Getting started with the Arduino UNO

Install the IDE, connect the board and make an LED blink in ten minutes.

Download the Arduino IDE from arduino.cc and install it. Plug the UNO into your computer with a USB-B cable. Most compatible boards use a CH340 USB chip; if the board is not detected, install the CH340 driver for your operating system.

In the IDE choose Tools > Board > Arduino UNO and pick the new port under Tools > Port. Open File > Examples > 01.Basics > Blink and press Upload.

If the small LED marked L on the board starts blinking once a second, your toolchain works. From here, try changing the delay values, then wire an external LED with a 220 ohm resistor on a breadboard.

Next steps: read a sensor with analogRead(), print values with Serial.println(), and move a servo with the Servo library.