1.9.2013

If you've never knowingly programmed a microprocessor before, they are electronic chips which can be taught to perform particular tasks - to 'teach' them, you write an instruction list (a program) which they run, and the program makes the chip behave in the way that your program determines it should. So why is that interesting? Well, Arduino boards are designed in a way which makes the electrical signal connections in and out of the chip easily accessable. They can read switches and keypads, they can turn LEDs on and off, drive LCD displays and with a little bit of extra electronic hardware they can operate electrically controlled switches (Relays) and control motors.Putting a project together and breathing the vital spark of life into it with a program you wrote yourself really is a magical experience, and one which never gets old, because the next idea is always a development of the last or something completely new.If you already know what a microprocessor is and have perhaps done some programming on AVR, PIC or similar devices then the Arduino series (of which this is just one model) will be a useful, low-cost addition to your toybox, although I would hesitate to call this a toy, because it is quite technically advanced and comes with no written instructions. A bright child could certainly make one of these fly given some guidance, but I think they would struggle without the initial help of a knowledgeable adult or other good online or offline information source. If you are buying this for a child I would take a look through the Arduino books here on Amazon and choose a well-reviewed tutorial book to hand over along with the Uno.The title 'Arduino' doesn't refer to a type of microprocessor you've never heard of - indeed, different Arduino boards are based on different microprocessors - This particular one uses an Atmel Atmega 328P. The name 'Arduino' really refers to a microprocessor development suite of hardware and software. The main software runs on the PC - the microprocessor also has some firmware preprogrammed into it to handle communications with the PC software and load and run user programs in the microprocessor's program memory. While your project is under development the Arduino board is conveniently powered from the PC via the USB lead. Once it is working to your satisfaction, the Arduino can be disconnected from the PC and run stand-alone on a simple unregulated DC power supply to perform whatever function you have programmed it to do.The Arduino concept consists of:-A microprocessor development board with plenty of input/output capability-A USB data / power connection to your PC-Integrated Development Environment (IDE) software for your PC, Mac, and unusually, Linux as well.By default, the Arduino Uno assumes that six of the input-output pins will be used as analogue input pins, and a further fourteen are regarded as general digital input/output pins. This basic I/O functionality will be quite enough to keep beginners busy for a while.For experienced microprocessor users, as on most microcontrollers a lot of these pins have secondary functions which are disabled by default. The details of those are beyond the scope of this review, but briefly, the secondary pin functions include multiple Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) outputs and I2C and SPI serial communications. For further information, seek out the Atmega 328P datasheet on Atmel's website.The PC software is not provided when you buy a plain Arduino board like this, but it is downloadable, free, from the Arduino website. You do get a short USB lead.The programming language here is essentially 'C', simplified in some ways: For example, Arduino relieves you of the chore of having to predefine (prototype) all the functions before you use them.The Arduino system provides so many predefined functions and libraries for the programmer that it is genuinely possible to create a huge number of microprocessor driven projects using only the functions and libraries that the IDE provides, linking them together with just a few lines of code. One thing you might typically want to do is to connect a standard two-line alphanumeric display to the Arduino. Normally, it would be left to the programmer to write the routines needed to initialise and run the display - but Arduino has a library for this built in - you just give it some basic information about how the display is connected, and from then on using the display is just a matter of using the functions provided by the 'LiquidCrystal' library. The abundance of predefined functions and libraries, many contributed by third parties, means that fully working projects can be created even by people who don't necessarily understand (or want to understand) the use of microprocessors down to register level - If you want a 1000mS delay, there's a function for that - there's no need to manipulate or interrogate a timer down at register / bit level.If you do want to do that, there is of course nothing to stop you doing it, the only caveat being that code written to control the microprocessor's functions directly at hardware level may not run on other Arduino boards which use a different microprocessor.When connected to the PC, the Arduino appears to the PC to be a USB port serial device: Likewise, the PC appears to the Arduino board as a serial device - the IDE has a built in terminal facility so it's a simple matter for your Arduino project to send diagnostic or other information to the PC as serial data, and of course any other PC software capable of reading from / sending to the PC's serial port can also communicate with the Arduino by this means. For example, you could write an Arduino program (or 'Sketch' as they are called in Arduino-speak) which continually reads a voltage value from one of the Arduino's Analogue input ports and sends that reading to the PC via the serial port: On the PC, a Python program also written by you could serially receive and display the value in a nice graphic interface window.For simple projects, connections to external components like displays, relay boards, LEDs and switches can be via simple flying plug in leads plugged into the single-inline connectors along the edges of the board: However, the Arduino system has also spawned a whole host of third-party add-on hardware boards, known as 'shields', which can plug directly onto the top of an Arduino board to give it additional hardware capability. For example, there are Relay shields, Wifi shields, Stepper motor driver shields, all kinds of amazing interfaces designed to enable Arduino boards to connect to almost anything which can be read or controlled electronically.You'll find that this product is available under several slightly different descriptions on Amazon, and each of them has their own set of reviews as though they are separate products although they are actually the same item. To see more reviews of the Arduino Uno R3 than those you find here, seek out those other listings.

4.9.2012

If you are reading this review, chances are you might know what an 'Arduino' board is intended to do.But just in case you do not - it's a tiny 'embedded' computer. The sort of thing you might find in a prize-winning maze running robot, or a walking robot, or a fabricator machine, or a smart GPS, or (in my case) a musical instrument.It's called 'embedded' because the computer is part of the machine, rather than sitting on a desk top (or lap top). Often there is no display other than a few blinking lights - sometimes a small LCD, or more rarely a full-on computer monitor.That's because the pins on the Arduino's processor are mostly I/O lines (Input/Output) and they are typically used to scan push buttons or sensors,

4.5.2015

This item came to me on the next day (with prime) with slight squashing of the small box due to the delivery packaging used however the contents of a sheet of arduino/DIY themed stickers, a "thank you" note from arduino and an arduino uno board (and if anyone is wondering, this is the official board) were completely unharmed. The box, with a bit of adjustment was soon restored and it's now the storage for my uno board with a cereal box like top.The board itself is fully functional with the bootloader flashed onto it already.I previously purchased an unofficial arduino compatible nano board from another seller on Amazon which fully worked and came with a USB cable (which official boards don't)

10.8.2013

If you're into the Arduino subject then you'll know pretty well what you're looking at. This is (was) apparently a genuine Arduino although these days it's pretty near impossible to tell one way or the other. However it works and I've had no problems with it at all.Prices tend to vary from the sublime to the ridiculous and this one seems to sit pretty fair and square in the middle.EDIT 18/8/13OK well after reading an article on the Arduino.cc website earlier today I can now say that this is actually NOT a genuine Arduino board but appears to be a good clone.The board shown on the listing picture IS genuine and if you go to the Arduino website and navigate to the "how to detect a counterfeit"

5.1.2017

I love Arduino boards. The design impresses me how I can power it in different ways, easily plug it in, program, then I'm ready to go etc. This is the third Arduino Uno that I've bought (I've also got an equally impressive Arduino Due although that's at 3.3 volts) but I put this particular board in to question. It is a different colour and has helpful writing on the sockets (a good thing). I wondered if it's a fake copy so I looked on arduino.cc and they have changed the design to a teal colour. No problem. It also has a plastic protector. I have also received stickers with it like with the other boards so it seemed genuine.I plug this in to the laptop and the software downloaded from arduino.cc said that this is an uncertified board.

10.7.2015

I would give it 5 stars, but the box mine came in had clearly been tampered with. The board was fine and nothing was missing, but I would expect better from Amazon.This board is a fantastic choice for beginners, as it includes lots of pins and most beginner tutorials use it. There are also some full kits available that include the board along with a collection of electronic components (resistors, capacitors, cables, sensors, segment displays, and so on), and most of them include a project book and everything you need besides a PC, so that's another choice for the beginner (I would imagine children would enjoy playing and learning with that). On top of that,

15.6.2012

I purchased this item with a specific project in mind, but there are countless others possible. I used this item in conjunction with an Ethernet shield to turn my cheap GE wireless home security system into a much more robust system. It now sends tweets to my smartphone whenever doors are opened or alarms are triggered.There is a wealth of free information and free project tutorials/source code out there to get started with on sites like Make, or Instructables and many others. Some guy even made a light up coffee table that lights up and blinks along with different patterns to music.I'll likely purchase more for other ambitious projects I have in mind. If you like tinkering with things and have a willingness to learn,

8.1.2014

Unlike some customers I received what I expected - a genuine Arduino UNO R3 made in italy. Proper little box with some notes and stickers but no USB lead.However (this note added 26-3-14) I notice that the price has halved and the supplier changed - so beware, you may not be getting a genuine "made in Italy" UNO but a copy - this may be OK as long as you are aware.The Arduino is a great micro-controller to experiment with.I'm using it in a little project with a clock (DS3231 RTC) and barometric sensor (BMP085) to run a 4 line by 20 character LCD that displays time, day of the week, date, year, temperature and atmospheric pressure. It works perfectly, I've had no problems at all,

14.1.2014

I received my Arduino Uno R3 quickly (from 4tronix) and happy to report it is the genuine article. I have several Arduino's already and can safely say it is one of the best things I've ever invested in. You're going to need a few things, a breadboard, lot's of components, a multimeter etc, but it won't cost the earth and it will enable you to MAKE things. If you're the type of person who ever wonders how something works, or if you ever took something apart to see what was inside, well you're probably the type of person who would want to make something yourself, you won't be just another consumer you can create things. You'll need a little persistence but the Arduino platform is a great way to get into electronics,

23.7.2015

Well I already knew I would love it having already played around with a derivative of it on the Open Energy emonTX.So, just to let you all know, I bought this from 4Tronix, it was delivered fast and safely and it is a genuine Italian Arduino.And they kindle sent me a a half meter USB cable with it too. Nice people!Everyone should have a least one genuine Arduino to support them in their support for us.Simon Monk's book "Programming Arduino Next Steps: Going Further with Sketches" is a very useful book if you already have a sprinkling of programming juicesHave fun!!

19.10.2017

I purchased this Arduino UNO R3 several months ago from Amazon. It is an Italian made board with all the right parts and all of the solder joints are good. I understand that cheaper boards may use different chips and have pore solder joints. You get what you pay for. Also not mentioned in the listing I received a clear plastic bottom cover with my board. Nice to have. This board is the real thing and works beautifully.If you are learning a new subject it is always a good idea to have the right tools, materials, and books before you begin.

15.5.2012

This is a great little gizmo for learning a bit of coding and putting into projects (e.g. robots, toys etc. ) to 'DO' stuff.You can control lights and motors etc. and detect button pushes and other inputs (railway modellers could probably find tons of uses for it).Great fun!Depending on your intentions for it you may find that extra hardware is necessary, so Before you buy, There's a lot of info available ontinternet but I also recommend "getting started with Arduino" by Massimo Banzi to have a look and see if it's for you or not.

30.1.2017

What can I say, an Arduino is an Arduino. Although this is pretty expensive for a microcontroller, I recommend buying the legit one to support the Arduino foundation. So we can get more amazing stuff like this.The Uno is a great little device that's pretty easy to get up and running quick. Even for an absolute beginner. The vast amount of documentation and tutorials for this will help you get from a beginner to a pro nice and quick.It arrived unbroken and nicely packaged. I've nothing to complain about, it's a great product!

13.8.2015

An absolute must for anyone looking into electronics or coding! There is literally no end to what you can do with this unit but note; the board is completely useless without electronic components to use with so if you do not already own some of the 'Arduino basics' (Servo, LCD, 7 segment displays, resistors, LED's, buttons etc), I would highly recommend getting the Arduino Starter kit which is around £65 on Amazon and comes with all the components along with the genuine board (this product). Couldn't recommend enough!

12.2.2013

This is a genuine Arduino Uno R3, it came well packed and I have tested it with the latest Arduino Sketch software and it is working well. It is a bit of a fiddle to install on Windows XP as Windows does not automatically recognize it, but the arduino.cc web site gives clear instructions on how to get around this.My only reason for not giving 5 stars is that it took almost 3 and half weeks to arrive. Granted it was within the estimated delivery time but I had not expected it to come from Hong Kong via Switzerland!

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