for one line of code. “/
*…*/” will comment for multiple lines. Ar-
duino IDE will help us recognise an-
notations by turning the text grey, and the
compiler will ignore the text when code is
uploaded. There are no limits for how many
annotations you can make on a program.
 Lesson 5
Sensor Light

[Link]
05
DFRobot 05. Sensor Light 01
Sensor Light

In this session, we will create a sensor light

The behavior we want to implement is as follows:
When the sensor detects motion, the LED light will turn on
When no motion is detected, the LED light will turn off.

To detect motion, we can use an IR sensor that detects infra-red light.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
DFRduino
SERVO_PWR

RX ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5

DFRduino UNO
GND
I/O Expansion Shield V7.1
VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

(with USB cable)

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

PIR Sensor V1.0

x1 x1
Digital piranha LED-R

PIR Sensor Digital Piranha LED-R

D
D
DFRobot 05. Sensor Light 02
Connections

We need to make the following connections:

Connect the IR sensor to digital pin 2
Connect the Digital Piranha LED-R to digital pin 13
Refer to the diagram below for further details.
Be sure your power, ground and signal connections are correct or you risk damaging your components.
When your connections are complete, you can move to Arduino IDE to upload code to the microcon-
troller.
PIR Sensor V1.0
Digital piranha LED-R

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
DFRduino
SERVO_PWR

RX ON
L *PWM
BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V
DFRobot 05. Sensor Light 03
Hardware Analysis

This device is composed of three parts: an input unit, a control unit and an output unit. The IR
sensor is the input unit; the microcontroller is the control unit and the Digital Piranha LED-R is the
output unit.
The IR sensor and LED use digital values, so both should be attached to a digital pin.

Digital piranha LED-R

AREF
RX
TX

GND
13
IOREF 12
RESET ~11
3V3 ~10
POWER

5V
DFRduino
UNO v3.0[R3]

~9
DIGITAL (PWM~)

VIN
7
~6
D
A0 ~5
4
ANALOG IN

A1
A2 ~3

A3 2
ON

A4 TX 1
ICSP

RX 0
A5

Control Device Output Device Input Device

 DFRobot 05. Sensor Light 04
Code Input

//Sample Code 2-1:Item Two—Sensor Light

int sensorPin = 2; // IR sensor to be attached to digital pin NO.2

int ledPin = 13; // Digital Piranha LED-R to be attached to digital pin NO.13

int sensorState = 0; // variable sensorState for storing statistics about the status of the sensor

void setup() {
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // LED is the output unit
pinMode(sensorPin, INPUT); // Sensor is the input unit
}

void loop() {
sensorState = digitalRead(sensorPin); // Read statistics collected from the sensor

if (sensorState == HIGH) { // If it is HIGH, LED light will be turned on

digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
}
else { // If it is LOW, LED light will be turned off
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}
}

Use this sample code to implement the behavior we want.

You can copy and paste it in to Arduino IDE, but if you want to develop your skills we
recommend typing it out.
When you have finished, click “Verify” to check the code for syntax errors. If the code verifies
successfully, you can upload it to your microcontroller.
When the sensor detects motion, the LED should turn on.
When no motion is detected, the LED should turn off.
DFRobot 05. Sensor Light 05
Code Analysis

The IR sensor is the input unit; the LED is the output unit. They are initialized in the setup() function.

pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // Define LED as the output unit

pinMode(sensorPin, INPUT); // Define sensor as the input unit

We can read values from digital pins using the function digitalRead(). This can be written in the loop() function.

sensorState = digitalRead(sensorPin);

The function is as follows:

digitalRead(pin)
This function is used to read the states of digital pins, either HIGH or LOW. When the IR sensor detects motion, the
state is HIGH.
The next part of the code will determine actions based on the state of the sensor. (Remember: HIGH
means 1; LOW means 0).
DFRobot 05. Sensor Light 06

The function is as follows: In this case, the if statement evaluates

digitalRead(pin) whether the sensor state is HIGH or LOW. If it
This function is used to read the states of is HIGH, it will turn the LED HIGH (on) as
digital pins, either HIGH or LOW. When the well.
IR sensor detects motion, the state is else is used to give an alternative output if
HIGH. the output condition in the statement is not
The next part of the code will determine
actions based on the state of the sensor.
met.
EXERCISE
If the sensor is not HIGH, the LED is LOW
The digital sensor can only read two values (off). Make a model of a ghostly face with

(HIGH or LOW). flashing LEDs inside it. You can

We briefly touched upon comparison change the interval of the LED flash-

operators above. Let’s examine them in ing to make them quicker or slower
We’ll use the if statement here:
more detail: for different effects. It would be great

The if statement is usually used with a for a haunted house!

comparison operator, such as == (equal  x==y (x is equal to y)

to), != (not equal to), < (less than), or >  x!=y (x is not equal to y)
(greater than). Using one of these com-  x<y (x is less than y)
parison operators allows the program to  x>y (x is greater than y)
evaluate an expression, and then make a  x<=y (x is less than or equal to y)
logical decision. Usually we use it to test if  x>=y (x is greater than or equal to y)
a particular condition has been reached.
Let’s examine the application of the if When we use these in code, the microcon-
statement in our code: troller will make an evaluation between
values and then make a decision.
if (sensorState == HIGH) {
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
}
else{
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);

}
}
 Lesson 6
Mini Lamp

[Link]
06
DFRobot 06. Mini Lamp 01
Mini Lamp

A lamp is something we use on a daily basis, usually made up of a light source and a simple switch. Let’s make our own.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
DFRduino ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD

DFRduino Uno RUN

PROG
SS
SCK
MISO
RXD
I/O Sensor Expansion
3V3 5V
RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
(with USB cable) Shield V7.1
PWR_IN
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1 x1
Digital piranha LED-R
D

Digital Push Digital Piranha

Button Module LED-R
D

Digital Push Button

DFRobot 06. Mini Lamp 02
Connections

Connect the Digital Push Button to digital pin 2

Connect the Digital Piranha LED-R to digital pin 13
Be sure that your power, ground and signal connections are correct or you risk damaging your
components.
When you have connected the components and checked your connections, connect the
microcontroller to your PC with the USB cable so you can upload a program.
Digital piranha LED-R

Digital Push Button

D
D

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
L *PWM
DFRduino ON

BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]

I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V
DFRobot 06. Mini Lamp 03
Hardware Analysis
(Digital Input – Digital Output)

In the control device we have made:

The digital push button is the input unit and the LED is the output unit. Like our last
experiment, we have one digital input and one digital output.

Digital piranha LED-R

Digital Push Button

AREF
RX
TX

GND
13
IOREF 12
RESET ~11
3V3

D
~10
POWER

5V
DFRduino
UNO v3.0[R3]

~9
DIGITAL (PWM~)

D
7
VIN
~6

A0 ~5
4
ANALOG IN

A1
A2 ~3

A3 2
ON

A4 TX 1
ICSP

RX 0
A5

Input Device Control Device Output Device

DFRobot 06. Mini Lamp 04
Code Input
//Sample Code 3-1: Mini Lamp

int buttonPin = 2;
int ledPin = 13;
int ledState = HIGH;
int buttonState;
int lastButtonState = LOW;
long lastDebounceTime = 0;
long debounceDelay = 50;

void setup() {
pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(ledPin, ledState);
}
void loop() {

int reading = digitalRead(buttonPin);

if (reading != lastButtonState) {
lastDebounceTime = millis();
}
if ((millis() - lastDebounceTime) > debounceDelay) {
if (reading != buttonState) {
buttonState = reading;
if (buttonState == HIGH) {
ledState = !ledState;
}
}
}
digitalWrite(ledPin, ledState);
lastButtonState = reading;
}

Use this sample code to implement the behavior we want.

You can copy and paste it in to the Arduino IDE, but if you want to develop you skills we recommend typing it out.
When you have finished, click “Verify” to check the code for syntax errors. If the code verifies successfully, you can upload it to your
microcontroller. Once the code has uploaded, press the button. The LED should turn on.
When the button is pressed again, the LED should turn off.
DFRobot 06. Mini Lamp 05
Code Analysis

The button is the input device and the LED is the output device. Wait for another 50ms and check if the button’s signal has the same

pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT); value with its current state. If not, change the state of the button. If

pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); the button is in the state of HIGH (meaning the button has been
pressed), change the state of LED.

digitalWrite() reads the state of the

if ((millis() - lastDebounceTime) >
button debounceDelay) {
if (reading != buttonState) {
int reading =
buttonState = reading;
digitalRead(buttonPin);
if (buttonState == HIGH) {
When the button switches between HIGH and LOW states, there will be ledState = !ledState;
a brief period of oscillation. This is visually represented below: }
}

To avoid signal errors such as this, we will wait when the signal
changes and read it some time after.
The function millis() will record the time when data
Exercise
collected has changed
People are always listening to music on their head-
if (reading != lastButtonState) {
phones. This means that if they are at home and the
lastDebounceTime =
doorbell rings, they cannot hear it.
millis();
A doorbell with a mini lamp would solve this problem. If the
}
doorbell is pressed, the lamp will light up. Why not try and
add this feature to your own doorbell at home?
millis() is a function which measures duration. It is measured
in milliseconds (1 second = 1000 milliseconds). This particular
function will start counting when the microcontroller is
powered on.
 Lesson 7
Sound Activated LED

[Link]
07
DFRobot 07. Sound Activated LED 01
Sound Activated LED

In this session we will make a sound activated LED. You will be able to make an LED flash by clapping your hands. To make it work,
we need a sound sensor. We can use a sound sensor to make various interactive and sound control devices besides this
experiment.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
DFRduino ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD
RUN SS RXD

DFRduino Uno PROG

SCK
MISO
I/O Sensor Expansion
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5

(with USB cable) Shield V7.1

GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1 x1
Analog Sound
Digital piranha LED-R

Sound V2

Analog Sound Sensor Digital Piranha LED-R

D
A

MAX
DFRobot 07. Sound Activated LED 02
Connections

Connect the analog sound sensor to analog pin 0

Connect the Digital Piranha LED-R to Digital pin
13

Use the diagram below for reference.

Analog Sound
Digital piranha LED-R

Sound V2
D

MAX

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
L *PWM
DFRduino ON

BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]

I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

Be sure that your power, ground and signal connections are correct
or you risk damaging your components.

When you have connected the components and checked your

connections, connect the microcontroller to your PC with the USB ca-
ble so that you can upload a program.
DFRobot 07. Sound Activated LED 03
Hardware Analysis
(Analog Input – Digital Output)

In the previous sessions we have talked about analog and digital signals. The analog sound
sensor is, as the name suggests, an analog sensor.

Digital signals have only two values: 0 and 1

Analog signals have many values, ranging between 0 - 1023

More detailed information can be found in Session 2.

Analog Sound
Sound V2

Digital piranha LED-R

MAX

AREF
RX
TX

GND
13
IOREF 12
RESET ~11
3V3 ~10
POWER

5V
DFRduino
UNO v3.0[R3]

~9
DIGITAL (PWM~)

D
7
A VIN
~6

A0 ~5
4
ANALOG IN

A1
A2 ~3

A3 2
ON

A4 TX 1
ICSP

RX 0
A5

Input Device Control Device Output Device

DFRobot 07. Sound Activated LED 04
Code Input

// Item Four—Sound Control Light

int soundPin = 0; // Analog sound sensor is to be attached to analog
int ledPin = 13; // Digital Piranha LED-R is to be attached to digital

void setup() {
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
// [Link](9600); // You can uncomment this for monitoring
}

void loop(){
int soundState = analogRead(soundPin); // Read sound sensor’s value

// [Link](soundState); // serial port print the sound sensor’s value

// if the sound sensor’s value is greater than 10, the light will be on for 10 seconds.
//Otherwise, the light will be turned off

if (soundState > 10) {

digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
delay(10000);
}else{
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}
}

Use this sample code to implement the behavior we want.

You can copy and paste it in to Arduino IDE, but if you want to develop you skills we
recommend typing it out.

When you have finished, click “Verify” to check the code for syntax errors. If the code
verifies successfully, you can upload it to your microcontroller.

Once the code has uploaded, try clapping your hands. The LED should flash on.
When there is no sound, the LED should remain off.
DFRobot 07. Sound Activated LED 05
Code Review

In the setup() function, the LED is declared as an OUTPUT.

Why isn’t the sound sensor declared as an INPUT?

The reason is because all analog pins are in INPUT mode by default, so we don’’t need to set them!!

The sound sensor is the input unit, and it should read from analog pin 0. The function for this is:
analogRead(pin)

This function is used to read the analog pin. Your microcontroller’s analog pins are attached to an A/D converter (analog to digital
converter - a special chip on the microcontroller board), so voltage between 0 and 5V will be mapped to a number between 0 and
1023. Each number collected represents a voltage. For example, 512 = 2.5V

Finally, an if statement checks if the result exceeds a certain value.

if (soundState > 10) {

...
}else{

... }

You can open the serial monitor and test out a threshold value that best represents the sound volume you need. Then you can adjust the
value in the code accordingly.
 Lesson 8
Fading LED

[Link]
08
DFRobot 08. Fading LED 01
Fading LED

In previous sessions we’ve learned how to turn an LED on and off. In this project we’re going to make a fading LED. The LED will go from dim
to bright and bright to dim continuously.

To achieve this we are going to use pulse width modulation (PWM)).

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
DFRduino ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
V7

5V
I/OShield

GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD

DFRduino Uno RUN

PROG
SS
SCK
MISO
RXD
I/O Sensor Expansion
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
(with USB cable) GND
Shield V7.1
VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1
Digital piranha LED-R

Digital Piranha LED

D
DFRobot 08. Fading LED 02
Connections

Attach the Digital Piranha LED-R to digital pin 10.

Use the diagram below for reference:
Digital piranha LED-R

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
L *PWM
DFRduino ON

BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]

I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

Be sure that your power, ground and signal connections are correct or you risk damaging your components.

When you have connected the components and checked your connections, connect the microcontroller to your PC with the USB cable
so you can upload a program.
DFRobot 08. Fading LED 03
Hardware Analysis
(Analog Output)

This device is similar to experiment 1 where we made an LED blink. We also only have one
output unit. The difference in this project is that we are using the LED for analog output,
rather than digital output. You can refer to the code section for more information about this.

AREF
RX
TX

GND Digital piranha LED-R

13
IOREF 12
RESET ~11
3V3 ~10
POWER

5V
DFRduino
UNO v3.0[R3]

~9
DIGITAL (PWM~)

7
VIN
~6

A0 ~5
4
D
ANALOG IN

A1
A2 ~3

A3 2
ON

A4 TX 1
ICSP

RX 0
A5

Control Device Output Device

DFRobot 08. Fading LED 04
Code Input

// Item Five- Fading LED

int ledPin = 10;

void setup() {
pinMode(ledPin,OUTPUT);
}

void loop(){
for (int value = 0 ; value < 255; value=value-1) {
analogWrite(ledPin, value);
delay(5);
}
for (int value = 255; value >0; value=value-1){
analogWrite(ledPin, value);
delay(5);
}
}

Use this sample code to implement the behavior we want.

You can copy and paste it in to the Arduino IDE, but if you want to develop you skills we
recommend typing it out.

When you have finished, click “Verify” to check the code for syntax errors. If the code verifies
successfully, you can upload it to your microcontroller.

Once the code has uploaded, you should see the LED gradually growing brighter and then
dimming.
 DFRobot 08. Fading LED 05
Code Analysis

Now let’s take a look at the analogWrite() function.

When we need to repeat a line of code a number of times,

Digital pins only have two values: 0 or 1. How can we send an analog
we can use a for loop.
value to a digital pin?

for（ Init Condition Update ）{

- By using analogWrite().
Statement(S)

} There are six digital pins on your microcontroller that are marked with
The Condition Is
the symbol “~”, which means they can send out a PWM signal.
Evaluated

The function is written in the following form:

The following is the process of a for loop:
1. The “init” statement is executed first and only once.
analogWrite(pin,value)
2. The “condition” is evaluated. If it is false, the loop is stopped.
3. The “statement(s)” is executed. The analogWrite() function is used to write an analog value be-
4. “Update” is executed and the code returns to step 2. tween 0 - 255 a PWM pin. analogWrite() can only be used for
PWM pins, which are pins 3, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11 on your microcon-
Let’s return to our code:
troller.
for (int value = 0; value < 255; val-
ue=value+1){
PWM stands for pulse width modulation. Very simply, PWM allows
...
us to achieve analog results with digital signals by switching signals
}
between HIGH and LOW thousands of times a second. Using this,
for (int value = 255; value >0;
we can simulate voltages between 0v and 5v.
value=value-1){

If you were to look at the PWM signal on an oscilloscope (a device

...
that you can use to view electrical signals), you would see a square
}
wave. The top of the square is the HIGH signal, and the bottom is
These two for loops make the value increase from 0 to 255 and LOW. The greater the width of the square, the longer the HIGH
then decrease from 255 to 1. These values are used to control the
brightness of our LED. pulse – hence the name pulse width modulation.
DFRobot 08. Fading LED 06

Let’s explore PWM in more detail by examining these five Orange vertical lines on this diagram represent an interval.
square waves: Black lines represent the electric pulse.
Each value included in the analogWrite(value) function

Pulse Width Modulation can be mapped to a certain percentage. 0 = 0% and 255 = 100%.

0% Duty Cycle-analogWrite(0)
The duty cycle refers the length of time the pulse goes from LOW
to HIGH and HIGH to LOW.
The duty cycle of the first square wave is 0% and the correspond-
25% Duty Cycle-analogWrite(64) ing value is 0.

50% Duty Cycle-analogWrite(127) If the duty cycle is 100%, the analog value will be 255.
The longer the duty cycle, the brighter the light will be.

75% Duty Cycle-analogWrite(191) PWM’s electronic applications include adjusting the brightness of an
LED, controlling the speed of a DC motor, and many others. Can you

100% Duty Cycle-analogWrite(255) think of any other applications for it?

With the same hardware connections we’ve used in this session, the
LED can achieve completely different effects by using a different code.
Have a play with the code and see if you can make different lighting
effects. Use your imagination and have fun with it!
 Lesson 9
Light Regulator

[Link]
09
DFRobot 09. Light Regulator 01
Light Regulator

A light regulator is a device with which you can control brightness of a light. In this session, we’ll show you how to control the brightness of an
LED with an analog rotation sensor (also known as a potentiometer). Using this, the light will change from dim to bright and bright to dim
depending on the rotation of the sensor. The greater the rotation angle, the brighter the LED, and vice versa.

The rotation sensor can also be used to control the rotation angle of a servo or the speed of a DC motor. You can find many uses for the
rotation sensor.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR
SERVO_PWR

RX
DFRduino ON
LL *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
Expansion

GND
[Link]

SD
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
V7

5V
5V
I/OShield

GND
GND DTR
DTR
MOSI
MOSI TXD
TXD
ICSP

DFRduino Uno I/O Sensor Expansion Shield

RUN
RUN SS
SS RXD
RXD
SCK
SCK
PROG
PROG MISO
MISO
3V3 5V
0 1 2 3 4 5
PWR_IN
PWR_IN RST
(with USB cable) GND
GND
V7.1
VINGND
VINGND

VCC
VCC
OUT
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1 x1
Digital piranha LED-R
Rotation Sensor-L

Digital piranha LED-R

Analog Rotation Sensor Digital Piranha LED-R

D

A
DFRobot 09. Light Regulator 02
Connections

Be sure that your power, ground and signal connections are correct or you risk damaging your components.
When you have connected the components and checked your connections, connect your microcontroller to
your PC with the USB cable so you can upload a program.
Digital piranha LED-R

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
SERVO_PWR

RX
L *PWM
DFRduino ON

BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]

I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
Rotation Sensor-L

GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
A
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V
DFRobot 09. Light Regulator 03
Hardware Analysis
(Analog Input-Analog Output)

In the last session we learned how to achieve analog output with a digital pin using PWM.
In this session, we are going to control analog output using analog input.

The rotation sensor is the input device. The LED is the output device. Both input and output
devices use analog values.

Digital piranha LED-R

Rotation Sensor-L

AREF
RX
TX

GND
13
IOREF 12
RESET ~11
3V3 ~10
POWER

5V
DFRduino
UNO v3.0[R3]

~9
DIGITAL (PWM~)

A VIN
7
~6
D
A0 ~5
4
ANALOG IN

A1
A2 ~3

A3 2
ON

A4 TX 1
ICSP

RX 0
A5

Input Device Control Device Output Device

DFRobot 09. Light Regulator 04
Code Input

// Item Six—Light –regulator

int potPin = 0; // Analog Rotation Sensor shall be attached to analog pin 0
int ledPin = 10; // LED shall be attached to digital pin No.10

void setup() {
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); }

void loop() {
int sensorValue = analogRead(potPin); // collect value at analog pin No.0
// A value between 0 and 1023 to mapped to a value between 0 and 255
int outputValue = map(sensorValue, 0, 1023, 0, 255);
analogWrite(ledPin, outputValue); // write corresponding value for LED
delay(2);
}

Use this sample code to implement the behavior we want.

You can copy and paste it in to the Arduino IDE, but if you want to develop you skills we recommend
typing it out.

When you have finished, click “Verify” to check the code for syntax errors. If the code verifies successfully,
you can upload it to your microcontroller.

Turn the shaft of the rotation sensor slowly. The LED’s brightness should change as you turn it.
DFRobot 09. Light Regulator 05
Code Analysis

Here we have used the map function. The map function is used to map a value within a range to one within another range. Let’s examine it a
little closer:

The function’s syntax is as follows:

map(value, fromLow,
fromHigh,toLow,toHigh)

The function maps a value between fromLow and fromHigh to one between toLow and toHigh.

The parameters included in the map function are:

value value that needs to be mapped
fromLow lower limit of the current range
fromHigh upper limit of the current range
toLow lower limit of the target range
toHigh upper limit of the target range

One advantage of map function is that the lower limit of both ranges can be a number greater than their upper limits:

y = map (x, 1, 50, 50, 1);

The value included in the map function can also be a negative number:
y = map (x, 1, 50, 50, -100);

Let’s re-examine the code:

int outputValue = map(sensorValue, 0, 1023, 0, 255);

The code above is used to map a value (0-1023) read from the analog pin to one used on the PWM pin (0-255).
 Lesson 10
Open Sesame

[Link]
10
DFRobot 10. Open Sesame! 01
Open Sesame!

In this session we are going to use servos to make a door move. The door can’t be opened easily – you will have to complete a
challenge before it does!
The challenge will be explained below…

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
DFRduino
SERVO_PWR

RX ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD

DFRduino Uno I/O Sensor Expansion Shield

RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
0 1 2 3 4 5

(with USB cable) V7.1

PWR_IN RST
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1
Digital Tilt Sensor
Micro Servo

x1
TowerPro SG50 Servo
D
DFRobot 10. Open Sesame! 02
Connections

Connect the TowerPro SG50 to digital pin 9 Connect the Digital

Tilt Sensor to digital pin 3
Review the diagram below for reference:
D

Micro Servo

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 TX RX
DFRduino
SERVO_PWR

RX ON
L *PWM
BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

Be sure that your power, ground and signal connections are correct or you risk damaging your components.

When you have connected the components and checked your connections, connect the microcontroller to your PC with the
USB cable so you can upload a program.
DFRobot 10. Open Sesame! 03
Code Input

#include <Servo.h>
int sensorPin = 3; // Digital Vibration Sensor-Digital 3
Servo myservo;
int pos = 0;
void setup() {
[Link](9600);
pinMode(sensorPin, INPUT);
[Link](9); // Servo– Digital 9
}
void loop() {
int sensorState = digitalRead(sensorPin); //Read state of the digital vibration sensor
[Link](sensorState);
if (!sensorState) { //If the state is 0, The servo moves 2° more but does not exceed 180°
pos = pos + 2;
if (pos >= 180) {
pos = 180;
}
[Link](pos); //Write in rotation angle of the Servo
[Link](pos); // Print rotation angle in serial port
delay(100);
} else { // Else, the servo moves 2° less but not less than 0°.
pos = pos - 2;
if (pos <= 0) {
pos = 0;
}
[Link](pos);
[Link](pos);
delay(100);
}
delay(1);
}

Use this sample code to implement the behavior we want.

You can copy and paste it in to the Arduino IDE, but if you want to develop you skills we recommend typing it out.
When you have finished, click “Verify” to check the code for syntax errors. If the code verifies successfully, you can upload it to your microcon-
troller.
Shake the tilt sensor and you‘ll see the servo’s rotation angle gradually increase. When you stop shaking, the servo’s rotation angle will
decrease like a door slowly closing.
DFRobot 10. Open Sesame! 04
Code Analysis

Here we have used the <Servo.h> library

#include <Servo.h>
This library is included in Arduino IDE. The default location of <Servo.h> should be: Arduino-1.0.5/ libraries/ Servo/ Servo.h

You will be able to find it in the Arduino IDE menu bar: Sketch > Import Library > Servo

We cannot use the functions in the library directly. We need to create a servo object in code. It would serve as a medium to connect our code with the
library.

Servo myservo;

Once the servo object is declared, you can use functions from the library with the following method:

[Link]();

Don’t forget the . between myservo andf unctionName

We use the function attach() to define which pin the servo should be controlled by.
attach(pin);

The attach () function has one parameter – pin , which refers to one of the digital pins (we do not recommend using digital 0 or 1 due to TX and RX
interference). Here we have chosen digital pin 9.
[Link](9);

How do we write the corresponding angle in the code?

write(pos);

pos represents the angle we want the servo to turn to.

 Lesson 11
Pandora's Box

[Link]
11
DFRobot 11. Pandora's Box 01
Pandora's Box

Do you dare to open Pandora’s box?

The box stays closed during the daytime, but when night comes it will gradually open and the light inside will glow brighter and brighter.

An analog ambient light sensor is used to detect the intensity of light outside the box. When the value reaches the limit for the night, the servo will
open the box and an inner-led will glow brighter.

Parts Needed:

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

x1 x1
DIGITAL (PWM~) D
L VCC
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
TX
13 12 *11*10*9 8 7 *6 *5 4 *3 2 TX RX
DFRduino
SERVO_PWR

RX ON
L *PWM
UNO v3.0[R3] BT/APC
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
ICSP MOSI TXD

DFRduino Uno I/O Sensor Expansion

RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
0 1 2 3 4 5

(with USB cable) Shield V7.1

PWR_IN RST
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT

POWER ANALOG IN
3.3V
RESET
IOREF

A
3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

x1 x1
Digital piranha LED-R

Micro Servo
TowerPro SG50 Servo Digital Piranha LED-R
D

Analog Ambient
x1
Analog Ambient Light Sensor V2
A

Light Sensor V2
DFRobot 11. Pandora's Box 02
Connections:

Connect the TowerPro SG50 Servo to digital pin 9

Connect the Analog Ambient Light Sensor V2 to analog pin 0
Connect the Digital Piranha LED-R to digital pin 3
You can refer to the diagram below for reference:
Digital piranha LED-R

Micro Servo D

I2C
~11

~9

~3
~6
~5
~10

2
8

4
12
13

TX 1
GND

RX 0
AREF

DIGITAL (PWM~) D
VCC
L
GND
5V

SCL
SDA

GND
Analog Ambient

TX 13 12 11 10
Light Sensor V2

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 TX RX
DFRduino
SERVO_PWR

RX ON
L *PWM
BT/APC UNO v3.0[R3]
I/O Expansion

SD GND
[Link]

5V
Shield V7

5V
GND DTR
MOSI TXD
A
ICSP
RUN SS RXD
SCK
PROG MISO
3V3 5V
PWR_IN RST 0 1 2 3 4 5
GND
VINGND

VCC
OUT
3.3V

POWER ANALOG IN
RESET

A
IOREF

3V3

VIN

A0
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
5V

Be sure that your power, ground and signal corrections are correct or you risk damaging your components.
When you have connected the modules and checked your connections, connect the microcontroller to your PC with the USB cable so you can
upload a program.
DFRobot 11. Pandora's Box 03
Code Input

#include <Servo.h>
Servo myservo;
int LED = 3; // Set the LED light to be digital pin 3
int val = 0; // val stores analog ambient light sensor’s value
int pos = 0;
int light = 0;

void setup() {
pinMode(LED, OUTPUT); // LED is set to be in the output mode
[Link](9600); // Baud rate of the serial port is set to be 9600
[Link](9); // attach the servo to digital pin 9
[Link](0); // initial angle is 0
}

void loop() {
val = analogRead(0); // read the analog ambient light sensor’s value
[Link](val); // Check sensor value in serial port
if (val < 40) { // when val is less than the pre-set value, increase the angle
pos = pos + 2;
if (pos >= 90) { // The angle should not be more than 90
pos = 90;
}
[Link](pos); // write angle of the servo
delay(100);
light = map(pos, 0, 90, 0, 255); // As the angle expands, the LED becomes brighter
analogWrite(LED, light); // write the brightness value
} else {
pos = pos - 2; // decrease 2°
if (pos <= 0) {
pos = 0; // until 0°
}
[Link](pos); // write angle of the servo
delay(100);
light = map(pos, 0, 90, 0, 255); // As the angle shrinks, the LED light becomes darker
analogWrite(LED, light); // write the brightness value
}
}
DFRobot 11. Pandora's Box 04

Use the sample code to implement the behavior we want.

You can copy and paste it in to the Arduino IDE, but if you want to develop you skills we recommend typing it out.

When you have finished, click “Verify” to check the code for syntax errors. If the code verifies successfully, you can upload it to your microcontroller.

Attach the servo on to the hinge of the box so that the arm is able to open it. The ambient light sensor needs to be placed outside the box to detect the
ambient lighting. The LED is placed inside the box.

Place the box somewhere dark and check if it opens automatically.

If you have questions about the functions in the sample code, please refer to the previous sessions for details.
DFRobot 16. Digital Dice 07

We hope these sessions are just the beginning of your robotics

journey.

Be creative and have fun playing with your DFRduino and modules. If
you need more new and exciting modules, you can get them from the
DFRobot Store:

[Link]
If you would like to share your creations with us or have any
questions or comments about these tutorials, log in to the DFRobot
Maker community forum and tell us all about it!

[Link]
Good Luck!