Arduino | All you need to know about Arduino | Micro Controllers

Arduino

Arduino is a micro-controller device, it is also quoted as an open source electronic platform. It is used for converting some inputs to outputs using GPIO pins provided on the semiconductor motherboard. It is commonly used by hobbyists, electronic enthusiasts and small scale industries to control things like diodes, transistor and relays.

It is also contributing to the field of IoT - Internet of Things.

Here's an image of Arduino's most common board, Arduino UNO. It is widely used by people for simple automating tasks. 

What Are Micro-Controllers ?

Microcontrollers, as defined on Wikipedia, are a small computer on a single metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) integrated circuit (IC) chip. A microcontroller contains one or more CPUs (processor cores) along with memory and programmable input/output peripherals.

These are compact and portable devices which can be used in simple automation tasks. They are used in automobiles, implantable surgical devices, toys, home appliances, powers tools or in  some other embedded systems. As compared to micro processors they are cheap and can perform various tasks.

In the field of IoT they play a vital role in channelizing the task of data collection, sensing and actuating. They are used to control things remotely. They can send and receive digital as well as analog signals which make them unique for non-digital devices.

A microcontroller has its own volatile memory and a secondary memory also for storing the program. It can act like a mini-computer at many places.

Arduino has occupied a separate place in the field of these micro controllers, several copies of the motherboard are also available in the market. However, Arduino UNO itself is a cheap product and if used with authenticity gives 100% results.

Applications of Arduino

• It can be used to automate home appliances like fan, cooler, AC, washing machine, Microwave, lights etc.
• It can be used to control LEDs which means diodes, and when a thing can control switching on and off of a diode it can perform innumerable tasks in the field of electronics.
• As it can control Diodes, similarly it can control transistors, relays, sensors, actuators. Which with some application make a whole computer. One can explore the world of computers using it.
• It can be used to create simple bots, which after adding up can lead to construction of a robot which can perform tasks according to given commands.
• Arduino can also be used to automate your vehicle with voice commands, with the use of Rasberry Pi, along with a speech recognition module, one can control its own vehicle with voice commands.

And there are innumerable applications of a micro controller like Arduino in this digital era. We are living in an electronic environment and we can find its applications everywhere.