How to learn to stop worrying and love the Arduino?

Hello beautiful ladies and gentlemen,

I hope you are all doing well. I know this question has been asked before, and I did indeed scour the net for responses. However, I would still appreciate any advice you are willing to give because you are much more experienced than me.

I have struggled with RSI for a couple of years now, and see hope in using Arduino to create devices, which would help me and others like me use the computer more fully and without pain.

Unfortunately I am not a very smart boy - I have no background in electronics, circuits or microprocessors. I have a basic familiarity with programming at least.

I am trying to understand the underlying, foundational principles at play, so I can build a skill set which I can use for many projects. In other words, to have a grasp of the basics before I delve into the Arduino specific stuff.

From what I read, three basic areas of competency are required:
-introductory physics
-introductory circuits
-logic circuits

Is this correct? Would you say I am missing something? How would you approach this? And finally, are there any resources which are particularly fond of and would recommend?

Thank you for taking the time to help. For a newbie it means a lot to get guidance from someone who has braved the dark seas of uncertainty.

Best wishes,
Zhey

An Arduino Starter Kit is a wonderful place for a head start. Afterwards the many IDE examples allow to dive into a rich choice of related topics. Beginners are welcome to the community, if questions and problems have not already been discussed in the forum.

Many other sources exist for learning circuit and code design, that's nothing Arduino specific.

zheygrudov:
From what I read, three basic areas of competency are required:
-introductory physics
-introductory circuits
-logic circuits

Without knowing what you want to make my immediate reaction is that that is an enormous field of study.

I don't think any of those areas of knowledge is needed in order to understand computer programming because programming does not directly concern itself with the physical circuits that makes a microprocessor work.

Some knowledge of electricity and electrical circuits is probably essential for understanding how to connect things to an Arduino so that it can obtain information from switches or sensors and control external things like motors and lights.

I suggest that you identify a simple first project that you would like to create and then ask again about the skill-set needed to implement it.

...R

I would offer that physics relating to goals and hobbies will have different categories.

physical motion. motors, pumps, rolling, flying, things of that nature
visual , lights, patterns
information, sensing and logging information.

one of these is more natural to each of us than others. if you use an Arduino or some sort of microcontroller in the area that you are most comfortable, your learning will be faster and easier.

we often say that if you can blink an LED, you can move mountains. the same signal that gets the LED to blink can be used to control a ship at sea, a rocket to the moon, set off fireworks, send your voice over wires or the airwaves or start your morning coffee.

I would offer that the most fundamental building block is the if() statement.

if(you press the button) the ship sails,the rocket launches, the fireworks go off, your voice is heard far away.

from that you get the if(not)
unspoken and unwritten
if you do not make the circuit, the ship never sails, the rocket never launches.....

fundamentally, you have to have every piece exactly correct for a thing to work, you learn by mistakes and following the work of others.

pick and area that has your interest, watch some youtube videos on what you like and see what others have done.
many times they will tell you ever part you need and you can copy it.
once you are comfortable in your ability to copy and understand what is being done, you will want to make a thing that is unique to you.

We are here to help you when your knowledge and abilities need a little helping hand.

Personally, I am not a fan of starter sets as they are not tailored to one of the main human traits above. but, I also think you can use the bits you like to learn, so there is usefulness in them.

Robin2:
Without knowing what you want to make my immediate reaction is that that is an enormous field of study.

I don't think any of those areas of knowledge is needed in order to understand computer programming because programming does not directly concern itself with the physical circuits that makes a microprocessor work.

Some knowledge of electricity and electrical circuits is probably essential for understanding how to connect things to an Arduino so that it can obtain information from switches or sensors and control external things like motors and lights.

I suggest that you identify a simple first project that you would like to create and then ask again about the skill-set needed to implement it.

...R

Thank you for the advice. My first project is likely to be a variant of an air mouse, because I cannot use a traditional one. I have researched that this project has been done already but when I try to understand the description I stumble because I have no idea what ground is for example, or what digital pins are, etc. this is the kind of background I am alluding to. However, I am not sure where to start.

I learn best when I have a specific project. Having a wide knowledge is great but there is a lot to learn and maybe best pick things up bit by bit.

By posting the requirements of your project on here, you will get suggestions of how to do it and that will tell you what you need to learn.

eg I'm about to learn about IR emitters/detectors for my next project. When it's working using arduino ADC and program logic, then I might have to learn some electronics to replace the arduino with some chips.

jimmer:
When it's working using Arduino ADC and program logic, then I might have to learn some electronics to replace the Arduino with some chips.

So what would be the point of that, given that the Arduino will be cheaper and more compact? :roll_eyes:

Hello Zhey,

A good place to start is ArduinoInfo.Info Here: ArduinoInfo

In particular, see:

Arduino-Project-Planning-Electrical

Arduino-Project-Planning-Packaging-Mechanical

and

Arduino-Project-Planning-Code

What country are you in? What are sources of electronics parts there?

Start Small! Get something working. Then "Step-Wise Refinement"...

zheygrudov:
My first project is likely to be a variant of an air mouse, because I cannot use a traditional one.

What exactly is an "air mouse" - it sounds like it may be very complex for a first project.

...R