Arduino shields, boards, Arduino Leonardo, Nano, Duo, Mega microcontrollers
Millions of people around the world have been saying yes to Arduino since the microprocessor platform was launched in 2005. Yes to coding; yes to creativity; yes to tweeting plants and cats; yes, most of all, to the satisfaction and enjoyment that comes from turning an idea into reality. The combination of user-friendly, connectable hardware, open source software and accessible programming language has made the Arduino prototyping system beloved by designers, hobbyists, artists and engineers.
The first thing that strikes you about an Arduino board is how small it is: fitting comfortably within the palm of a hand, the various Arduino microcontroller formats - Nano, Uno, Mega, Leonardo, Due and Yun - pack incredible power within their petite packages. Arduino boards are pre-assembled with Atmel ATMEGA chips, surface mounted components and a range of connection ports and digital pins, which can be used to connect inputs and outputs.
If you are an electronics novice, Arduino is your ideal launch pad. Within minutes of plugging an Arduino microcontroller board into your PC's USB port and opening the IDE software, you can be programming the board to interact with its environment and perform simple electronic tasks. By linking your Arduino to a range of inputs, devices and integrating components (such as sensors, LEDs and display modules), there is almost no limit to the projects that can be created.
Introduction to the Arduino
Rapid supply an extensive range of Arduino products - including the Arduino Uno, Nano, Mega, Leonardo and Yun boards, as well as a comprehensive selection of accessories and components such as ethernet shields, motor shields, servo modules, enclosures, robots, devices and chips. Datasheets, schematics and reference designs are freely accessible from our pages.
Arduino Projects
Arduino guitar pedal
The pedalSHIELD UNO is a guitar pedal that synchronises with the Arduino UNO. The pedal can be programmed in C/C++ and is designed to help guitarists learn about code, digital signal processing and guitar effects. Watch the video here
Whisky dispensing machine
David Cranmer's ingenious whisky dispensing machine was commissioned by Southern Comfort. The Arduino was used to generate the lights and music accompanying each serving of the New Orleans spirit. Watch the video here
Midi controller project
Gary Watson used an Arduino Mega2560 Board for a midi controller he built inside an original Nes Nintendo for his DJ sets. "This is a great board for what I do. It has more than plenty of inputs for buttons, pots, leds and any other input you can throw at it."
Dance Off Robot
Craig Turner used an Arduino motor shield to program his Uno-controlled robot car to perform sequential movements. The robot appears to dance in perfect time to the music. Watch the video here
Home Automation System
Corrado Bevilacqua used an Arduino ATMega328 as the heart of his home automation system. Corrado's system performs a variety of home security functions, including light switching, audio and visual alarm activation.
