Hellow,
I am thinking in buy an arduino, however i haven´t muck knowdlege about it. My objective is to make tests to rope´s and then get some values like pression, displacement... I want to use a program made in c# and then get the values form arduino. Can you help me in do that? I don´t know what is the equipment i have to buy and even know if is possible programming to arduino with c#. Thanks
No, you can't program the Arduino in C#, whatever that may be. C++ is the language of choice.
As to the Arduino, if in doubt take the Uno. If any other Arduino version offers you something you like (size, price, other benefits), go that way, it makes no difference from the programming.
If you're still choosing a platform, you might also look into the USB Bit Whacker (works only while connected to a PC) or the Netduino. Also, don't underestimate the complexity of the sensor you're going to need for your measures. They might prove a far bigger challenge than the little programming needed on the micro-controller.
Korman
you can however run a c# program on your computer and use serial communication to transmit values from the arduino to your program.
Thanks for the fast reply! If anyone has more suggestions, grateful to leave a comment ... Also like to know where I can get some tutorials or books for a better learning..
don't forget that points:
input and output are limited but you can extend them memory of arduino is limited so be careful because as far as i know, the programming area is not extensible. have a look at: http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Memory http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Learning/Memory
Should i by arduino Mega 1280 or the new UNO??
If you don't need the additional ports and UART, the Uno is good enough and has the benefit that all shields work with it. For the Mega, there are nearly no shields available.
From what you write, I would guess the Uno is the right one, but without knowing exactly what kind of sensors you need to attach and how many of them, it's hard to tell.
Korman
Thanks. I wanted to buy a arduino kit through ebay, however most are the ones who showed up the arduino mega 1280 (older version). It will be a good option?
Where can i buy a arduino uno kit? I´m from Portugal.
Ask on the Portuguese forum or look it up on Google. There are several promising hits when searching for Arduino Portugal.
As to to older versions, if you're looking for the Uno or similar, any version - no matter how old - with and ATmega328 is ok, provinding it has the correct interface. If you want USB, a serial board won't be the right choice. For the Mega, the 128 Version ist for nearly all application just as good as the 256 version. If you need more memory, consider looking for another platform.
Korman
Korman: For the Mega, there are nearly no shields available.
The Mega's were designed to be backwards compatible with Uno shields. So the Mega has all the shields the Uno has, plus the handfull that were specifically designed for the Mega.
The Mega has more memory/pins which can... be an advantage.
The Uno and lots of other 168/328-based boards do have the advantage that you can easily replace the micro-controller. That's a lot harder with a Mega-board.
For some applications you may need a lot of memory, but you already can do a lot with 16 or 32KB.
I bought my Arduino Duemilanove 18 months back using ebay, it was a lot cheaper as buying locally and it works like a charm.