Arduino

I got an Arduino Uno for my birthday. Documentation is poor, here I try to get it working.

What it is

When I got the Arduino Uno I did not know what it is. Here is how it looks:

The documentation just says "Thanks for supporting Arduino", that it is open-source, environmentally friendly and has limited warranty.

SUSE Linux 12.1x64

• use a computer with SUSE Linux 12.1x64. If you do not have it, use a virtual machine.
• download the software
• unpack it

tar xvzf Downloads/arduino-1.0.1-linux64.tgz 

• call arduino:

cd arduino-1.0.1/
./arduino 

• select file -> examples -> basics -> blink -> upload
• you see the LED on the Arduino blinking

FedOrA

trying with avrdude

• use a computer with FedOrA 16 x32. If you do not have it, use a virtual machine with a 20 GB harddisk
• connect the arduino to USB
• open a console
• enter

yum install uisp avr-binutils avr-gcc avr-libc
yum install avrdude

• Now I try to erase the device, but it does not work:

avrdude -c stk500v2 -P /dev/ttyACM0 -e -p atmega128
avrdude: stk500_2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: stk500_2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout

maybe the -p atmega128 is wrong

trying with Arduino's software

• download the software
• install java from java.sun.com
• start the software:

./arduino

• select file -> examples -> basics -> blink -> upload
• get an error "port com1 not found"
• now as root it worx!

Next step

Reading http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Tone3 I get Arduino is for controlling attached electronics like speakers. So I get this board and make traffic lights.

Questions

• why do the LEDs have legs with a differing length?
• why does the thing (I guess it is a turnable resistor) not fit into the Arduino board?
• what is the name of the one board and the other board?

See also

• My YouTube Video on Arduino with a motor
• http://www.joakimlinde.se/microcontrollers/atmega128/
• http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/avr-libc/avr-libc-1.4.8.tar.bz2