Hans-Petter Halvorsen
All engineering students should have an Arduino, it can ve used for many applications, experiments, lab work, project work, etc. It is an easy and cheap way to learn and play with technology.
You can buy an Arduino many places online, e.g., Kjell & Company (Norway), Elfa, RS, Sparkfun, DigiKey, ebay, etc.
You can either buy an Arduino Starter Kit or just the board (e.g., Arduino UNO), but then you need USB-cable, a breadboard, different sensors, etc. in addition. An Arduino Starter Kit includes everything you need to get started with Arduino.
Here are some recommendations (Note! You need only one of these options):
| Options | Comments | Price (NOK) | Suppliers |
| Arduino Starter Kit | "Everyting" you need in one package | ~900 | Kjell & Co, Sparkfun |
| Arduino UNO | You then need USB cable, etc. in addition | ~230 | Kjell & Co, Sparkfun |
| Arduin UNO compatible device | Why pay more than you have to? | ~100 | Kjell & Co |
| Arduino Uno WiFi | WiFi is integrated! Very handy for many purposes! | ~400 | Kjell & Co, Elfa |
The Starter Kit may be a little expensive, so a good alternative is to buy an Arduino UNO (the original or a compatible device) and then buy a Component Kit. Here are some examples: Kjell & Co or Sparkfun (~150-200 NOK). You can alos buy each component individually (see below).
The following small-scale sensors are used in this course:
| Type | Comments | Price (NOK) | Suppliers |
| TMP36 Temperature Sensor | Included in Arduino Starter Kit | ~5 | Elfa, Sparkfun |
| NTC Thermistor 10K (Temperature Sensor) | Not included in Arduino Starter Kit | ~5 | Elfa, Sparkfun |
Other, similar alternatives, can also be used.
In addition, you need some of the following electronics components (Note! most of these are, e.g., included in the Arduino Starter Kit, or similar kits):
| Components* | Comments | Price (NOK) | Suppliers |
| Resistors | 220, 270, 330, 1k, 4.7k, 10kOhm - 2-3 of each | ~10-50 | Kjell & Co |
| Capacitors | 10uF (other sizes may also be handy) | ~5-40 | Kjell & Co |
| Push button | ~2 | Sparkfun | |
| Potentiometer/Trimpot | 10kOhm | ~5 | Elfa, Sparkfun |
| LEDs | e.g., red 5mm | ~10-20 | Kjell & Co, Sparkfun |
| Light-dependent Resistor (Photocell) | or Ambient Light Sensor (Elfa) | ~10 | |
| DAC MCP4911 (SPI bus) | Not part of Arduino Kit | ~15 | Elfa, Sparkfun |
| DAC MCP4725 (I2C bus) | An alternative to MCP4911. Easier to Use (Code Examples included) |
~40 | Elfa, Sparkfun, Adafruit |
| A/D Converter (MCP3002) | Not part of Arduino Kit | ~15 | Elfa, Sparkfun |
| Jumper Wires, Male-Male | Hook-up Wires for Breadboard with solid core | ~20-50 |
*Only the components (or similar alternatives) in bold font are required, others are optional.
Most of the components above are part of the Arduino Starter Kit, but these things can be bought many places online, e.g., Kjell & Company (Norway), Elfa, RS, ebay, etc.
A good alternative is to buy a Component Kit. Here are some examples: Kjell & Co or Sparkfun (~150-200 NOK)
Multimeter, Screwdriver 2.5mm, batteries, MicroSD cards/readers, USB cables, network cables and wires, breadboard, tools, etc. are also nice to have (these things can be bought "everywhere").
| Accessory | Comments | Price (NOK) | Suppliers |
| Breadboard | Included in, e.g., Arduino Starter Kit | ~50-100 | Kjell & Co, Sparkfun |
| USB 2.0 Type A to B | Necessary for Arduino, included in Arduino Starter Kit | ~50 | Kjell & Co, Biltema |
| Multimeter | Optional, but very handy! | ~50-500 | Kjell & Co, Sparkfun |
| Screwdriver 2.5mm | Optional, but very handy! | ~20-50 | Kjell & Co |
| Nipper Tool | Optional, but very handy! | ~50 | Kjell & Co |
| 9V Battery | Optional, Makes it possible to run the Arduino without the USB cable | ~20 | |
| Battery Holder 9V | Optional, Makes it possible to run the Arduino without the USB cable | ~40 | Kjell & Co, Sparkfun |
| Battery Holder 4xAA | Optional, Makes it possible to run the Arduino without the USB cable | ~40 | Kjell & Co, Sparkfun |
*Only the accessories (or similar alternatives) in bold font are required, others are optional.
Optional Hardware. Note! It is not necessary to buy such a device, unless you are especially interested.
Here are some alternatives:
| Options | Comments | Price (NOK) | Suppliers |
| USB-6001 | ~1800 | National Instruments | |
| USB-6008 | ~2300 | National Instruments | |
| myDAQ | ~2000 | Studica |
You will get access to USB-6008 in the laboratory. When working at home you may also use an Arduino.