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Learn the fundamentals of electronics and programming at a bargain through ELEGOO’s starter kits. Choose from our Mega 2560 R3 or UNO R3 Project Starter Kits with over 200 components for a comprehensive learning experience. You’ll get sets of LEDs, resistors, sensors, DC motors, and transistors among others for your simple or complex Arduino projects.

Planning on designing projects for detecting humidity, temperature, motion, and others? Choose any of our advanced Arduino sensor components that feature water, humidity, temperature, and flame sensor modules.

Arduino Starter Kit is the best way to start with coding, electronics and Arduino itself. Arduino Starter Kit is a perfect way to dive into electronics as you get all the essential components in a single package that are required to start working with Arduino.

Arduino Starter Kits are useful for beginners in electronics and programming as all the hardware and software is open source and you can use these kits even if you have no experience in electronics and programming.

We have collected information on a few different Arduino Starter Kits and explained what they offer, how much they cost, contents of the kits and what kind of projects are possible with the kit. Read our “Buying Guide” to know more about the Arduino starter kits that help you to craft cool projects in no time.

The first kit in the list is the Official Arduino Starter Kit. It is being sold by Mp3 Car storefront that mainly focuses on driving mobile computing innovation with the information of products to develop and utilize efficiently.

The Arduino starter kit is specially designed from the beginner’s point of view to make them understand the concepts very clearly and implement them in real-time applications.

The first kit in the list is the Official Arduino Starter Kit. This kit includes several components using which you can make up to 15 projects. The kit also includes a 170 page Project Book which contains step – by – step tutorials of all the 15 projects.

The only reason for listing in the top is the high-quality components that help to craft amazing projects. When compared to others on the list it is bit expensive and the performance of the Arduino starter kit is too good as it features 2KB RAM for storing the information.

The next kit in the list is the Elegoo UNO Project Super Starter Kit. This is one of the most economical Arduino Starter Kits available today. You will get a CD with a PDF file in it, which includes more than 22 tutorials.

If you notice in the components list, there are few advanced modules like DHT11 Humidity and Temperature sensor, ultrasonic sensor, joystick module, servo motor and stepper motor, you can some advanced projects related to robotics, weather monitoring, motor control etc.

When compared to others, this Elegoo starter kit comes at affordable prices that have upgradable options and the best to start right away. If you are a fan of Arduino then you will love the device for sure and make projects on your own.

The overall performance of Elegoo starter kit is fantastic and has no major flaws. That’s why it has become a 2nd priority in the list of 10 best Arduino starter kits.

This kit is the Vilros Ultimate Arduino Starter Kit. This is one of the simplest starter kits available for Arduino platform. It has all the components required to make your own Arduino projects.

This starter kit is suitable for beginners, who are interested in learning Arduino and basics of programming, and also experts in electronics and programming.

There is a 72-page instruction manual, which gives an introduction to the Arduino Programming environment as well as how to use the components and a step – by – step tutorial.

It didn’t mention the warranty details. For more information visit the manufacturer’s website. The performance of the Vilros starter kit is good and offers amazing components along with the instruction manual.

This LAFVIN project super starter kit is perfect for Arduino enthusiasts, as it contains r3 control board, LED diodes, resistors, RFID module, and other than 50 kinds of sensors and components to meet your demands for different projects – either simple or complex.

Its tutorial contains detailed codes, wiring diagrams, libraries, lessons, datasheets, etc. (of more than 20) that explain step by step process and let you learn electronics interestingly. Also, includes type motors, and LCDs with servo motor, stepper motor & DC motor, LCD 4-bit 7-segment display, etc.

Its 1602 12C interface LCD display module is compatible with Arduino, nano and display the information. It also offers you to experiment 74HC595 & segment display and LED & 830-hole breadboard effectively.

It won’t mention the warranty details. For more information on its warranty, you can visit the manufacturer’s website. When compared with other similar products, this LAFVIN starter kit comes at affordable prices. The overall performance of this LAFVIN starter kit is fantastic with little flaws.

The SunFounder Super Starter Kit for Arduino doesn’t include the Arduino Board (by default) but contains almost all the basic hardware that are required for a beginner to start working on Arduino.

This Arduino Starter Kit from SunFounder is suitable for people who already own an Arduino Board (UNO or Mega) and are looking for different components in a single package.

With the components in the kit, you can make 19 different projects and the details of all those projects i.e. datasheets, code, Fritzing Images etc. can be downloaded from the technical specifications.

The next kit in the list is from Smraza. This super starter kit has detailed PDF tutorial of about 28 lessons with sample code and image instruction. It is a perfect kit for beginners to learn and start programming in a most economical way.

It is compatible with Arduino r3, nano, mega. Its LCD1602 module comes with pin header that let you no need to solder. It is an upgraded starter kit that comes with 9V battery with DC and power supply module. To avoid mess up and keep things well, this kit comes with a good quality storage box with divider plates to keep it tidy.

For instance, in the LCD 1602 display lesson, the display comes with LED backlight with two row display. This display is white on blue in rectangles and intended for showing text. Run the Arduino program for LCD library to learn how to control this LCD 1602 contrast of display.

Whereas in Power Supply Module Lesson, the uses green/red LED to indicate the power on/off. Here the center pin of barrel socket is positive and after connecting the wires, and uploading the program, we use potentiometer to control the extent of LED blinking.

It is an amazing kit that comes with various components and detailed information on project provided in the instruction manual that help you to do electronic projects with ease.

Kuman Starter Kit for Arduino Project is another complete starter kit with reliable components and detailed tutorials. The kit consists of 44 components using which we can make 23 projects.

This is one of the complete kits which contains almost all the commonly used electronic components in Arduino Projects. The UNO board is a custom board but it is compatible with Arduino.

The performance of Kuman brand Arduino starter kit is too good as it features more of hardware parts that are made with the finest materials and very flexible to interface with the other sources. Unfortunately, there is no user guide provided in the starter kit.

RexQualis Inc., a professional manufacturer/brand of electronic components and make them get start easilyfor enthusiasts of electronics and programing. It launches innovative open source products and services like learning kit for Arduino, electronic components and modules, robot kits, product customization service, and learning kit for Raspberry Pi.

This kit contains a number of high-quality sensors and components along with detailed tutorial, including how to set Arduino software IDE, working principles of sensors and how to control sensors by enabling the microcontroller board. Suits perfect for both novice users, & advanced users.

In this kit, we update and add more high-level modules like MAX7219 LED Dot Matrix, Water Level Detection Sensor, HC – SR501, Real Time Clock, PIR Sensor, RC522 RFID, Soil Moisture Sensor Module, LCD 1602 Display Module, LCD16502, Control Stepper Motor by IR, etc. are some of the project done. Here, some parts and motors with wires are pre-soldered to make you convenient and save time while programming.

It has high quality base board base on Arduino UNO R3 and sensors and it is compatible with Arduino IDE official R3, Official Kit. All of its components and circuits are packed and labeled individually in a box. Finally, you will get the wonderful components for what you have paid for.

Last one in the list is from Osoyoo brand. This Arduino starter kit is sold by beyondtel storefront that is specialized in selling electronic items to the customers by offering quality services.

Though it is very cheap and has few reviews, you can still buy the Arduino starter kit without having a second thought as you can make 29 projects with the available components provided in the kit.

The Osoyoo Super Starter Kit for Arduino is useful for beginners in Arduino and for people who are interested in a do and learn kind of approach. The kit contains 20 components and using these you can make a minimum of 15 projects.

The 16 x 2 LCD is I2C type and hence you can even learn the basics of I2C communication. All the projects in the kit consist of code, circuit diagram and step by step tutorial.

The kit contains instructions to make 15 projects to learn about basics of different modules like buttons, LEDs, sensors etc. The list of projects is mentioned below.

The next one on our list is again from Vilros brand.  The name of the product is DFRobot Arduino Starter Kit. Though there are few reviews and ratings, hundreds of people buy the product every month. For this reason, we have given number 4 on the list.

The DFRobot Starter Kit for Arduino is a cost-effective beginner’s kit for newbies into electronics and Arduino. This kit has a wide range of components using which we can implement different applications like basic LED Control, sensing, monitoring, and motor controls.

This starter kit contains high-quality components using which we can make 15 projects. The main controller board is DFRduino UNO, which is 100% compatible with Arduino UNO and the official IDE.

When it comes to choosing Arduino starter kits, key factors are very important as they help you to take the right decision. Below we have listed the 3 main considerations of Arduino starter kit. Check it out!

The first and the foremost thing you look for is the price or budget. Without knowingly you have invested more in Arduino starter kits and don’t know the usage or applications then it isn’t worth the money.

If you really wish to make a project using Arduino starter kit then question yourself about how would you like to use it? For projects or home applications!

If you have a clear idea of what you are going to design then nobody is going to stop you from crafting wonderful projects. So think twice before you choose the starter kit provided in the list that best matches your requirements.

If the Arduino starter kit has a number of components like motherboard, motors, controllers, LEDs you can make use of them efficiently at any point of time. Also, check for the quality of materials as some of the manufacturers build the starter kits with poor quality materials that damage very quickly.

Flexibility is the last one in our buying guide list that you should look into. Flexibility in the context refers to willing to change or compatible with the external sources. When you read the description of all the products, you come to know that not all the starter kits have a flexible option.

Arduino is an open-source computer hardware that designs and manufactures the controllers for building digital devices that can sense & monitor the objects in the physical world.

There are numerous Arduino motherboards that can be used for different purposes. Most of the Arduino boards have a majority of components in common like power, reset button, LED indicator, IC, and voltage regulator. All these wonderful components are pre-soldered and make the user very comfortable to handle.

The Arduino motherboard provides Arduino (IDE) integrated development environment which is a cross-platform application written in Java programming language. These are called Sketches and are saved as text files (.exe) on the computer.

To reset the Arduino, firstly you need to prepare an empty program and then compile it. Now you can reset Arduino using hardware button on the chip. For it to happen, press [Ctrl + U] button to upload the source code.

Usually, all Arduino motherboards have built-in Arduino IDE programming software. The best part of it is that it is compatible with the C, C++, Linux & Java programming languages. Maybe not all the Arduino board don’t support this software, but the latest models are equipped with all the programming software.

Only the top rated or latest models have this amazing feature when compared to the traditional models. Here we end up the buying guide and choose the right one from the list of 10 best Arduino starter kits.

When you purchase Arduino Starter kits, you only get essential hardware components and a user guide. Though the information provided in the user-guide useful but is not sufficient to handle the Arduino starter kits for complex projects.

So, how can you overcome such problems is simply by reading the books – Arduino Books. Only the Arduino books will help you to fix the technical issues. Have a glance at thebest Arduino books that fulfill your requirements.

Welcome to the Thomas guide to the best Arduino starter kit 2022. Thomas has been connecting North American industrial buyers and suppliers for more than 120 years. When you purchase products through our independent recommendations, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The construction of computers can be puzzling, especially for those who aren’t familiar with how they’re built. Yet behind them all, there are similar frameworks for how they’re created and special kits and tools for learning these inner workings. One of the most popular is Arduino, a company that provides tools for building compact computers and utilizing them in a variety of ways (from workable laptops to plant watering systems).

To grasp complex concepts and get a handle on the tech that powers things like computers, engineering programs, and programming software, an Arduino starter kit is a great place to begin.

These high-quality components and tutorials present a safe space where buyers can learn, compound knowledge, and even make mistakes while working on their own Arduino projects.

Typical components that one can expect to find in these kits are items like a microcontroller board, LEDs, a stepper motor driver board, cables, jumper wires, and sensors—either a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, ultrasonic sensor, or other types.

This is just a small sampling, though, as many kits these days have 100 or so numerous pieces in them. Learn more about Arduino, what can be done with an Arduino starter kit, and the best Arduino starter kits currently available for purchase in our brief guide below.

Arduino is a trademarked company that specializes in hardware and software that gives users an understanding of programming, electronics, circuit building, and constructing an Internet of Things (IoT).

The electronic components, including boards with removable computer chips are compatible with multiple operating systems and can be used for multiple Arduino projects, both big and small.

The company has a wide range of starter kits with basic components as well as more detailed models that include the supplies needed for making advanced Arduino projects, such as fitness trackers and Bluetooth-compatible creations.

Beginner starter kits often consist of multiple components and a controller board that’s easy to work, configure, and implement into working technology, even with errors. These kits are built for beginner projects but many of the parts can be used for further education and ideas.

Their pieces can be successfully integrated into operational pieces of technology, and any projects involved in the kits will take a more experienced understanding of Arduino.

For educational purposes in schools, colleges, and other programs, Arduino has kits that companies can purchase for teaching classes and groups of people the basics. These often come in bulk and can range from beginner hardware pieces to those built for advanced participants.

Most complete starter kit options will feature all the essential components (which can sometimes be hundreds of pieces). This often includes a power supply module, USB cable, some kind of sensor (motion sensor, temperature sensor, ultrasonic sensor, or other), Arduino boards, a key switch, a motor—stepper motor, servo motor, or DC motor—and other pieces.

In some cases, other pieces will have to be purchased outside of kits for additional projects, or a more advanced kit will be needed for other projects. Items like a small DC motor or an adjustable potentiometer passive buzzer may come with them but be sure to double-check, so disappointment doesn"t ensue.

Working with this starter kit also makes it easier to learn C++ thanks to the similar Arduino C/C++ language that’s incorporated. It gives a great overview of circuitry, electronics, and using sensors, too.

“The book is a great introduction to both the electronics and the programming,” explained a reviewer. “Although I have experience with both, I found the simple approach very refreshing. The labs encourage you to go above and beyond what they show you to do. The kit itself is well constructed and gives you a nice platform for experimenting. It is set up the way you would do any experiments, so if you want to add your own breadboard later you could do so and be in familiar territory.”

With all the parts needed for kicking off projects in the Vilros handbook, this is a perfect starter kit to start learning coding languages, programming, and circuitry. The booklet will also cover the uses for each part and what they’re made for—an essential way to fully comprehend Arduino and methods beyond this kit.

“The perfect kit for learning Arduino, starts with easy assembly instructions, then goes to step-by-step lessons from the simplest to very detailed, which teach so much about how to use Arduino!”

The kit includes over 200 different pieces, as well as an Uno 3 board, which can create 15 projects within the book. These range from dimmable bulbs to musical creations that can be played in the air through the use of sensors.

“Only halfway through the projects in the book; I"m doing this with my teen, who has ZERO experience with prototyping electronics,” wrote a customer. “We are loving the flexibility on the Arduino platform. So many projects, so little time.”

All the components provided can also be used again for other projects once those in the book have been completed. This one has an LCD screen, too, which makes it easy to see the results of successful projects in real-time.

“The package value is top-notch,” began a buyer. “The documentation is wonderful, and the parts count and variety is awesome.” Another person noted that the assortment of accessories that came with the kit was also impressive.

This is an Arduino clone kit, so it’s not the official set but it still allows users to work through projects and grasp Arduino (since it’s open-source software), but some people noted that some parts aren’t included, such as a servo motor. To keep all the supplies organized, this one comes with a plastic box for storage.

“This product is a fantastic starter kit,” wrote a customer. “I"ve only just begun my adventure into robotics, but after showing the kit to my brother, a robotics enthusiast, he even agreed the kit was a great kit for anyone who is wanting to get started on their robotics adventure.” Another person added, “There"s enough here to assemble a mobile robot with depth perception; there"s even a handy remote control.”

This is another Arduino clone, but reviewers have still found it to be incredibly useful in teaching the language. A small sampling of what the kit includes is a stepper motor driver board, servo motor, DC motor, UNO Arduino board, USB cable, humidity module, potentiometer, and power supply module.

“While the entire kit is great and a handy entry into micro-controllers, ELEGOO’s UNO R3 is particularly impressive, beating out other non-Arduino UNO R3s,” wrote one customer. “The soldering is consistent and, I"ll add, beautiful. All pins are aligned straight… I"ve used this ELEGOO for various small projects since I bought it seven months ago, and I have had no complaints about either function or quality.”

Though the included tutorials aren’t very in-depth, they’re simple to understand, according to multiple reviews. Once users are more comfortable with their Arduino knowledge, the parts can be reused in external projects.

“The combination of the components, the packaging, and the documentation make this one of the best beginner kits,” wrote one buyer. “The box is not large or bulky but big enough that all the components can be easily placed back inside, even with assembled or partially completed projects on the breadboard and Arduino. There is a little room to grow as well.”

Kids, classrooms, and new Arduino enthusiasts alike have relied on this kit to kickstart the education process. The instructions aren’t complicated to understand, and the set is built for laying the foundation of electronics, coding, and circuitry.

“I have little experience with Arduino and so far this has been easy and fun to learn from,” wrote a customer who also purchased additional sensors. “I have made several home automation experiments and so far the coding has been the steepest learning curve but there are a number of very helpful sites to learn from.

After beginners get more comfortable with Arduino and its hardware and software, a more involved kit may be in order that straddles the line between beginner and advanced.

It’s still a fairly small kit and has Arduino’s most popular board, stepper motor, pin header pieces, buzzers, and modules, but it includes parts that more knowledgeable users will enjoy learning about, such as a flame sensor, dot matrix digital tube, and clock module.

“With this kit, you finally have a good understanding of what Arduino can do and how to link to and program the other multiple electronic devices,” explained a customer. “In addition, you can go to Arduino, download the source code, and burn it to your board. And you can know some breakout knowledge and function on Youtube or online tutorials concerted with this kit. In all, it is a fun starting kit and it was helpful for me to learn Arduino and related technologies.”

This kit includes all the parts needed to create an automated watering system for houseplants, like moisture sensors, a water switch, a pump, pipes, and an adaptor. Though it’s perfect for beginners, this is also a smart option for people more comfortable with Arduino who are looking to apply their skills to new creations.

These official Arduino beginner sets and other kits like them are great for understanding the basics of programming Arduino. All the starter kits come with high-quality components and create assembled circuits that function in real-life scenarios and run on Arduino IDE and other software.

Whether it’s a large breadboard remote control and temperature sensor you’re after or something complete with various vibration sensor options or a tone generator for unique home projects, you’re sure to find it. Shoppers will like DFROBOT’s Arduino kit (

We hope our review of the best Arduino starter kits and Arduino boards has helped you find an amazing kit that’s cut out for the work and projects you need it for. For more suppliers of related products, including power entry models, online databases, artificial intelligence software, and computer hardware, consult our additional guides, or visit the Thomas Supplier Discovery Platform.

Our Arduino starter kit is one of the best options out there to get you started in electronics hardware and software. It aims to match you with stepped learning materials similar to a college curriculum to ensure you have what you need to learn and understand the fundamentals before proceeding into system implementation with the UNO Scout Microcontroller. You can start with the basics using the number of integrated chip circuits that are provided so you can assemble and learn about digital logic and design. During which and moving forward you will be able to take advantage of our Breadboard Power Supply Multi-Tool that features a voltmeter & continuity checker along with its selectable 3.3V, 5V and adjustable power supply outputs. You can then move forward on the very functional and cross platform compatible UNO Scout Microcontroller that features the quick connect I2C environment accessed on the 4-pin JST-SH 1.00MM connector.

The Arduino Starter Kit starts you off with a platform that truly provides you with options for prototyping and testing with the materials needed to have a stepped learning experience reflecting a college curriculum approach for a competitive price. But that"s not to say we cut corners! On the contrary we strive to eliminate inefficiencies by filling voids and giving you more for your money, as you will notice we do not hold back on the functionality of our modules and usage of our board space to give you the most options all while wrapping it together with an aesthetic appeal, because ultimately what you build matters and why you build it even more! So unlock your true potential and ascend with Avian while supporting Americans First today!​

We’re starting this guide with the Official Arduino Starter Kit, which doesn’t require any prior knowledge. The kit was developed to introduce people of all ages to the basics of programming, coding, and electronics.

Some of the most fun experiments include a mystic crystal ball that answers questions and a love-o-meter that is essentially a thermometer. Larger sets with the same functionality are available for groups of over eight students. As this kit doesn’t get too deep into the theoretical, the Arduino Education starter kit may be more suitable for younger kids. Finally, let’s take a look at what the kit contains:Arduino Projects Book

It is hard to believe that the amazing story of Arduino, a device that conquered both the world of amateur electronics and that of rapid prototyping in industrial or scientific applications, began with a seemingly unimpressive project that an Italian student, Hernando Barragánfor, made for his own master’s thesis. A simple evaluation board, equipped with a small AVR microcontroller, power supply, reset, serial communication circuits and several cheap and popular connectors, made such a big splash that in exactly 10 years after the birth of this ancestor of Arduino, over seven hundred thousand copies of the board were sold.

The general concept of the project is very simple – Arduino can be considered just another one of the hundreds of evaluation boards for microcontrollers available on the market. One might think that another simple set with only one user-accessible LED, a reset button and the circuitry needed to provide power and communicate with the computer has little chance of success on the market. However, in the case of Arduino, unlike other modules of this type, we are not only dealing with the electronic system itself, but with a powerful programming platform. It offers both a perfectly prepared, simple, intuitive and stable software called Integrated Development Environment, and a large number of compatible libraries. Among the sample projects of Arduino IDE you can find both codes for simple programs, e.g. to operate LEDs or buttons, and quite complex applications that allow you to build a device that supports the Ethernet interface, or even… a web server based on a GSM module.

If we take into account that the vast resources of the Internet offer thousands of other, much more complicated and functional projects provided by the users of this board, we will soon realize that it is almost impossible to find a problem that has not been solved with Arduino yet. By the way – even people with no background in electronics or programming can use Arduino to build various devices or systems they need. Very often they buy the board for just one project, but it gets them going and they become more and more involved in DIY. In this way, many fans of motorization, astrophotography and home recording, who see that they are able to build interesting and useful devices themselves, join the worldwide group of electronics enthusiasts.

The Arduino Uno board has been the most popular module from the Italian manufacturer for years. Due to its relatively small dimensions – only 68.6 x 53.4 mm – the board is suitable both for experiments at home and for building Arduino-based devices at the destination where they are to be used. The design of the module is based on an 8-bit ATmega328P microcontroller, which represents the well-known and popular AVR family. The board provides the user with fourteen digital input-output (GPIO) lines and six inputs of an a 10-bit resolution analog-to-digital converter built into the structure of the microcontroller (it should be remembered that these lines – if configured accordingly – can also function as ordinary digital GPIO ports). You can also use a UART interface that supports the UART-USB converter, which is based on an additional ATmega16U2 microcontroller – thanks to this solution you can easily transfer data between Arduino and any computer program that supports a virtual serial port (e.g. PuTTY). If necessary, the interface can also be connected directly to another device equipped with a UART port – two permanently installed resistors protect against possible conflicts with the built-in converter.

The microcontroller used in the Arduino Uno Rev3 also offers 6 PWM channels supported by hardware timers and allowing, among other things, continuous control of the brightness of LEDs, the speed of a DC motor or… a model servo. The program memory (flash) has a capacity of 32kB, of which 31.5kB are available to the programmer (the remaining memory area is occupied by a pre-installed bootloader, which allows programming the microcontroller memory via USB without using an external ISP or JTAG programmer). The operating memory (Static RAM, or SRAM) has a size of 2 kB, and the non-volatile EEPROM memory, which allows to store rarely changed data (e.g. addresses, configuration data or calibration results), has a capacity of up to 1 kB. There are also four LEDs on the board: one to indicate the power supply status and the other two to indicate whether data is being sent from the computer to the Arduino or the other way round. The last, fourth diode is connected to the line called D13 in the Arduino nomenclature – it can be used in any way you like, for example to perform a simple board test in the form of a blinking software diode. The module also includes a RESET button with the necessary additional circuits. The board can be powered via the USB port, via the DC 2.1 / 5.5 mm socket or via the Vin pin available in one of the goldpins. In the latter two cases, the recommended voltage values are between 7 V and 12 V, although the board can be powered with voltages in the range of 6-20 V under certain conditions.

The official Arduino starter kit comes in an elegant cardboard box, which is about the size of an A4. After opening the box, the owner will see several smaller packages containing logically grouped elements of the kit. The largest of the packages contains a set of electronic components – both passive and solid-state. In addition to the set of required resistors with nominal values of 220 Ω, 560 Ω, 1 kΩ, 4.7 kΩ, 10 kΩ, 1 MΩ and 10 MΩ, you will also find some of the most frequently used capacitors: ceramic – 100 pF, foil – 100 nF and electrolytic aluminum – 100 µF, mounting potentiometers (3 pieces) with a value of 10 kΩ and connectors: 40-pin gold pin strip, a 9 V battery snap (type 6F22) and two male-to-male connecting cables (red and black). The set also includes low-power bipolar transistors (BC547 – 5 pieces), high power MOSFET transistors (IRF520) as well as silicon rectifier diodes (1N4007 – 5 pieces), two optocouplers, a popular integrated H-bridge (L293DNE) and a temperature sensor (TMP36). There are also optoelectronic elements: 5-millimeter LEDs in red, green, yellow (8 pieces each) and blue (3 pieces), super-bright white and tricolor RGB LEDs, and sensors: six small VT90N2 photoresistors. The Arduino Starter Kit also includes a mechanical tilt and shock sensor, 10 pushbuttons, as well as a piezo buzzer and three transparent gels in the primary colors (RGB). The next two separate boxes contain a monochrome alphanumeric LCD display with 2 x 16 characters with blue backlight and simple drives: a miniature model servo, packed together with a 6V DC motor.

The manufacturer also took care of the basic accessories, which you can start with without having to buy additional elements. The long, narrow box contains a USB cable that is compatible with the socket on the Arduino board, and in the middle part of the set is a box with a small breadboard (400 points) with a set of plugs of different lengths. The set also includes wooden elements for the construction of the assembly stand, cardboard elements with appropriate prints (needed for the assembly of some “mechatronic” projects) and a 172-page book – a guide that will guide you from the beginning to the end of the course.

The list of sample projects that can be done with the Arduino Starter Kit elements perfectly shows how many fun and fascinating gadgets can be built with just a handful of electronic components and a small microcontroller board. It is difficult to find a really “useful” device among the examples described in the book – the creators of the set adhered to the age-old principle that the easiest way to acquire knowledge is through play. And rightly so, because there will still be time for serious projects, and the satisfaction from making fully functional gadgets will be an excellent motivation to delve into the secrets of electronics and programming. Learning with Arduino Starter Kit will allow you to overcome the fear that some people feel when they want to start some electronics projects without any real technical knowledge. Many beginners fear that even building simple electronic devices requires knowledge of mathematics or physics at an academic level. Nothing could be more wrong – the examples in the manual are the best proof.

The chapter Keyboard Instrument shows how to build a very simple electronic instrument that can produce sounds of different pitches – although the number of keys is very limited, it is still an excellent introduction to building your own more complex music projects. The project entitled Digital Hourglass introduces you to the methods of time measurement using the millis() function in Arduino Core Development Library. In the chapter Motorized Pinwheel you will learn how to start a DC motor, and Zoetrope helps you bring to life the charm of simple, mechanical stroboscope animations from almost 200 years ago.

Properly programmed Arduino can also predict the future, which you will find out by building a “crystal ball” according to the chapter Crystal Ball. You will use the tilt and vibration sensor to build a simple but very effective electronic “lock” as described in the chapter Knock Lock. The Touchy-Feely Lamp project, on the other hand, introduces the construction of a touch-sensitive electronic lamp. You will certainly find many more interesting applications for the method of touch recognition shown in this project. The chapter Tweak the Arduino Logo introduces more advanced functions using the software for USB communication – here you will learn how to control your computer with your Arduino. The last of the projects described in the manual, called Hacking Buttons, shows how to control almost any external device using an Arduino-controlled optocoupler.

If you start the programming course with the official Arduino starter kit, you do not need any previous programming code experience. Perfectly described, simple and easily accessible examples included in the manual will allow you to start working immediately after opening the box and installing the Arduino IDE software on your computer. It should be remembered that the C++ language used to create program code for Arduino, like many other programming languages, is extremely sensitive to syntax errors. This means that a redundant character (such as an unnecessary space or period in a function name) or its absence (e.g. a missing semicolon at the end of a line of code) will cause the program to fail to compile or execute the project- you will receive an error message that describes the cause of the problem. In many cases, inexperienced programmers find it difficult not only to correct their own errors, but even to find and understand their cause. If you encounter such a situation while completing this course, first try to check carefully if the code is identical to the one given in the course book. If you cannot find the problem yourself, you can use a ready-made sketch (this is how program code files are called in Arduino IDE), which is available in the menu (File → Examples → 10. StarterKit_BasicKit). Assembling electronic circuits according to the sketches described in the manual also requires care – a great facilitation here is the possibility to use a contact plate, thanks to which it is not necessary to solder individual connections between the components of the circuit to be built.

In this article you learned about the characteristics of the Arduino Uno Rev3 board itself, as well as the composition of the official Arduino Starter Kit, which contains the module and all the electronic components and accessories needed to build the projects presented in the included manual. If you want to learn the basics of electronics and programming, we strongly recommend that you buy the official Arduino starter kit – it’s a great idea to start your adventure with electronic DIY. The game is worth the candle because electronics is not only a great hobby, but also a well-paid industry in modern technology world. Experienced designers of electronic systems and programmers of microcontrollers are highly valued specialists on the job market; they usually find their dream job without much trouble and can even choose between different job offers.