Arduino

Arduino is an Italian <a href="/facts/Open-source_hardware/UgCHeVsm">open-source hardware</a> and <a href="/facts/Open-source_software/HzTaB8E9">software</a> company, project, and user community that designs and manufactures <a href="/facts/Single-board_microcontroller/oMLzedLU">single-board microcontrollers</a> and <a href="/facts/Microcontroller/MKrnAhnm">microcontroller</a> kits for building digital devices. Its hardware products are licensed under a <a href="/facts/Creative_Commons_license/6AV3V7UJ">CC BY-SA license</a>, while the software is licensed under the <a href="/facts/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License/AXwkz9x3">GNU Lesser General Public License</a> (LGPL) or the <a href="/facts/GNU_General_Public_License/S75KhLSX">GNU General Public License</a> (GPL), permitting the <a href="/facts/Manufacture/3qW7bcdy">manufacture</a> of Arduino boards and software distribution by anyone. Arduino boards are available commercially from the official <a href="/facts/Website/SAsjJnca">website</a> or through authorized distributors.
Arduino board designs use a variety of <a href="/facts/Microprocessor/Fx9CaQht">microprocessors</a> and controllers. The boards are equipped with sets of digital and analog <a href="/facts/Input%2foutput/WQTE8Jas">input/output</a> (I/O) pins that may be interfaced to various expansion boards ('shields') or <a href="/facts/Breadboards/fokXRhUn">breadboards</a> (for prototyping) and other circuits. The boards feature serial communications interfaces, including <a href="/facts/Universal_Serial_Bus/XcIKWLyg">Universal Serial Bus</a> (USB) on some models, which are also used for loading programs. The microcontrollers can be programmed using the <a href="/facts/C_(programming_language)/Ky2No763">C</a> and <a href="/facts/C%252B%252B/Et0F2qn9">C++</a> <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming languages</a> (Embedded C), using a standard API which is also known as the Arduino Programming Language, inspired by the <a href="/facts/Processing_(programming_language)/DTgLD5Iq">Processing language</a> and used with a modified version of the Processing IDE. In addition to using traditional <a href="/facts/Compiler/WNfCDFJe">compiler</a> <a href="/facts/Toolchains/SmlWCJhY">toolchains</a>, the Arduino project provides an <a href="/facts/Integrated_development_environment/jbEINSQf">integrated development environment</a> (IDE) and a command line tool developed in <a href="/facts/Go_(programming_language)/oWlsmAFJ">Go</a>.
The Arduino project began in 2005 as a tool for students at the <a href="/facts/Interaction_Design_Institute_Ivrea/9AYsd4Sb">Interaction Design Institute Ivrea</a>, Italy, aiming to provide a low-cost and easy way for novices and professionals to create devices that interact with their environment using <a href="/facts/Sensor/RN8SXbjs">sensors</a> and <a href="/facts/Actuator/mF9qVJJR">actuators</a>. Common examples of such devices intended for beginner hobbyists include simple <a href="/facts/Robot/S5mDzWYk">robots</a>, <a href="/facts/Thermostat/w0HpUgup">thermostats</a>, and <a href="/facts/Motion_detector/DqDHAPT6">motion detectors</a>.
The name Arduino comes from a café in <a href="/facts/Ivrea/ESGAEUGm">Ivrea</a>, Italy, where some of the project's founders used to meet. The bar was named after <a href="/facts/Arduin_of_Ivrea/AtX3Dl6T">Arduin of Ivrea</a>, who was the <a href="/facts/Margrave/b2oSzW1C">margrave</a> of the <a href="/facts/March_of_Ivrea/p2KtHvch">March of Ivrea</a> and <a href="/facts/King_of_Italy/SbGJEsxn">King of Italy</a> from 1002 to 1014.

Arduino open-in-new

Arduino