It's not a hobby I want to use part kits so I can learn how things work. So I'm working on projects for the experience.
Last I looked, Amazon had a number of Arduino starter kits. That'll give you an idea what's available at least.
While you are attending a place of learning, or on the side while you work, or just 'for interest'?
I go to college
For what?
robotics
If you are stuck on getting an Uno, Elegoo has one of those kits as well, but not as many parts.
Just so you know, (I'm not trying to sell you) the Mega2560 is just a beefed up version of the Uno, with more pins, more RAM, and a few other things. Anything you can do on an Uno, you can do on a Mega2560. The Mega2560 is there when your project outgrows what an Uno can do.
1 Like
Since you're going into robotics, I'd say you'll be wanting more I/O than a Uno has - not a showstopper, expanders are available, but the Mega has a lot going for it right out of the package.
Also, the Mega has 4 serial, instead of the 1 on the Uno/Nano. That'll be useful if you end up co-ordinating multiple devices down the road.
The Nano has just about everything the Uno has, in a much smaller footprint, which is sometimes advantageous.
But at your stage, I guess a Kit, with a Uno, is about as useful as anything. Just be aware of it's limitations.
C
1 Like
I'm aware I just need a kit with lots of parts
Since you're talking robotics, maybe a put-together kit, like these, might be in order? You can put it together and play around with it. You can also study * and change * the code, and the datasheets for the various parts. With gumption, could be a real teacher.
I was gifted an ElecFreaks kit a couple of years ago by someone who didn't know much about what I did with electronic things. It included an Uno clone and a bunch of modules and code to experiment with. Things like servo, motion detector, LED, switch, display, etc., etc., etc. While very elementary for me, in a sense, I have actually got a lot of use from most of the parts and use them with other micros like the Raspberry Pi devices.
Check Amazon.
I prefer the ELEGOO kits (https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/DADF9791-EB5E-40EE-8260-F86EE2B98538?ingress=2&visitId=f97d8de1-e18f-4be8-9c4c-69a91e5e5f04&ref_=ast_bln)
1 Like
I too bought an Elegoo kit. It's good bang for the buck IMO. Amazon.
For discrete components I like Mouser for their massive selection. Also have a few good retail parts houses by me.
Get friendly with your local RC hobby shop, too. They have gigatons of stuff that crosses over into the robotics realm and staff who are happy to help you with some of the more mechanical side of things.
If you're building robots, also check out Superdroid. This place has it all and then some!
this link https://www.superdroidrobots.com/store/robot-parts/electrical-parts/motor-controllers?page=2 has my favourite motor controller on it, the sabertooth.
Since this is for college though, I'd wait to see what the program curriculum has in store before buying a bunch of parts willy nilly. Suppose you get the Elegoo kit with one of each type of common sensor, one servo, one stepper etc. I never went to school for any of this stuff but two things come to mind anyway: firstly, guys I knew who did typically got a list of what they should have in a kit (they all used tackle boxes, something I stole from them - the idea, not the gear) such as resistors, transistors, etc. Secondly, any robot-y type thing I've built (yes, robot-y is a technical term) has duplication on it of things that a kit probably won't have for any build.
So, for ex, when I made a Dalek, it used four ultrasonic sensors, not one. When I made a teleoperated robot prototype as a hazmat helper, it used lots of servos for the cameras, not one.
Finally, if this stuff is pretty new to you, rather than trying to get to know how to use every sensor under the sun before school, if you know you'll be using Arduino, get right with @Robin2 's outstanding tutorial on working with serial data. Trust me, if you aren't already strong here, you'll want to be.
https://forum.arduino.cc/t/serial-input-basics-updated/382007/3
This is the way.
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.