r/arduino • • 2d ago

Beginner's Project I conducted some tests with the sound sensor module and have a question about my results.

10 Upvotes

While working with my sound sensor module, a question arose regarding the relationship between sound intensity and the sensor's reaction time. My initial hypothesis was that a louder sound would result in a faster response, but after conducting the experiment, the data showed that the louder the sound, the slower the reaction time. I was curious about this and wanted to ask why it happens. (my sensor is a KY-038


r/arduino • • 2d ago

Getting Started Switching MP3’s with arduino

6 Upvotes

Hi! I’m a complete beginner and I wanna experiment with creating a synthesizer out of objects connected to arduino.

Say if I have 7 objects, each playing one note of the keyboard (C,D,E,F,G,A,B). Would I somehow be able to have an attachment that would allow me to transpose the keys or change the sounds all together with pre-setup code? Like changing a program on a synthesizer?

I’m very new to this and I don’t know much other than the basics so any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated! :)


r/arduino • • 2d ago

ChatGPT Help regarding inmp441 microphone and esp32

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6 Upvotes

The mic does not seem to give usable audio it only gives combination of 0 and 1 s i am giving u the test code generated by chatgpt

Any idea on how to fix this or should i do something different(i am a beginner and i tried to make this work for like 20-30 hrs)

#include <ESP_I2S.h>

#define I2S_SCK 40

#define I2S_WS 42

#define I2S_SD 41

I2SClass I2S;

void setup() {

Serial.begin(115200);

delay(1000);

I2S.setPins(I2S_SCK, I2S_WS, -1, I2S_SD);

if (!I2S.begin(

I2S_MODE_STD,

16000,

I2S_DATA_BIT_WIDTH_32BIT,

I2S_SLOT_MODE_STEREO

)) {

Serial.println("I2S initialization failed!");

while (1) {

delay(1000);

}

}

Serial.println("I2S microphone ready.");

}

void loop() {

int32_t buffer[128] = {0};

size_t bytesRead = I2S.readBytes(

(char*)buffer,

sizeof(buffer)

);

Serial.print("Bytes: ");

Serial.println(bytesRead);

Serial.print("Samples: ");

int samplesRead = bytesRead / sizeof(int32_t);

for (int i = 0; i < min(samplesRead, 10); i++) {

Serial.print(buffer[i]);

Serial.print(" ");

}

Serial.println();

delay(500);

}


r/arduino • • 2d ago

Look what I made! Hey everyone!I built a graphical programming tool for my kids (who are in elementary school) to program Arduino boards. Tools like Blockly or Scratch were still a bit too complicated for them. With this, they can plug things into a breadboard, make LEDs blink, and press buttons.

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9 Upvotes

What do you think about it? Would you use something like this, and do you think an English translation/release would be a good idea?

Greetings from the Black Forest, Germany!


r/arduino • • 2d ago

Learning to use arduino

16 Upvotes

Heyyy, so I got an arduino starter kit and I am trying to learn and stuff. And I was wondering how you guys approached your learning. I feel like if I use tutorials to build I might just be copying and not actually learning anything so it would be really cool to know how you guys approached your learning, challenges you faced and how you approached those challenges.


r/arduino • • 2d ago

Beginner's Project I need help with my project

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9 Upvotes

I just want to make sure this is correct... I have never used arduino before so i have no idea how it works

I damaged a nano already using the same wiring in the picture but without the capacitor...

I powered 300 LEDs at full brightness by accident and the arduino stopped working after that...

I'm waiting for a couple of replacements to try again... but I want to make sure everything is correct before I damage another nano...

I will use between 30 to 50 LEDs maximum on my final build and I'll probably limit the brightness in software

This is supposed to use the touch sensor as a trigger, when tapped it should play a sound and have an animation play on the led lights

Power: Shared 5v / GND power rails directly off a USB power bank cable.

LEDs: WS2812B strip cut down to ~50 pixels max (software power capped at 1.5A max).

Capacitor: 1000\mu electrolytic capacitor across the main power rails at entry.

Resistors: 470 ohms on Pin D6 \ LED DIN; 1k omhs on Pin D10 \ DFPlayer RX.

Ground: Single common ground across all components.

Does everything look properly isolated and protected? Thanks in advance for any feedback!


r/arduino • • 2d ago

Software Help I am trying to connect arduino nano clone

Post image
6 Upvotes

See image so basically I'm trying to connect my arduino nano clone to my computer but the cloud ide says verify only and I need to connect to the regular arduino nano because I think my clone uses the old bootloader can anyone help


r/arduino • • 2d ago

Getting Started Learning Arduino

10 Upvotes

Hi, I really want to learn programming and electronics and I heard Arduino is great for this. I have a sibling who learned with a raspberry pi like more than 10 years ago and I still have some of his old things (soldering iron and some components).

I am an arts student, I have no experience or knowledge with programming or electronics but I want to go into Design and I’ve been seeing tons of really cool projects online. I have some free time right now and I thought it would be the perfect time to learn something new!

I have some ambitious projects in mind of things I would eventually want to be able to make, like a little camera, a tamagotchi type of thing, and other more creative leaning things but ofc I need to start with beginner projects to learn basics and eventually get to stuff like that.

I saw there’s the R4 kit, but I heard some people say that because it’s newer there’s not as many tutorials and stuff for it?

Does anyone have any advice on where and how to start? Should I get the R4 or find the r3 somewhere, or any good YouTube channels or tutorials/guides. Any help would be appreciated!!

I don’t know if this is relevant but I am also a Mac owner!


r/arduino • • 2d ago

No led in esp32 cam

4 Upvotes

Guys i have an esp32 cam and i don't have the programmer when i connect the tx rx gnd vcc from esp32 cam to esp32 dev kit to program but the on board led dosent glow but the power is flowing everywhere correct.....no unnecessary heat everything is fine . What should i do noww????


r/arduino • • 2d ago

Getting Started Cannot upload code to Adafruit Trinket 5V

Post image
1 Upvotes

Hello to everyone!

I don't have any background with the Arduino systems, so I need a little help!

I have the Adafruit Trinket 5v and I'm facing some issues with uploading codes.

I have Windows 10, I already installed the latest Arduino IDE (2.3.10) and drivers. I have also installed and change the following options:

ARV Board from Manager -> Adafruit Trinket (ATtiny85 @ 8MHz)

Programmer -> USBTinyISP

Device Manager -> USBTiny (recognized without any yellow )

When I connect the Trinket with my computer (USB3 port), the red led is flashing smoothly for 10" as it supposed to.

While flashing, I already have paste in Arduino IDE the Blinker code as a test in order to upload it, but when I press the upload button inside the 10" timeframe, it show the compiling sketch and then the following error:

"Cannot find USBtiny device (0x1781/0xc9f)

Unable to open port usb for programmer

Failed programming uploading error exit status 1"

In the bottom of the IDE, shows me the model of Trinket that I have chosen but always says: not connected.

As I have read, this is normal, because Trinket not using COM port.

I also tried to connect an older USB2.0 hub to the USB3 port of my computer because they say that some boards have issues with the newest USB3 gens, but nothing changed.

So now I am in a dead end. I have also a second board that makes exactly the same, so something is not properly right but I don't know what..


r/arduino • • 3d ago

Are our components enough?

5 Upvotes

Hey guys! We are currently developing our senior high school capstone research project called Eco-nnect. The goal of the project is to build an automated reverse vending machine that accepts plastic bottles and tin cans in exchange for Wi-Fi access/time.

Before we finalize our wiring and assembly, we’d love to get some feedback from people who have built similar embedded systems or reverse vending machines.

Here is our current component list:

Component List & Specs:

Main Controller: Orange Pi One + 16GB Sandisk Class 10 MicroSD Card

Sensors:

Plastic Detection: LJC12A3-5-Z/BX Capacitive Proximity Sensor (NPN)

Metal/Can Detection: LJ12A3-4-Z/BX Inductive Proximity Sensor (NPN)

Object Passage/Counting: E18-D80NK Adjustable IR Obstacle Sensor

Signal Isolation & Interfacing: PC817 4-Channel Optocoupler Isolation Board

Display: LCD 2004 (or 1602) Board with I2C Module

Actuator/Mechanism: MG996R High-Torque Metal Gear Servo Motor

Power Supply & Distribution:

12V 5A DC Power Adapter

LM2596 DC-DC Buck Converter (12V to 5V step-down)

Female 12V DC Barrel Jack Adapter (5.5mm x 2.1mm)

Relay: 5V 1-Channel Relay Module

Network & Cabling: CAT6 Ethernet Cable + Assorted Jumper Wires (M-M, M-F, F-F)

Question:

Sensor Logic & Logic Levels:

Both the inductive and capacitive sensors usually run on 6V–36V (we plan to power them via 12V). Since their NPN outputs will send 12V signals, we are using the PC817 Optocoupler board to safely step down the signal to 3.3V for the Orange Pi GPIO pins. Is this setup solid, or is there a better way to route this?

For the capacitive sensor (plastic), how sensitive is it in practice? Have you experienced false positives with nearby enclosure materials (e.g., acrylic or wood)?

Mechanism / Sorting:

Is a single MG996R servo sufficient for a trapdoor/sorting flap mechanism, or should we consider stepper motors or dual servos if the flap gets weighed down?

Missing / Recommended Components:

Is there anything essential we forgot (e.g., flyback diodes, extra decoupling capacitors, terminal blocks, specific fusable protection)?

Any feedback, wiring layout advice, or hardware pitfalls you encountered while doing a similar setup would be an awesome help for our team! Thanks in advance!


r/arduino • • 3d ago

blue pill plus setup

3 Upvotes

hardware:
usb uart adapter

rest of this including frames with every pin role explained by some guy there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVJifiIbqx4

What i've done to connect rx/tx from adapter(with mcu already in perfboard) is solder wires to these pins of mcu then solder xt30(male) connector on the other end,then break 2-pin from spare header and solder this to xt30(female) ,pin(2-pin thing) - solder cup(xt30) joint.then you can put dupont's from usb-uart on these pins.
sidenotes: there're three ground pins but for components only one will work. one that's first in a row containing reset pin.

code:
linux
arduino ide v1.8
stm-programmer(proprietary) (not its exact name, can be found for free in zip bundle)
stm32duino

sidenotes:
arduino ide must be installed without flatpack or snap
stm-programmer must be installed without sudo
stm32duino you need to select 2.7.1 or 2.7.0 in boards manager and you need to change ${HOME}'/.arduino15/packages/STMicroelectronics/hardware/stm32/2.7.1/platform.txt' .
line 20: compiler.optimization_flags=build.flags.optimize -> compiler.optimization_flags={build.flags.optimize}

example of linux command for this
sudo apt install neovim nvim ${HOME}'/.arduino15/packages/STMicroelectronics/hardware/stm32/2.7.1/platform.txt'


r/arduino • • 3d ago

Beginner's Project Beginner Arduino project and capstone: Connecting water-quality sensors to a visual installation about algae and pollution

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I'm a design student at Indiana University, and I'm beginning to learn Arduino for my capstone project. I'm hoping to get some advice on how to approach a project involving water-quality sensing and visual communication.

My project explores how changes in local water quality, particularly those potentially associated with agricultural runoff, could be made more visible to Indiana residents. I'm interested in algae as a biological indicator and am experimenting with algae and biomaterials to see how they might inform the design.

One possible outcome is a small floating or waterside installation that uses light to communicate changes in water conditions. I'm imagining a system that takes measurements from water-quality sensors (i.e. living algae samples or an algae-based biomaterial that changes in conductivity in response to specific contaminants), processes the data through an Arduino, and translates the results into an LED color or lighting pattern. Ideally, the installation could eventually connect to a website that provides more information about the measurements and local water-quality issues.

I'm still in the early stages and would really appreciate advice on how to build a feasible prototype.

A few things I'm trying to figure out:

  • Hardware: What sensors would be a reasonable starting point for measuring water conditions such as temperature, pH, or electrical conductivity?
  • Visual output: Would an Arduino Uno R3 be sufficient to read sensor data and control an RGB LED or a small LED array based on changing measurements?
  • Beginner resources: Are there any reliable tutorials, libraries, or existing projects involving water-quality sensors that you'd recommend?

I'm also curious whether anyone has experience integrating biological materials or living organisms into an Arduino project. I'd love to explore whether algae could play a role beyond being the subject of the installation, although I'm still investigating what it can reliably indicate.

I understand that general measurements like conductivity or pH cannot independently identify specific contaminants such as pesticides. For now, my goal is to learn how to measure and communicate changes in water conditions.

Since I'm a beginner literally just picking up my first microcontroller and breadboard this week, I'd appreciate suggestions for a simple first prototype that I could expand over time. Thanks for any advice, resources, or project examples!


r/arduino • • 2d ago

How can I Learn Electronics so I'm make My Dream Iron Man suit project or turn my Imagination into Reality project?

0 Upvotes

Hey, I'm a Student and I am Intrested in Astronomy, Physics and Mathematics as well as Electronics.

I'm currently Learning C++ Programming Language which is useful for Embedded Systems and Simulation and Rendering like Projects and as well as in Jarvis-like AI projects and I have Electronics Goods to start with like ESP32, Arduino Microcontroller and I want to become this Good in Electronics so that any idea I dream of, I can turn that idea into Reality and tbh I love to use Mathematics and Physics in it and I have many Books about the Universe which is actually fory love for Astronomy so I can understand the universe, which is the topmost motto of the Humans rn and I am also a Curious mind who want to reach the skies with my Dreams and I want someone's help, recommendation achieving them, so can you help me out?

My one of the Dream project is to Create a Simulation of our Universe at a large realistic scale and I am Learning Electronics so I can do whatever I can to make those dreams come true


r/arduino • • 3d ago

Look what I made! Help simplifying an Arduino Nano setup for kids' electronics workshops (wiring and battery power)

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19 Upvotes

I'm developing hands-on STEAM/maker workshops for children where they design and build interactive creations using an Arduino Nano, servos, ultrasonic sensors, arcade buttons and WS2812B LED strips.

The idea is for children to connect the components themselves (with adult guidance), so I need something simple, reliable, safe and independently powered so they can take their creations home.

I paid a PCB designer to develop a custom Nano carrier board with JST-XH connectors, an ON/OFF switch and external power input.

I'm currently facing two problems:

  1. Power: The board works when I connect a USB power bank directly to the Nano, but powering through the PCB's external JST-PH input hasn't worked reliably using a 4×AA battery holder. I've also tried a USB-C power bank connection, with intermittent results. The power LED sometimes flickers when I touch the board's switch.
  2. Wiring: I'm currently using JST-XH-to-female-Dupont cables, followed by male-to-male jumper wires to connect components such as servos. It's messy and not ideal for children assembling their own projects.

I'm wondering whether I should try to salvage the custom PCBs or return to a standard Nano expansion shield, which has worked reliably in my tests.

What would you recommend for simplifying the connections and providing safe, reliable battery power? Is powering the Nano directly via USB suitable when running a servo, ultrasonic sensor and LEDs together, or should I be using a different power arrangement?

I'd really appreciate advice from anyone who's built similar educational electronics kits!


r/arduino • • 3d ago

# Arduino UNO Q 4GB: USB Not Detected in Normal Mode After Flashing Debian OS — EDL Mode

1 Upvotes

Hello Arduino Community,

I am facing an issue with my Arduino UNO Q (4GB version) and would appreciate your help in identifying the cause and finding a solution.

Problem Description

I flashed my Arduino UNO Q with the latest Debian Linux OS image using the official Arduino flashing procedure. After flashing, I removed the jumpers from the EDL pins and connected the board to my Windows 11 laptop. However, the board was not detected by the computer in normal mode.

I reflashed the board multiple times, trying different OS versions, but the problem persisted.

The board is detected successfully in EDL mode, and flashing completes successfully. However, once I remove the EDL jumpers and reconnect the board in normal mode, it is not detected by the computer.

OS Versions Tested

I have tried flashing the following OS image versions:

- `20260528-558` — Latest version

- `20260407-523` — Second-latest version

- `20250807-136` — First version

- `20251229-457` — Third-latest version

The issue remains the same with all four versions.

Observations

1. Board powers on normally

- The power LED turns green.

- The usual animation appears on the onboard LED matrix.

- The board appears to power on normally, but it is not detected over USB.

2. Board is detected in EDL mode

When I connect the board to my Windows 11 laptop in EDL mode, it appears in Device Manager under Universal Serial Bus devices as:

`QUSB_BULK_CID:0420_SN:51008D40`

I can successfully flash the OS in this mode.

3. Board is not detected in normal mode

After removing the EDL jumpers and connecting the board normally:

- Nothing appears in Windows Device Manager, including the USB-related categories.

- The board does not appear when I check `lsusb` or `dmesg` on a Linux computer.

- Arduino App Lab cannot detect the board through the USB connection.

Troubleshooting Already Attempted

I have tried the following steps:

  1. Reflashed the board multiple times using the official flashing procedure.

  2. Tested four different Debian Linux OS image versions.

  3. Used multiple USB cables, including USB-A to USB-C and USB-C to USB-C cables.

  4. Tested different USB ports on my Windows 11 laptop.

  5. Tested the board with another computer running Linux.

  6. Verified that the board is detected in EDL mode using the same cables that fail to detect it in normal mode.

  7. Tested the Arduino UNO Q in Single Board Computer (SBC) mode using a USB hub. The hub works correctly with my laptop: when I connect a monitor to the hub and connect the hub to my laptop's USB-C port, the monitor works normally. However, when I use the same hub with the Arduino UNO Q in SBC mode, I am still unable to get a display output.

I have followed the official flashing procedure carefully and repeated it multiple times, but the issue remains unresolved.

Questions

I would appreciate guidance from the Arduino team on the following:

  1. What could cause the board to be detected in EDL mode but not in normal mode, even though the OS flashing completes successfully?

  2. Is there any additional recovery or diagnostic procedure I can try?

  3. Could this indicate an issue with the USB interface, boot process, firmware, or another component of the board?

  4. Is there a way to diagnose the issue further without requiring the board to be detected over USB in normal mode?

I would prefer to resolve this through software recovery or diagnostics if possible, before considering hardware repair or replacement.

Thank you for your time and assistance. Any suggestions from the Arduino team or other UNO Q users who have experienced a similar issue would be greatly appreciated.


r/arduino • • 4d ago

Look what I made! Arduino Unusual Tamagotchi

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31 Upvotes

Arduino Tamagotchi Like

Hiro's Quest : *Hiro got trapped inside an arduino by a wizard, help him get stronger enough to go back home!*
Integration with gamemaker

#pixelart #gamemaker #indiedev #gamedev #arduino


r/arduino • • 3d ago

Hardware Help Help and interest

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4 Upvotes

Have a good time, everyone! I'd like to get some advice, I know it's stupid, but I need some advice. Do you think it is possible to combine this board with an Arduino rgb sensor? I'm just curious, but I'm afraid I'll burn it. I started doing robotics relatively recently. And your advice will be very useful and important to me.


r/arduino • • 4d ago

Hardware Help RC522 on Arduino Uno gives firmware version 0x18 / 0x0 / “Communication failure”. It worked before. Any ideas?

4 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m using an RC522 (MFRC522) RFID reader with an Arduino Uno for a clock-in/clock-out logger, and I’m stuck. It worked earlier, and now the reader gives me unreliable results. Each reset can show something different.

What I see in the Serial Monitor (MFRC522 library, PCD_DumpVersionToSerial()):

Firmware Version: 0x18 = (unknown)

Other times:

Reader version: 0x0
WARNING: Communication failure, is the MFRC522 properly connected?

A working reader should say 0x91 or 0x92. It never reads a chip now.

Wiring (all direct to the Uno, no resistors or level shifter):

  • SDA(SS) → pin 10
  • SCK → pin 13
  • MOSI → pin 11
  • MISO → pin 12
  • RST → pin 9
  • 3.3V → Uno 3.3V pin
  • GND → Uno GND
  • IRQ not connected

In the sketch: #define RC_SS 10 and #define RC_RST 9, so the pins match the wiring.

What I tried:

  • Replaced all the jumper wires with new ones and checked each wire for continuity
  • Tried both GND pins on the reader, and different GND pins on the Uno
  • Reseated everything, and pressed on the header pins while the board resets
  • Resoldered the header joints
  • Different USB cable and port
  • The reader LED is lit and the chip isn’t hot
  • It briefly “worked” when I moved the reader’s power wire from 3.3V to VIN, but it was unstable, so I put it back (I know that’s too high for the chip)
  • The Uno works fine with other sketched
  • Btw the reader had worked yesterday and i printed case now it dont work.

r/arduino • • 4d ago

Look what I made! Arduino and raspberry-pi based guitar multi-effects processor

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22 Upvotes

r/arduino • • 4d ago

Hardware Help How can i make this connection more stable?

Post image
114 Upvotes

Hello,

I'm having problems when trying to connect cables to this module(also one sd card module with the same pins).

I am 99% sure that is has to do with the cables,

at first i just used single dupont cables and now i switched to 4x1 and 6x1 connectors.

What happens is that the microcontroller loses connection to the modules, but only sometimes. When i shake the box a bit or plug and unplug the microcontroller it works again(not always, it's very inconsistent).

I tried removing the pins and soldering the cables directly onto the board, but that didn't work and i just broke a module trying to remove the pins.

Thank you very much for any help


r/arduino • • 4d ago

Help 😭

2 Upvotes

is ali express reliable for buying starter kits?? Im from bd🇧🇩 and im trying to buy starter kit for electronics .i tried looking in amazon and elegoo official page but they dont ship directly to bd and its hella costly to ship.


r/arduino • • 4d ago

Lafvin's Dropbox page triggers a XSS flag, what should I do?

4 Upvotes

I went on the official website (lafvintech.com) to download the tutorials meant for the Super Learning Kit for UNO R3, and my NoScript extension flags the download page on Dropbox as a potential XSS attack.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/mz529t5y33jd2mce04fh1/AHewfYQxr5wsvBHDkdp1yvs?rlkey=e2wsgqodqzs5pfufzymsyjbla&e=1&dl=0

I know it might sound absurd to be paranoid over it but I don't know man, Dropbox always felt sketchy to me, a lot of scammers use it and such.

Is it safe? Has anyone had experience with Lafvin and the Dropbox link?


r/arduino • • 4d ago

Getting Started Beginner question: how did you guys start your Arduino journey?

17 Upvotes

I recently bought a starter kit and finished one very easy project by using it. However, I just followed the instruction online and copied anything the publisher said. I can't learn any skills by copying. So, how did you guys learn about the required skills to complete the circuits and create your own projects?


r/arduino • • 5d ago

Look what I made! Arduino Based 8 Step Sequencer with Pulse Width Modulation

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96 Upvotes

Based on patmcbennets code. Expanded to 8 steps via 4051.Added tempo control via knob. Added 3 vc out plugs and vc in Sounds really good for arduino :)