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Elegoo UNO R3 Starter Kit
The gadget in moving pictures with audio
Elegoo UNO R3 Starter Kit on Amazon US
Elegoo UNO R3 Starter Kit on Amazon UK
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How open is this Gadget?
| Category | Remark | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Firmware |
Firmware is just a Bootloader. Any additional software has to (should be) be written by yourself. |
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| Software |
The Arduino IDE that is needed to upload code is Open Source. |
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| Hardware |
The ATmega328 is a Well documented microcontroller. |
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| Website |
The manufacuter website offers up to date tutorials and documentation for free download. |
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| Patents |
As far as I know, no patents are claimed. |
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The gadget in detail
Figure 1:
I received this UNO R3 starter kit from the company Elegoo. This is intended for people who want to enter the fascinating world of microcontroller programming. Included is a CD with example programs and a very detailed tutorial, because without good documentation all of this would sooner rather than later be nothing more than electronic waste. Yeees, CDs are somehow outdated, putting the documentation on an USB stick would be more practical, but the package is also available as download from the manufacturer's website.
All the parts you need are well organized in a practical transport box. In addition to the microcontroller board, there are many sensors and actuators included that can be controlled with that tiny computing device. Your imagination sets the limit on how all these parts can be connected and programmed.
Package content
Figure 2:
Any libraries that may be required are saved in the example program folders as a zip file - how to implement these in your code is also described in the documentation. The software fits perfectly with the hardware in the UNO R3 kit - if you would buy the components individually, you would spend several hours searching for the needed libraries. The Elegoo Set saves you all this time as well as the possible frustration if you cannot find a working library for your sensor or display.
Circuits of the tutorials
Figure 3:
"Physical Computing" traditionally begins with a blinking LED and the starter set is no exception from that rule. Not only is the example program included and shown how to connect an LED to the GPIO of a microcontroller - the theory behind resistors, pulse width signals and color theory is also addressed. These detailed descriptions run through all chapters so that beginners can not just follow stupid instructions, but actually understand what is being done here.
A small downside: the breadboards used to build the circuits are not of high quality. With more complicated circuits, you may have to "wiggle" the components to make contact.
My conclusion
If you are thinking about learning a programming language in order to control machines and thus influence your environment, the Elegoo UNO R3 Starter Kit is definitely a good choice. The associated documentation is excellently written and the included sensors and actuators work "out of the box". You get a lot of knowledge for relatively little money.| <<< Electronics | Arduino R1 WiFi >>> |
