Arduino Made Easy(er) - The Basics Of Blinking an LED

In This Installment Of Arduino Made Easy, we reproduce the Basic Example of Blink. We start from scratch to reproduce the example sketch and go just a little bit further to blink two LED's to simulate a railroad crossing.

We go the extra step to explain more of the basics for the beginners who have never done any programming in the past. This will be an easy to follow series of videos on the basics of using Arduino to automate and light our model railroads.

The hardest aspect of any programming language is understanding the syntax use to have our code function properly. We all know what we want to happen but the issue is to translate our ideas into the proper syntax of the language. In these videos, I'll do my best to explain what needs to be done to achieve our end result.

Hopefully, there will be others with more experience with Arduino to chime in and give a hand in these videos to teach those that need the help with additional projects. There are many references available now for just about any task, but the method to initialize those resources may be hard for some to understand.

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What You Should Know Before Starting Your Model Railroad

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Disclaimers: all opinions are my own, sponsors are acknowledge. Affiliates are: Amazon, TubeBuddy, 1&1, & Magix GmbH

[misterbee]

Finally used my UNO R3 to alternate some LEDs. So easy to understand. And you are correct that typing the coding from scratch is better than cut and paste. It is understood exactly the instructions are for. ATtiny 85 and 84 are in my future. Thank you.

[geoffreyfuller]

Hi Tom another great video. I actually understood what you were doing, you are a great teacher. I look forward to the next lesson so you can teach a 70 year old new tricks. many thanks.

[ejejeff]

A couple months ago, I just wanted to start a new layout, now I'm learning to write code for robotics, didn't see that coming, wow! Thank you Tom!

[roklobsta]

Thanks Tom,
You do make Arduino easy(er).
Got it first go,
I'm hooked,
On to the next project :)
Keep up the great work.

[mthefthec]

Thank you so much Tom, for describing sketch writing for the Arduino in easily understandable language for a beginner like myself. This is the best teach-yourself video I've seen on the topic. Full marks!!

[nickdukellis]

Hello Tom- I finally successfully completed the Blink Example, after a few hours of "trying to figure out what I did wrong." Anyway, I am 57 and have no code experience at all, but your great videos have given me the confidence to try this stuff out. I am an HO scale traction modeler. Keep up the superb work, my friend.

[littlefoxley]

Wow. Thanks Tom. Great video and easy to follow!!!

[OtterCreek]

Great video Tom! Learned a lot, thank you!!

[rccartips]

Wish you were my programming prof in college :)

[JohntheTrainman]

Doing a great job of explaining the code! I really like you actually keying in the code. My question is, when you put this setup on (under) the layout, do you continue to use breadboard, or do you use something else. If something else, will you be doing a video on that process? Also, will this work with an arduino Nano? No one seems to talk very much about the Nano. I'm assuming they work the same.

[daleroth]

On line 2 change the declaration to "myLED2" You didn't change it if it matters. I started writing basic with the Commodore 64, then moved on to the Amiga 1000. By my estimation I wrote over 3000 programs on both machines. So, this would be easy as they are similar, and easy to understand. Now I will have to get an Arguino to see how it all works. Thanks for the upload.

[jodydavis]

Hello Tom ! So when you first stared to write your program you moved up above void setup ! how did you do that and you have numbers to the left starting with 1, 2, 3 and so on . In my sketch i do not have that ?

[tannercline]

Hi Tom
Great introduction to Arduino! My question is on doing a simulated Arc Weld for N scale, is the there a way to directly connect LEDS together and not use the giant board? This will be used in a custom shop.

[Janofire]

Hi Tom, thank you for sharing this video. First at all, I'm not electronic or electric guy, I'm economist, I have no idea about positive, negative, connection, etc. I think I did something wrong, but in my project both leds blinks at the same time. And another wired point, I just can put one positive to the resister and the other one to negative to the resister, if I put both positives to their each resistance doesn't work. I jump the ground as you did. I also check the code and is equal as you create. Do you have any idea what’s going on?

[chazco]

My daughter and I built and arduino controlled "robot" that is controlled by people linked to a website to roll dice so a bunch of people can play Yatzee.
She and some friends wrote the sketch and we played quite a few games with that robot and skype.
Chuck

[Elzearcactus]

Whitch software are you using to present the schematic of your project with the breadboard?

[markbozzano]

I tried this it works great. Problem is that both leds blink at the same time. Followed instructions clearly.

[TheDougday]

Tom, What does all the writing on the Arduino Uno mean? I want to order one on ebay and am afraid I'll order the wrong one. Please emai me a photo of the one you are using. I have have also looked at aervo boards. Do they attach right on to the Arduino Uno? Send a photo of ths too. Thanks much for doing these videos. Doug Day

[rahulbarbhuiya]

Can u provide me the coding for put on and off motor by missed call

[terrylefevre]

Now we need a code to tell Arduino WHEN to turn on (activate the LED code) and when to stop..sensors of some type perhaps?