Buying decision

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) General Frequently-Asked Questions
1

Hello Everybody

I am looking to buy a whole set of Arduino components and am total newbie and am therefore quite confused about what to get. And I am in Europe.

What I want to buy:

Arduino, Motor Shield, Motors, LEDs, cable etc (e.g. Servos)

Questions:

  1. What Arduino would be best for this:

UNO or MEGA?

  1. I wanted to get a kit with motors, motorshield that would work with that Arduino.

I found one at adafruit (cant post the link), but it is called:

Motor party add-on pack for Arduino

Unfortunately from the US. I know they ship to Europe, but it looks like it could last longer.

Is there any European supplier for this kit or a similar version that anybody knows off.

The main reason I want the kit is because I know little about voltages and what motor works with what shield voltagewise.

If anybody knows a simple motor shield combination that works, I would be happy to know about that.

  1. If I get a Uno, is there going to be less examples, tutorials because it is so new?

  2. If i want to add more sensors?

utrasound, infrared

Do all the shields work with that?
Is it just about the amount of connection, that differs?

Thanks for the attention and sorry if these questions are stupid, but i am just starting off.

thx

L.

2

What are you planning to build?

if we don't know what you are planning to do with them, we can only say that both are good for you to buy.

Any motor will work with Arduino. The motorshield is dependent on the motor you want to control and not with the arduino. The arduino can even control an industrial motor, if you connect both to an AC drive. Again, if we knew what you are planning to do, we could say a bit more about it.

If you don't know voltages... I'd learn a bit more about them and then start up whatever you're planning to do.

Examples for Duemilanove work in Uno and vice-versa. Some examples need additional shields to work. Some shields can be connected to the Arduino Mega... most don't. So the Uno may be a better choice.

If you want to add sensors, depends on the type of sensors... it is always possible to add more. Are you ok, adding more chips to your setuo? Or do you want the least amount of hardware possible? What type of output do the sensors have?

These questions are not stupid... but, they show how much you don't know about what you want to do. And because of that, it is also very difficult to give some valuable advice.

3

If you are a beginner with electronics, I highly reccommend two sources you'll want to investigate:

http://www.earthshineelectronics.com/files/ASKManualRev4.pdf

Basically, its the Earthshine Electronics (UK) Arduino Beginners Manual - a great thing to read, by the way! They have a starters kit that goes with it, you might check it out.

http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/

This is the "Electronics Club" - which is a great place to learn basic electronics skills (mainly geared toward a UK and European audience).

Good luck!

:slight_smile:

4

http://conductiveresistance.com/arduino-starter-kit-comparison-chart/
Has a great review of many starter kits.

A related question is whether you want to do"Breadboard" based circuit prototyping, or use "Electronic Bricks" which are easy to connect to Arduino to start with but are somewhat more expensive.. Here's a link to some info on that option (This is a VERY unpublished Website, so please don't forward this link!)
http://internationalschoolphotos.com/arduino-direct/ElectronicBricks1.htm

One seller is SeeedStudio. See here:
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/electronic-brick-starter-kit-p-506.html?cPath=1...
(Search on BRICK on that site). Also many ebay sellers in China.

5

I've used the Adafruit motor control shield kit (bought from the States) with a Uno to control a small geared motor. The kit was easy to build and works very well.

6

Thanks to everybody, who responded!!
Very interesting answers.
I will read all the things you suggested.

I am trying to power a stepper motor, that moves a certain amount of degrees every unit of time. Ideally I could do that without a computer being connected to the arduino, but rather program the arduino to do that and then let it run by itself.

If that works, I would like to add other sensors to it. Like an infrared reviever and sensor that when I interrupt the infrared beam trigger the motor to move a degree position further.

What I want to avoid is that the arduino or the motor or even worse the macintosh via the usb will take any damage, because I get the power, voltage, current whatsoever wrong.

If there are example tutorials for that I would be happy to know about them.

And one more thing i fear is that the motors might be to weak for that construction.

So the idea to control any motor, is fantastic.
But where can I get more info on how to control a powerful motor.
And even more a powerful motor that might has the appropriate libraries to control.

Thanks again..

Really great feedback