They are development boards that include a microcontroller, power supply, inputs, outputs, Serial communication and much more.

You might have just purchased an Arduino, or are thinking about buying one to get stuck into the world of microcontrollers, electronics and programming. 

But, you might also be wondering whether you need a multimeter for an Arduino? While it is not necessary to have a multimeter when you start out with an Arduino, it is recommended that you do have one. Multimeters are great for troubleshooting problems that you might come across with your Arduino projects.

Also, Arduino development boards are not perfect. They are going to have some onboard problems sooner or later. 

Again, a multimeter is your best option at identifying the problem. 

What is an Arduino

Let’s take a deeper look at the Arduino. 

This will help you understand why you might require a multimeter. 

Below is one for the most common Arduino development boards; Arduino Uno.

As you can see the Arduino Uno has many components and parts that make up the development board which include;

• Power Input (barrel jack)
• 3.3V power input pin
• 5V power output pin
• Analog Input pins
• Digital Input/Output pins
• Reset Switch
• Microcontroller 
• USB port 

It is great for the beginner as you do not need to set up a microcontroller on a breadboard with a power supply and capacitors or resistors. 

It’s already all done for you on the development board. 

Inputs and outputs like LED’s, sensors, motors, displays can be connected to the digital pins as required. 

The Arduino can also be programmed using the USB port. It does not require complicated interfacing with a computer. 

What are the main uses of a multimeter

The multimeter is an electronic measuring instrument used on a daily basis by Electricians, Engineers, Hobbyists, DIYers and many others.

It has many functionalities but the main three are measuring Voltage, Current, and Resistance.

The most basic of multimeters should include these three measurements.

More complex multimeters can have more than just these three measurements which can include;

• AC (alternating current) voltage and amperage
• DC (direct current) voltage and amperage
• Resistance (ohms)
• Capacity (farads)
• Conductance (siemens)
• Decibels
• Duty cycle 
• Frequency (Hz)
• Inductance (henrys)
• Temperature Celsius or Fahrenheit 

Multimeters come in Analog and Digital versions, but analog multimeters are less common today due to their inaccuracy. 

The main use of a multimeter is to be able to diagnose and troubleshoot electrical and electronic circuitry. 

Finding faults and rectifying them is where the multimeter will be your best friend. 

Reasons why you might need a multimeter for an Arduino

When starting out on your journey with an Arduino, the projects you will be undertaking will be simple and troubleshooting will not necessarily require a multimeter. 

However, as you advance and the Arduino projects you embark on get more complex, you will no doubt require a multimeter to aid you in finding inevitable problems. 

We now know that a basic multimeter can measure the three basic electrical values which are voltage, current, and resistance. 

So let’s look at some reasons why you might want to invest in a multimeter to help with your Arduino.

Reason #1 why you might need a multimeter for Arduino: Testing Digital and Analog Pins

Ardnuinos come with a varying number of digital pins that can be used either as inputs or as outputs. 

Where inputs can include;

• Buttons
• Switches
• Sensors

And outputs can include;

• Motors
• Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s)
• Displays

Smaller components that require less current and voltage, can be powered by the 5 volts outputted at the digital pins.

However, if for some reason the digital pin does not seem to be powering whatever you have connected, you can use the voltage function of the multimeter to check what voltages are present at the digital pins.

Also, an Arduino will have designated analog pins where sensors can be connected to. 

A sensor will output voltages in analog form. 

However, arduinos only deal with digital data. 

The analog pins have the ability to convert the analog data to a digital form. 

Sometimes, the wrong digital values will be generated by software. 

You can see where the problem is by double checking the voltage at the analog pins and cross checking them with the digital values. 

Reason #2 why you might need a multimeter for Arduino: Testing Voltages

Initially your circuits will be confined to onboard the Arduino itself. 

But, sooner or later your projects will extend to outside of the Arduino, and onto something like a breadboard.

The more wiring and connections that are required, the more chances of error. These errors tend to show themselves as wrong voltages. 

Therefore fault finding when something is not working without a multimeter is going to be very very hard, and annoying.

Using a multimeter, the circuit schematic and a little electronic knowledge you should be able to find solutions to your problem in no time.

Reason #3 why you might need a multimeter for Arduino: Current consumption

If the next project you are undertaking requires a means of mobile power (like a battery), the circuit will need to be as efficient as possible to extend the life of the batteries. 

If you don’t know how much Current the system you are designing is consuming how will you know whether it is efficient or not?

Utilising the ability of the multimeter to measure current, you will be able to deduct if any improvements need to be made. 

Reason #4 why you might need a multimeter for Arduino: Resistance and Continuity

No matter whether you are a beginner or an expert, you are going to encounter a resistor or two, or a hundred.

These little buggers have many uses in an electronic circuit and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and resistance values. 

Even though resistors have colour bands on them which indicates what resistance value they are, it can get quite annoying trying to squint and constantly check the colours.

A workaround to this problem is using a multimeter (no surprises there)!

You will easily be able to tell what the resistance is of a resistor in any part of the circuit. 

Also, multimeter’s have another neat function which allows you to test Continuity.

This test allows you to see if two points of a conducting material are connected and therefore ‘continuous’ allowing the flow of current.

This is great for wires with insulation, or testing parts of a circuit that should be connected together. 

Can you get away with not having a multimeter initially?

When you initially start out with the Arduino, your projects are not going to be very complex. 

This might include projects such as reading button presses, blinking an LED, reading sensor values etc. 

The circuits involved with these are not too intense and only require a few connections. 

Saying this, you will still encounter problems. However, finding the cause of the problem and then the solution will be a bit easier. 

So, when starting out you do not need a multimeter.

But, it does not hurt to have one as part of your troubleshooting arsenal. 

Do you need an expensive multimeter for an Arduino?

No, you do not require an expensive multimeter.

When you are working with an Arduino, there are only a few measurements you want your multimeter to be capable of measuring; Voltage, Current, Resistance and Continuity. 

You can get multimeters that won’t break the bank which are still capable of performing these measurements so you can troubleshoot your Arduino and additional circuitry. 

The one thing you need to be aware of when selecting a multimeter is the ranges of voltages, and currents it can handle. 

It should be able to handle the voltage and currents of the Arduino and other circuitry. 

Final thoughts

So, you can see there are many reasons why you would want to invest in a multimeter when using an arduino.

It is a great tool for diagnosing and troubleshooting problems which are inevitable.

While you might not need a multimeter initially when starting out with an Arduino, it will prove useful as you progress in skill level and your projects get a bit more complex.

However, you do not need an expensive multimeter. A decent cheap one with the three basic measurement capabilities (voltage,current and resistance) should be just fine.

The post Do I need a multimeter for an Arduino? appeared first on Electronic Guidebook.

It is an open-source hardware and software company that manufactures many different single board microcontroller kits.

Different Arduino boards use a variety of microcontrollers, and include input/output pins as well. 

You might be considering getting yourself one and are wondering do you need a soldering iron for the Arduino? The Arduino is a development board that comes ready to use, with all components already soldered on, so you do not require a soldering iron for an Arduino. It is a plug and play device that is ready to use straight out the box. 

It has male and female header pins that allow you to connect expansion boards, and shields to further enhance its capabilities.

However, there are instances where you might need a soldering iron for the Arduino. While not essential, it can come handy in some places. I will discuss these later in the article. 

Reasons why an Arduino does not need a soldering iron

You might be just getting started in the field of electronics, or you might be a seasoned veteran who wants to get your hands on an Arduino. 

However, you might be concerned whether you need  a soldering iron when it comes to using the Arduino.

If you do not have a soldering iron, be rest assured as you will be able to use the Arduino to its fullest capabilities without needing to use the soldering iron. 

Reason #1 why an Arduino does not need a soldering iron: It comes assembled for you

You might be familiar with electronic kits that come disassembled, and you need to solder all these components to the Printed Circuit Board (PCB).

Unlike those electronic kits that come disassembled, an Arduino comes assembled for you. All the components come pre soldered onto the PCB

As you can see below, all the components have already been populated on the PCB.

It is a plug and play device that can be used straight out of the box, which saves you the hassle of going through the process of soldering which can be quite annoying as you might just want to get started working on your project.

Reason #2 why an Arduino does not need a soldering iron: Male and Female header pins 

The Arduino is a development board that comes packed with many different functions and capabilities which include Serial Communication, Analog to Digital Conversion, Digital and Analog input/outputs etc.

But, how do you interface inputs and outputs with the Arduino without a soldering iron?

The great thing about the Arduino is that it has male and female header pins that allow you to connect inputs and outputs without needing to have to use a soldering iron.

Much like a breadboard, which has holes for you to plug components into for quick prototyping, the Arduino has these header pins that allow you to interface input/outputs quickly and easily. 

Reason #3 why an Arduino does not need a soldering iron: DC plug for power

What about powering up the Arduino? Do you need to solder a connection onto the board to power it up?

No. The Arduino has three ways that it can be powered without needing a soldering iron. The three ways you can power it are:

• DC Power Jack ( 7- 12V)
• USB connector (5V)
• Vin female header pin (7 – 12V)

All these connections are already present on the Arduino Board and do not need any sort of soldering. 

As well as having dedicated ports for power, the Arduino has a port (USB) for programming it as well.

Are they any versions of the Arduino board that need a soldering iron?

Arduinos come in a variety of shapes, sizes and specifications. Depending on your expertise level and application need, there is an Arduino board that will suit your needs. 

They vary in Memory, Micrcontroller, Digital input/outputs, and analogue input/outputs.

Below are some of the most commonly used Arduino boards today.

• Arduino Uno
• Arduino Due
• Arduino Mega
• Arduino Leonardo
• Arduino Micro
• Arduino Nano

All these versions of the Arduino come with components soldered, so you do not need a soldering iron. 

However, there is a note to be made. When buying an Arduino board, you have the option of buying one without any male headers. In this instance, you will need a soldering iron to solder these header pins.

Do you need a soldering iron for expansion boards/shields of an Arduino?

While the standard Arduino board is capable of many functions, sometimes it lacks certain abilities. 

The good news is that this is not the end of the story. Arduinos can upgrade their capabilities using something known as Arduino Shields.

Arduino Shields are boards that ‘expand’ the functionalities of a standard Arduino.

Below is a list of the most common Arduino Shields:

• Ethernet Shield (allows the Arduino to connect to the internet)
• Relay Shield (gives Arduino ability to control high voltages)
• Motor Shield (control motors with ease)
• LCD shield (add a display to your next project with a Liquid Crystal Display)
• Capacitive touchpad shield (add a capacitive touch interface to your project)
• Smoke detector shield (need to detect a gas or smoke, this is your shield)
• 64 button shield (add up to 64 buttons to your shield)

There are many more shields available, but here are some common ones.

These shields come assembled just like the standard Arduino. It has male header pins which slot into the Arduino board’s female header pins. So no soldering is necessary.

Scenarios where you might need a soldering iron for an Arduino

I have mentioned why you do not need to use a soldering iron for an Arduino. 

However, there are some scenarios when you might need a soldering iron. 

Scenario #1 when you might need a soldering iron for an Arduino: No headers

When buying an Arduino board, you have the option of buying it with or without headers. 

While the price difference is not that much, the Arduino board without headers is a cheaper option. So, you might opt to choose one without headers as you have some lying around at home. 

In this scenario you will need to solder the headers onto the Arduino Board. 

Scenario #2 when you might need a soldering iron for an Arduino: Replace components that are not working

We all want things to go perfectly with no problems. 

However, things are not perfect. Sometimes you might have components on an Arduino board that stop working and need replacing. 

To replace these parts, you will need a soldering iron and use a process known as ‘desoldering’. 

Scenario #3 when you might need a soldering iron for an Arduino: Protoshield

I have talked about shields that enhance the capabilities of a standard Arduino. There are many different shields available for different applications.

You might want to create your own custom shield that enhances the Arduino according to your needs and specifications. 

This is where the Protoshield comes in. It is a board where you can create your own custom circuit on. It is great for prototyping and testing ideas you may have.

In this instance you will need a soldering iron to solder components onto the protoshield. 

Scenario #4 when you might need a soldering iron for an Arduino: Connecting external components

As you now know, the Arduino has female headers pins where you can connect external input and output components such as LED’s, buttons, motors, sensors etc.

Most of the time you can connect these input/outputs with no issue as they have leads that can plug into the female header pins. 

But, sometimes you might want to extend the leads of these input/outputs so you are not restricted to placing them on the Arduino.

Here you will need a soldering iron to solder wires to extend the leads of the components so you can place them away from the Arduino.

Do i need an expensive soldering iron for an Arduino?

You might not have a soldering iron and have run into one of the scenarios above where you need a soldering for an Arduino.

So, you might be wondering if you need an expensive soldering iron to do the job.

If money is not an issue for you, it is advisable to get a decent soldering which will cost a bit. This is because it will benefit you in the long run. 

A decent soldering iron will have a range of temperatures and provide good heat at the tip of the soldering iron that will make the soldering process much easier.

However, I myself have got a $30 soldering iron that I have owned for years and it has done the job just fine.

Due to the fact that an Arduino does not really require a soldering iron, you can get yourself a cheaper one which will be just fine.

How do you connect external components to the Arduino without a soldering iron?

If you have many components to connect to the arduino and are cramped for space, you can use a breadboard along with jumper wires.

You can place the components on the breadboard, and use the jumper wires to make connections to the Arduino female header pins without the need for a soldering iron. 

There is also a breadboard shield (as seen below) that you can place on top of your Arduino.

Arduino Basics

Below is great video explaining the basics of an Arduino

The post Do I need a soldering iron for Arduino? appeared first on Electronic Guidebook.

They develop boards that utilise microcontrollers as their central processing unit (CPU). 

So what microcontrollers does an Arduino use?

There is no one word answer to this. There are many different versions and boards of Arduino which come in different sizes, specifications etc. They all use different microcontrollers. However, the majority of the microcontrollers used in Arduino boards are from the same family, that being the Atmel AVR family manufactured by Microchip. The most common microcontroller used from that family is the AtMega328.

An Arduino board is a useful piece of electronic hardware, that has many great features and capabilities.

The standard Arduino board has everything you need to get started. It includes an on board voltage regulator,  input and output digital/analog pins, and pre-programmed boot loader to upload programs to the microcontroller’s flash memory. 

The features of an Arduino board depends on the version and what hardware is included which increases its capability. Things like bluetooth capability, internet connectivity via wifi and many more.

There are also additional expansion boards known as ‘shields’ that can be added to your standard Arduino board to enhance its capability.

The standard Arduino board has everything you need to get started. 

It is great for beginners just getting started, to the expert trying to prototype circuits.

What is a microcontroller?

Let’s take a quick look at what microcontrollers are.

A Microcontroller is basically a mini computer that can be found on an Integrated Circuit (IC). 

It is a device that includes onboard memory, and  programmable input/output ports. 

They also include  features such as Timers, Analog to Digital Converter (ADC), Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), SPI and I2C communication and many others. 

The microcontroller acts as the brain of a bigger electronic system. It fetches, decodes, and executes all instructions which are stored in its flash memory.

Sometimes, people confuse microcontrollers for microprocessors. While they are quite similar in some aspects, they have many differences.

Purpose of a Microcontroller

Depending on the application, a microcontroller can be used in many different ways.

As we saw, it acts as the brain of a bigger electronic system.

Whether this system is your toaster, a mobile phone, weather station etc.

Their purpose is to run a specified program that is stored in Read only Memory (ROM). This program is written by the programmer with specific tasks in mind.

An example scenario would be, a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor and Lamp connected to the microcontroller as an Input and Output respectively. 

The programmer can then write instructions like whenever the PIR sensor is triggered, to turn the lamp on. 

This program gets downloaded in machine code and interpreted by the microcontroller accordingly. 

Due to their small size and low cost, microcontrollers are a great option for hobbyists, makers, and engineers prototyping circuits.

Different types of Microcontrollers

Going forward, it will be beneficial for you to know the different types of microcontrollers because you will then be familiar with the type of microcontroller that an Arduino uses.

Just like there are many different manufacturers of cars, there are many different manufacturers of microcontrollers.

The major players in the game are Microchip, Texas Instruments, Silicon Labs, Dallas Semiconductor and Intel. There are many more, but these are the most common.

When it comes to the microcontroller, you have different versions available.

Each microcontroller is differentiated by the architecture it was built on. 

The most common microcontrollers are the PIC, AVR, 8051 and MSP. Again, there are others, but these are the most common.

Atmel Avr Microcontrollers

As we are concerned with what microcontroller an Arduino uses, we will concentrate on the AVR microcontrollers (since these are the most commonly used in an Arduino).

AVR is a family of microcontrollers that was developed by Atmel in 1996. 

In 2016, Microchip Technology acquired Atmel.

These AVR microcontrollers are based on a modified Harvard architecture 8-bit RISC single chip microcontroller.

They distinguish themselves from other microcontrollers as they were the first to use on-chip flash memory for program storage rather than EPROM or EEPROM

Different AVR Microntrollers

The AVR family of microcontrollers are further divided into subcategories. 

The subcategories determine different characteristics and specifications such as program memory, number of pins, number of timers, number of PWM channels etc. 

The three major groups are;

• tinyAVR 
  • 0.5 – 32KB program memory
  • 6- 32 pin package
• megaAVR
  • 4 – 256 KB program memory
  • 28 – 100 pin package
• XMEGA
  • 16 – 384 KB program memory
  • 44 – 64 – 100 pin package

The great thing is that, depending on the needs of the project you might be working on, you can choose the appropriate AVR microcontroller that matches your project specifications.

What is an Arduino?

AVR microcontrollers are a great piece of technology that are capable of many things. 

Unfortunately, setting them up, while not hard, is quite cumbersome. You need a breadboard to be able to embed the microcontroller in, provide the right power supply run wiring all over the place etc.

If you are a beginner it can be quite daunting, or if  someone who just wants to get started prototyping it can be quite annoying going through all those steps.

What’s great about the Arduino, is that everything is already set up and ready to go. It includes a voltage supply, header pins to connect your input/outputs and on-board programmer to program the microcontroller.

You just need to connect whatever external peripheral circuitry your project requires and write the code. 

The Arduino removes all the guesswork and makes getting started a smoother experience.

A great benefit of using an Arduino is that it has a strong community. There are multiple forums containing solutions to many problems. So, if you ever get stuck just look to the community for help.

Different Arduino Boards

Just like the microcontroller, there are many different versions of the Arduino. 

They are however, all produced and manufactured by the same company (Arduino).

Different Arduino boards have different specifications such as Microcontroller, Operating Voltage, Processing Speed, Analog Inputs , PWM channels, SRAM, FLASH, and UART. 

For a comprehensive look, check out this link.

Again, depending on the need of the user, the right Arduino board can be chosen.

The Microcontroller an Arduino uses?

The majority of Arduino boards use Atmel AVR microcontrollers. The most common being from the AT Mega family, the AT Mega 328.

Below are all the Arduino Boards, and the microcontrollers that they use.

• Arduino Uno – ATmega328P-PU
• Arduino Mega – ATmega 2560
• Arduino Nano – ATmega328P-AU
• Arduino Leonardo – ATmega32u4
• Arduino 101 – Intel Curie
• Arduino Micro – ATmega32U4
• Arduino Mini – ATmega328
• Arduino Zero – ATSAMD21G18
• Arduino Due – AT91SAM3X8E
• Arduino ADK – ATmega2560
• Arduino MO – ATSAMD21G18
• Arduino MO Pro – ATSAMD21G18
• Arduino MKR Zero – SAMD21 Cortex-M0+
• Arduino YÚN – ATmega32U4
• Arduino Ethernet – ATmega328
• Arduino Tian – Atheros AR9342
• Arduino Industrial 101 – Atheros AR9331
• Arduino Leonardo ETH – ATmega32u4
• Arduino MKR WAM 1300 – SAMD21 Cortex-M0+
• Arduino MKR GSM 1400 – SAMD21 Cortex-M0+
• Arduino Gemma – ATiny85
• Arduino Lilypad Arduino USB – ATmega32u4
• Arduino Lilypad Arduino Main Board – ATmega168/ATmega328V
• Arduino Lilypad Arduino Simple – ATmega328P-AU
• Arduino Lilypad Arduino Simple Snap – ATmega328P-AU

As you can see, many Atmel AVR microcontrollers are being used at the heart of an Arduino. The most common being from AT Mega series.

Benefits of using an Arduino

There are many benefits to using an Arduino. 

Beginner

If you are just starting out with embedded electronics, it’s quite a daunting task having to figure out what microcontroller to buy, how to set up a power supply to power it, wire up the right pins etc.

An Arduino takes away the fear and hassle of having to set up all the proper circuitry to get your microcontroller up and running.

Prototyping

The same statement holds true for an expert as well.

Maybe an engineer needs to come up with a prototype for a project as soon as possible. The last thing he/she needs to worry about is setting up the bare bones of a microcontroller circuit.

Instead, they can just grab an Arduino board and start prototyping their idea which is a better use of their time. 

Community

The truth of the matter is that you are going to come across many problems.

Some of these problems you will be able to solve through trial and error (speaking from personal experience). 

Other times however, you are going to need a helping hand.

This is where the Arduino community comes to the rescue. 

Since the Arduino board is the go to choice for hobbyists and engineers alike, there are many forums online with smart people who you can ask for help. 

Upgrades

If you have opted for the standard version of the Arduino, you are not restricted to its functionality.

You can upgrade the functionality of your board using external expansion boards known as ‘shields’.

Say you want to add bluetooth capability to your next project, all you need to do is buy a ‘bluetooth shield’.

You are not confined to the limits of the stock Arduino Board.

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