Overview of Arduino
The Arduino hardware and software were designed for artists, designers, hobbyists, hackers, newbies, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Arduino can interact with various components like buttons, LEDs, motors, speakers, GPS units, cameras, the internet, or even your smart-phone or TV.
Arduino Software
The software used for Arduino development is the Arduino IDE. The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) simplifies code writing and uploading to the board. It is compatible with all Arduino boards.
Data Types in Arduino
- size_t: Used to specify the size or length of things, such as the length of a C string.
- uint32_t: Represents an unsigned 32-bit integer.
- byte * in Arduino: A byte stores an 8-bit unsigned number, ranging from 0 to 255. The uint8_t datatype is essentially the same as byte in Arduino.
Is Arduino a Microprocessor?
Arduino is not a microprocessor or microcontroller; it functions as a development board. The board grants full access to microcontroller or microprocessor functions, allowing tasks like programming, using input/output pins, and communication.