📌 What is Arduino?
Arduino is a super accessible way to create electronics and smart projects. It consists of two parts: a small microcontroller board (like Arduino Uno or Nano) and the Arduino IDE software, which lets you write and upload code easily.
Why people choose Arduino
- Easy to learn, even without programming experience.
- Quick results: buttons, sensors, motors, displays — everything works together.
- Thousands of examples, tutorials, and libraries are available.
- Perfect for hobbyists and makers building smart home projects.
🏠 What can you make with Arduino?
- Temperature and humidity sensors
- Lighting that reacts automatically
- Robots or moving projects
- Smart home devices working with MQTT or Home Assistant
- Measurement and logging systems (energy, batteries, speed, etc.)
🔧 How do you program Arduino?
Programming is done via the Arduino IDE. You write a "sketch" (small program) and upload it to the board via USB.
📥 Example Code
// Blink the built-in LED
void setup() {
pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);
delay(500);
digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);
delay(500);
}🚀 Arduino vs ESPHome vs Home Assistant
Arduino is manual programming: you write the logic and decide exactly what happens. It’s flexible but takes more time.
- Arduino: Full freedom, manual coding, ideal for custom hardware.
- ESPHome: No coding needed — configure via YAML, works directly with Home Assistant.
- Home Assistant: Central place for automation, dashboards, and integrations.
🏠 Who is Arduino ideal for?
- Makers who love hardware.
- People who want full control over their devices.
- Hobbyists learning to program.
- Anyone building small smart projects without expensive equipment.