Good Morning all!
Just joined the forum here to try and jump start my learning of the Arduino platforms.
Have had a UNO sitting on the shelf for years that was purchased for a group project that never materialized due to lack of motivation from others and well, lack of knowledge on my part in micro-controllers and coding.
Now I am interested in home grown and secure solutions for a home/property security system, thus the reason that UNO has been pulled off the shelf and I am finally starting to learn how it works.
I have a good understanding of electrical concepts and troubleshooting, having built and modified Amateur Radio's and Motor Vehicle electronics for years, the old school way.
By trade, a heavy equipment mechanic/technician with a strong background in electrical and emissions systems.
Just wanted to say hello and get my first post out of the way.
Located in South Central Texas, about 20 minutes east of San Antonio.
Have a great week all!
Bad news, nine times out of ten, Uno is a bad choice for Arduino projects!
Why? Uno is designed to have a "shield" plugged on top of it. A shield is a pre-made PCB containing sensors, displays, buttons, whatever, which is the same shape and size as the Uno. It has pins sticking down underneith which plug into the sockets on the top of the Uno. If you can find a shield which is perfect for your project and is reasonably priced, then, great! Buy that shield and fit it to you Uno. Job done.
But most Arduino projects, the interesting ones, require building a prototype circuit using your choice of components. This can be done on a solderless breadboard or on a proto-board of some kind, like stripboard. Suddenly, Uno becomes a pain in the a**se. A rat's nest of wires join the Uno to the breadboard/proto-board, which can come dislodged and fall out any time you move it.
So my advice would be leave the Uno on the shelf until the day comes when a suitable shield gives you what you need for that project.
For most other projects, a classic Nano 3 is far better, and identical to Uno in most respects. And it fits on a breadboard or proto-board.
Paul RB,
I appreciate you concern and thoughtfully worded response.
And your concern over me working with the dread octopus of breadboarding.
But really, what are you saying?
I should go out and purchase something I don't already have, to experiment with?
Or, I should just give up, because you say I should?
Or maybe, I should just ask for forgiveness and slink away into my boredom as a soon to be empty nester?
Just some background!~
I built my first transistor radio over 40 years ago, taught by a old ham radio elmer that taught us youngsters (back them) how to do things the ugly way. And every project he taught us and we built worked.
I built a launch timer for my drag car long before anyone produced them commercially, and before anyone else figured out what we was doing. This was in 1979.
I have built from scratch and from kits over a dozen ham radio's that have transmitted and received data and voice signals from all over the world. Even built a EME station and bounced signals off the moon.
today I work on some of the most complex trucks and construction equipment produced, and have never run from a challenge no matter how complex.
before I actually joined this forum to learn and maybe at some point give back I research dozens of designs here and other Arduino based forums, and found what I want to do to guard my workshop and property can be done with a minimal of components, including the lowly Uno that was gifted to me a few years ago during a cram session trying to figure out how a DYI solution to automate a process during a race in a very remote part of our state. Sadly the project fell apart after someone found a commercial solution, and funded the purchase.
Why a UNO? Because I have it, as well as a very well stocked starter kit, that has all but wifi module.
Oh, almost forgot, I have a Nano module in my 1993 Chevy Suburban that is connected to my lights. It allows my lights to stay on for 90 seconds when I tap a pushbutton then turn my headlights off for those nights it is really dark out here in the country and do not have my flashlight on me. One of these days I may pull it out and download the code my neighbor put it in. He sad it was only 12 lines. All I know is it works.
So again thanks for the welcome to the group, and the concerns, but I love a good challenge and love building stuff from nothing, and making it something.
Paul, my reply may have come across a little harder then I wished, but yesterday was a rough day and someone telling me I should not learn to do something with what I have before purchasing other stuff.
The plan is to learn the basics here, make things work, then if I find the Uno does not cut the mustard, then find something that does. Found some other missing hardware I had forgotten about last evening. A pair of Raspberry Pi's! Which are probably antiques by now. LOL!
Have a great day Sir!