Arduino First Program Guide

Connect Your Board & Select It in the IDE

1. Plug your Arduino into your computer using a USB cable.
2. Open the Arduino IDE.
3. Go to Tools → Board and select your exact board (e.g. Arduino Uno).
4. Go to Tools → Port and select the port your board appears on:
   • Windows: COM3, COM4, etc.
   • macOS: /dev/cu.usbmodemXXXX
   • Linux: /dev/ttyACM0 or /dev/ttyUSB0

If no port appears, double-check the USB cable (some cables are charge-only and carry no data) and that drivers are installed — see Hardware Setup.

---

Run Your First Sketch

1. Open File → Examples → 01.Basics → Blink.
2. Click Upload (the right-arrow icon). The IDE will compile and flash the sketch.
3. The built-in LED on your board should start blinking once per second.

Want a deeper walkthrough with wiring, schematics, and code explanations? Check out the full LED Blink tutorial.

---

Troubleshooting

• "avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding" — wrong board or port selected, or the board is mid-reset. Re-select the port and try again.
• Port doesn't show up — try a different USB cable/port, and confirm drivers are installed — see Hardware Setup.
• Upload works but nothing happens — make sure you selected the correct Board type, since bootloaders differ between boards.

---

What's Next?

• Browse Arduino tutorials & projects
• Try JustFlash to flash pre-built firmware directly from your browser — no IDE required
• Explore Basic Electronics fundamentals like resistors, LEDs, and breadboards

---

Comments