The Arduino Uno is the poster child of development boards from the Arduino Corporation and the gold-standard prototyping tool for education and makers that require an easy-to-use microcontroller. The Arduino Uno was designed to utilize the world of microcontrollers and computer programming, but it has become the go-to first step of nearly any DIY application as it is incredibly versatile and can be used effectively by novices and pros alike.
Arduino Uno dimensions
The Arduino Uno is one of the most popular compact development boards on the market. Smaller than the palm of your hand (2.7” x 2.1”), the board is based around the removable Microchip ATmega328P microprocessor, which features 8-bit resolution and its own USB bootloader for reprogramming. With 32 KB of Flash memory, 2 KB of SRAM, and 1 KB of EEPROM, this little processor can carry out most any task you can ask of it.
The board itself holds an 16 MHz clocking quartz crystal, an USB connector, a power jack, and an ISCP header. The Arduino Uno features 20 I/O pins, with the option for six of the digital outputs to function as PWM outputs and six variable pins. See the chart below to see a detailed mapping of said pins.
Arduino Uno features and capabilities
Part of what makes the Arduino Uno so accessible to everyone is the Arduino integrated development environment (IDE). The open-source IDE uses Java to create commands and programs. From a user standpoint, the Arduino IDE contains several useful features to make codes clean and effective, such as text copy/paste and syntax highlighting. Because it’s open source, Arduino’s IDE also has an associated, community-driven library, which allows newer users to find frameworks for programs that best suit their needs and lets more experienced coders post their projects and ideas to help introduce those who are unfamiliar with the language to its syntax.
Another great facet of the Arduino Uno is the Arduino Shields. Shields are hardware add-ons that interface directly with the Uno’s pin headers and can expand its capabilities. A shield consists of a printed circuit board that has embedded components and connectors to facilitate its specific capability, and integrated software to communicate its abilities to the Uno. Shields can also be stacked on top of one another to add multiple functionalities to an Arduino Uno.
Some examples of popular Arduino shields include the Wi-Fi Shield, which gives the Uno wireless connectivity, and the Motor Shield, which allows the Uno to control DC and stepper motors. Using shields, anyone can easily integrate key functionalities to their Arduino Uno system with minimal coding and even less handiwork. Thanks to the wide repertoire of Arduino shields, almost any project can be simplified and enhanced for performance and ease of implementation.
Is the Arduino Uno right for you?
The Arduino Uno combines all the usability of a powerful microprocessor with an expansive collection of community-created software and functional shields into a very user-friendly, compact board that is great for anyone trying to get into the field of microelectronics or just trying to find an efficient way to prototype his or her idea.