Arduino software to implement blinkenlights for our robots!

Introduction

The IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for programming the Arduino can be downloaded here Be sure to get the download for your computer operating system. There is also an online IDE, but these instructions don't reference that.

After installing the IDE you will also need to install some libraries. These are helper programs to make communication with the LEDs easier. The libraries you want are called Adafruit_NeoPixel and FastLED. To install a library, run the IDE, and click on Sketch -> Include Library -> Manage Libraries. That should pop up a window that lets you search for and install the NeoPixel and FastLED libraries. (The LED chip we are using is called a NeoPixel, and the little strip with 8 LEDs on it is called a NeoPixel Strip. They come from Adafruit)

The main website for Arduino is https://www.arduino.cc/ and they have lots of information and tutorials about these things. Another great resource is Adafruit, where the NeoPixel comes from: https://www.adafruit.com/) There are a million videos on YouTube about the Arduino and Neopixels. If you want me to find a good tutorial, let me know. Otherwise, I think the first step is to install the IDE and the library, then clone this repository into your Arduino directory (created by the IDE in your home folder). After that try to File -> Open the project named NeoPixelStickExample.

After opening the program, click on the check box at the top of the IDE window to "verify" the code. If no scary error messages appear in the status window, then the libraries are set up correctly. Next, make sure the correct Arduino type is selected in Tools -> Board. We usually use an Arudino/Genuino Uno, but check your hardware to make sure you set this correctly. Finally, with the Arduino plugged in to USB, set the serial port for programming at tools -> Port. Once that is configured, click on the arrow next to the check button on the IDE, and that should compile and download the program to the Arduino, where it will immediately start running.

Some useful links about Arduino/NeoPixels:

• https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/glowascii/neopixel-leds-arduino-basics-126d1a
• https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/zanycadencedev/getting-started-with-arduino-and-neopixels-013360
• http://arduinobasics.blogspot.com/2015/07/neopixel-playground.html
• https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide/the-magic-of-neopixels
• Arduino tutorials: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
• Arduino reference: https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/
• FastLED reference: http://fastled.io/docs/3.1/index.html