Arduino IDE
Here’s a quick overview on how to use the Arduino IDE. We will focus on the most essential functions related to CoDrone coding, maintenance and implementation. For a more detailed guide, visit the Official Arduino IDE Guide.
The Arduino IDE is a powerful programming tool. Through it, we can read and write code, view examples, update libraries and manage our boards.
The Toolbar
The toolbar will contain all of your settings and preferences. Some important tools
- Examples – A collection of example CoDrone sketches
Files > Examples > CoDrone
- Preferences – Change your Arduino settings
Preferences ( File > Preferences )
- Library Manager – Download and update libraries
Library Manager ( Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries)
- Boards Manager – Update board files
Board Manager ( Tools > Boards > Board Manager )
The Workbench
The workbench contains shortcuts for useful operations
- Compile – Check to see if your code is properly written
- Upload – Send your code to your controller
- Serial Monitor – Use for debugging purposes
The Coding Area
The coding area is where you will write all of your code
- void setup()
This is where you will usually place your ‘setup’ code. Code within this function will be read only once. - void loop()
This is where most of your code will go. The code within this function will repeat infinitely.
The Debug Console
The debug console is where the Arduino IDE will report any errors it encounters
- Status Bar – Tells you the progress of the current operation
- Error Console – Reports errors and where they were found
The Info Bar
The info bar indicates your board, port and current line number
- Board
Your current board selection must be ‘Rokit-SmartInventor-mega32_v2‘. - Port
It’s vital to select the proper port before uploading