Workshop
Quiz
Which function must your Arduino sketch define to run the main part of your program code?
- setup
- loop
- main
- start
- The Arduino IDE editor uses the same text color code to indicate functions as it does regular text in the code. True or false?
- How do you interface external electronic circuits to your Arduino?
Answers
- B. The loop function contains the sketch code that continually runs while the Arduino unit is powered on. This is where you need to place your main sketch code.
- False. The Arduino IDE uses brown to indicate functions used in the sketch code, and uses blue to indicate text strings contained in the sketch code.
- The Arduino header sockets are designed to easily interface external electronic circuits with the analog and digital input and output pins on the microcontroller.
Q&A
Q. Is there a limit to the size of the sketches I can upload to my Arduino?
A. Yes, the size of the sketch is limited by the amount of flash memory present on your Arduino. The Arduino Uno R3 has 32KB of flash memory. When you compile your sketch, the Arduino IDE console window will display the size of the compiled sketch code and how much space is remaining in the flash memory.
Q. Can I damage my Arduino by plugging in the wrong wires to the wrong header socket ports?
A. Yes, it’s possible, but the Arduino does contain some basic protections. The Arduino is designed with some basic voltage protection on each of the input and output ports. If you supply too large of voltages to the ports, however, you can risk burning out the microcontroller chip. Use caution when connecting wires to the Arduino header sockets, and always double-check your work before turning on the power.
Q. Is there an easy way to identify resistor values when working with electronic circuits?
A. Yes, all resistor manufacturers use a standard resistor color code. The resistor value and tolerance are indicated by color bands around the resistor. To find the value of a resistor, refer to a resistor color-code chart, as shown in the Wikipedia article on electronic color codes ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_color_code ).