Arduino Duemilanove

by Arduino

• Arduino Board with ATmega328 microcontroller
• Original board made in Italy

Product Description

The Arduino Duemilanove ("2009") is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328 (datasheet). It has 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars best µC out there! April 28, 2010

By FakeName Jones

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I've used a couple other microcontrollers (pic, picAXE, and messed with a few others) and this is by far my favorite. It is programmed over USB, so it is very easy to set up. There is software available for windows, OS X, and linux. It supports hardware serial communication with a UART (don't worry if you don't know what these mean). The programming language is the absolute best microcontroller language out there, a mixture of processing and wiring. Processing is a language based off of and very similar to c++ (when I started with arduino, the only experience I had with the language was previous casual use of c++). Wiring makes it very easy to use, with low to high level features, which means that a beginner can easily do simple things like blink an LED with just a few lines of code, or do very powerful things like "bit-bang" serial communications at a hardware level or actively modify the program memory. The chip also has built in EEPROM so that you can store data easily after the chip loses power (like if you turn it off). If you are good with computers, you can even make your own firmware and upload that (I won't get in to that). The great thing is, if you need to embed your arduino project you can pick up an ATMega chip and a 16mhz crystal for just a few bucks, and then upload your code to the ATMega over "avrISP" (a program included with the free arduino software) without spending any extra cash. This board is great for experts and beginners alike. It took me, a complete microcontroller novice, about 2 days to become good enough with the language to make usefull programs (like home automation) and now a few months later I can do some really crazy stuff like overlay text to video, or interface with electronic devices like GPS units or phones in ways I never would have been able to before. The arduino also has a huge and experienced userbase. This means a huge and helpful forum, not to mention LOTS of documentation and software libraries that let you use the arduino with GPS, phones, touch screens, LCDs, memory cards, video modifying chips, sound chips, the internet, wireless communications, and much more. A simple google search will probably turn up how to use something with an arduino. I say buy it! By the way, this is far from a toy. It's a powerful tool.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Arduino's great, but it's not a toy December 12, 2009

By Paul Bianchi

Durability: 4.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

If you need to automate anything - make something happen based on some sort of sensor - the Arduino can probably do it easily, and cheaper than almost anything else. It's is a terrific platform for electronic and robotic projects, and any project that needs some kind of automation. I'm a high school Physics teacher, and my seniors put together some incredible projects for class with only two weeks or so of programming and circuit-building instruction: light-sensing robots, model elevators with call-buttons, vending machines, a motorized car-wash, even a Pong game. In my after-school club, sophomores and juniors have also taken a real interest in it, though they need a bit more direction. I don't think it's appropriate to call this a toy, because typically you'd have to be high-school age or older to work out the programming - it's more properly a hobbyist's tool, and a lot more adults than kids work with it. Any hobbyist with a bit of an interest in programming should definitely check out the Arduino.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Device, opens up the world of electronics to everyone September 4, 2010

By Charles R. Jones

Durability: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Educational: 5.0 out of 5 stars    Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

The Arduino is a wonderful, inexpensive device that has numerous inputs and outputs. In the old days we had to burn a chip, put it into a circuit, and then figure out why it didn't work. The arduino was designed to solve that problem. Simply plug it into USB, download the free software from Arduin.cc, and you're up and running. Very simple to program and learn about electronics. Features and onboard programmable LED, and hundreds of plug in boards called shields that can be plugged into extend its functionality.

My problem is with this vendor, however. $79 is far above the suggested retail value of this board. I'm sure some people will unknowingly pay that, but the retail value of this board is below $35. Look around, you can find it much cheaper. Overcharging like this is criminal.