This page provides a table of contents for DigiKey’s TechForum education materials related to the Arduino microcontroller and the Opta Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Please bookmark this page and return often as it is under construction. Recommendations for additional content are welcomed.
What is an Arduino?
Arduino is an open-source hardware and software platform designed to provide an easy, low cost, yet high performance entry point into the world of microcontrollers. Arduino was pioneered nearly two decades ago by David Cuartielles, Gianluca Martino, Tom Igoe, David Mellis, and Massimo Banzi. For more information about Arduino and its relationship with education please see this DigiKey article. You will see that Arduino hardware with it’s easy to use programming interface has grown beyond the parent company.
Programming
- Microcontroller Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) in Education
- Mastering Non-Blocking Arduino Delay By Adapting PLC Techniques
- Designing a Binary Clock: Understanding Multiplexing Constraints
- Designing a Multiplexed Binary Clock with Increased and Consistent LED Brightness
Measurment
- Improving the voltage measurement performance of an Arduino microcontroller
- Measure high DC current with an Arduino and the LEM HO 120-P Transducer
- How to Select Resistors for Higher Voltage Microcontroller Measurements
- Breadboard Current Limitations with Terminal Block Alternatives
- Guide to Ratiometric Sensor Applications
Relay interface
- How to Interface a Microcontroller with a Relay Using a MOSFET
- Mastering Relay Flyback Voltage with the TVS Diode
- Driving a Large Relay From a 3.3 VDC Microcontroller Using an NPN Darlington Transistor
- NEW! Guide to Selecting and Controlling a MOSFET for 3.3 VDC Logic Applications
Motion and Control
- Design a Robust Quadrature Encoder ISR based program for Arduino Motor Control
- Fast PWM for the Arduino Nano Every
- Arduino Control of a 4-wire Fan
- Brushed DC Motor Control Using an MDD3A H-bridge Featuring FreeRTOS and the Arduino C33
- Guide to Designing a PID Controller Part 1
- NEW! Motor Drive Into: Breadboard a Bootstrapped MOSFET Driver with Arduino PWM Control
Arduino PORTENTA Pro
- FreeRTOS for the Arduino PORTENTA Pro C33
- Advanced PWM Functionality with the Arduino PORTENTA Pro C33
- High Speed Interrupts, FreeRTOS, and the ARM NVIC with the Arduino PORTENTA Pro C33
Arduino UNO R4 Minima and WiFi
- NEW! Fast PWM for the Arduino UNO R4 Minima and UNO R4 WiFi boards
- NEW! Theory behind the Arduino UNO R4 12 x 8 LED Display Matrix
Arduino Opta PLC
- How to connect and communication with the Arduino Opta
- How to View I/O Status on the Arduino Opta
- Beginner's Guide to Connecting Digital Inputs to the Arduino Opta PLC
- Beginner's Guide to Connecting Outputs with Arduino Opta PLC
- Mastering Non-Blocking Arduino Delay By Adapting PLC Techniques
- Arduino Opta PLC Ladder Logic Memory Structures
- Ladder Logic UDFB in the Arduino Opta PLC
