Saskatoon TechWorks Forum

Hello, as we discussed at the last General meeting (March general) there is demand enough for us to hold an Arduino hack night. I've come across a few good tutorial series that may serve as a good framework for this session and possible subsequent sessions:

Jeremy Blum's Arduino Tutorial Series: http://jeremyblum.com/category/arduino-tutorials/
Broken down into 10 modules:

• It Begins!
  Now with more blinky things!'
  EE basics
  Analog Inputs
  Motors and Transistors
  Serial Comm and Processing
  I2C and Processing
  SPI Interfaces
  Wireless Communication
  Interupts and Debouncing

Tronixstuff Arduino Tutorial Series: http://tronixstuff.wordpress.com/tutorials/

• Chapter Zero
  • * Introduction to the Arduino system
    * Basic digital outputs
    * Lots of blinking LEDs!
  Chapter One
  • * learn about electricity
    * the for loop
    * random numbers
    * pulse-width modulation
    * fun with RGB LEDs
    * reading analogue inputs
    * building a voltmeter
  Chapter Two
  • * sensing temperature with the Analog Devices TMP36
    * sending data back to the host PC with the serial outputs
    * libraries
    * using parallel LCD screens
    * building a digital thermometer
    * LCD screens – please see chapter 24
  Chapter Three
  • * controlling relays to switch heavy current loads
    * creating your own functions
    * interrupts
    * having lots of fun with servos
    * building an analogue electronic thermometer
  Chapter Four
  • * learning about binary numbers
    * getting more output pins using the 74HC595 shift register
    * making noises with buzzers and sounds with speakers
    * understanding arrays
    * building a temperature data logger
  Chapter Five
  • * Controlling more than one 74HC595 shift register
    * Using 7-segment LED displays
    * We examine and hack a remote control toy car in order to control it with an Arduino
    * learn some more functions
    * build a binary quiz game – testing your ability to convert binary to base-10
  Chapter Six
  • * Using 4-digit 7-segment LED display modules with shift registers
    * Examining the Sharp infra-red distance sensor
    * Making our first protoshield
    * build a device to display values from an analogue sensor
  Chapter Six (addendum)
  • * more about using 4-digit 7-segment LED display modules
  Chapter Seven
  • * Hexadecimal numbers
    * Binary-coded decimal numbers
    * the switch…case function
    * introduction to the I2C bus (“two wire interface”)
    * Using the Maxim DS1307 real time clock IC
    * make our own digital clocks!
  Chapter Eight
  • * Some more timing with the Maxim DS1307
    * receive user input via the serial monitor box
    * control physical movement with the serial input data
    * make our own analogue clock!
  Chapter Nine
  • * Blink more LEDs with an 8×8 LED matrix display module
    * Spend some time considering user interfaces with our projects
    * create a function to use a potentiometer to return a number in a desired range of numbers (0~x)
    * implement a user-interface on the digital clock from Chapter Seven
    * build our own digital alarm clock!
  Chapter Ten
  • * Creating a minimal Arduino board using a bootrom
    * Using Arduino to control a relay with an on/off timer
    * build our own dual timer control system with various timing options
  Chapter Eleven
  • * Start using wireless data link modules
    * Control digital pins remotely using wireless
    * Investigate rotary encoders
  Chapter Twelve
  • * More about rotary encoders
    * Using common-anode LED display modules
    * Create a button board * Start the series of making a prototype into a product
  Chapter Thirteen
  • * examine piezoelectric buzzers
    * continue with our alarm clock, adding a snooze function * using wireless radio modules to create some remote control systems and sending
  various data over the airwaves.
  blinky – the one eyed clock
  • * an Arduino-based project of interest
  Chapter Fourteen
  • * A detailed yet simple introduction to using the XBee wireless data transceivers with Arduino projects – by reader request
  Chapter Fifteen
  • * A beginner’s guide to RFID with Arduino! We build RFID tag/card readers, RFID control systems, and an RFID data logger with time, date and so on – by reader request
  Chapter Sixteen
  • * Getting started with using ethernet and Arduino – by reader request
  Chapter Seventeen
  • * Getting started with using GPS receivers and Arduino – by reader request
  Chapter Eighteen
  • * Start playing with RGB LED matrix units
  Electronic Dice
  • * An Arduino-based project of interest
  Adding a real-time clock to the TwentyTen Arduino-compatible board
  Chapter Nineteen
  • * More about GPS
  Chapter Twenty
  • * Arduino and the I2C bus. We learn the basics of reading and writing data to various I2C devices, in preparation for future tutorials.
  Chapter Twenty-one
  • * More on Arduino and the I2C bus, including I/O expanders and EEPROM use
  Chapter Twenty-two
  • * Arduino and the AREF pin
  Chapter Twenty-three
  • * Arduino and the touch-screen
  Chapter Twenty-four
  • * Arduino and monochrome LCDs (both character and graphical)
  Chapter Twenty-five
  • * Using analog input to read multiple buttons
  Chapter Twenty-six
  • * Arduino and GSM cellular – part one
  Chapter Twenty-seven
  • * Arduino and GSM cellular – part two
  Chapter Twenty-eight
  • * Arduino and a colour LCD shield
  Chapter Twenty-nine
  • * Arduino and a colour TFT LCD
  Chapter Thirty
  • * Arduino and twitter.
  Chapter Thirty-one
  • * Arduino’s inbuilt EEPROM

EDIT: Fixed lists

1) Your lists are broken... FIXED
2) I missed the meeting and there are no meeting minutes yet, so this may have already been asked, but, how many people are completely new to programming micro controllers vi how many are just new to the Arduino?
3) Is the plan for some people to lead the rest of the group or to have a hack night where we pair up those with more experience with those with less and do a basic project or two to get everyones feet wet?
4) As mentioned in another thread, I am planning to buy an Uno anda Mega this weekend should I order some extras for other people?

ADDandy was planning on leading the tutorial night, there are enough people that have never used a microcontroller to warrant an absolute begginers class, or at the very least a quick segment on basics before we get started. I'll bug Ryan about the minutes, he took them at the last meeting.