Guides to microcontroller programming and platforms. Covers Arduino boards, programming basics with the Arduino IDE, microcontroller architecture, and different programming approaches including graphical tools, C/C++, and Python.
Pair a PS3 controller to an ESP32 with Bluepad32 and drive a 3D printed 6-DOF robot arm: velocity sticks, four speed levels, a recorded pose sequence and a latching stop, with no PC in the loop.
Build a 3D printed robot arm with 7 DOF on real ball bearings: 485 mm reach, 200 g payload, full BOM, 16 assembly animations and ESP32 web control.
Wire an HC-SR04 to an ESP32, read distance over Serial, then serve a live dashboard from the chip in one upload. Includes measured jitter and range data.
Build OmArm Zero, a 6-DOF (5+1 gripper) robotic arm with ESP32 WiFi control. Complete build guide with 3D printing files, wiring diagrams, firmware, and a browser-based control interface. 303mm reach, 150g payload, under $50.
If you have never written Arduino code before, this is where to start. I walk through installing the IDE, explain how setup() and loop() work, and cover the basic building blocks you will use in every sketch. By the end, you will have built three small projects with wiring diagrams and working code.
There are a lot of ways to program a microcontroller, and picking the right one depends on what you are building and how comfortable you are with code. This post breaks down the main options: drag-and-drop tools like Scratch, writing C/C++ in the Arduino IDE or PlatformIO, using MicroPython, and working with professional IDEs like MPLAB or Keil.
Arduino is an open source electronics platform built around the ATmega328P chip. If you are new to this, I explain what a microcontroller actually is, how the Arduino board and its software fit together, and what the differences are between boards like the Uno, Mega, Nano, and Leonardo so you can figure out which one to get.