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Projects on Microcontrollers

A microcontroller is a type of integrated circuit (IC) that includes a memory, central processing unit and inputs and outputs for data transmission. A microcontroller is a single IC, but people also refer to augmented microcontrollers, which include the IC and additional electronic components, as microcontrollers. You can find microcontrollers in many devices, including robots, cars and advanced lighting systems. Use a microcontroller to learn about building electronics and controlling devices with sensors and computer commands.

Blinking LED
- The simplest microcontroller project for beginners is the blinking LED. You need a microcontroller, such as the Arduino, computer, resistor, breadboard, wire, USB cable and an LED. If you have never created a computer program, look through your microcontroller's documentation to learn about its language.
  
  Create a program that turns an LED on and off using a timed delay. Connect the microcontroller to your computer using a USB cable and upload the program to your microcontroller. Disconnect the microcontroller from its power supply. Place the LED on the breadboard. Connect the resistor to the LED's anode (the positive leg). Connect the other end of the resistor to the microcontroller's output using a wire. Connect the LED's cathode (the negative leg) to the ground terminal on your microcontroller using a wire. Power up the microcontroller and watch the LED blink.
User-Controlled LED
- You can control a microcontroller's output using electronic components, such as potentiometers. A potentiometer is a variable resistor that provides real-time control over the amount of electric current passing through a circuit. Controlling the brightness of an LED with a potentiometer is a good project for beginners who have mastered the blinking LED. You need all of the components required for the blinking LED project and a rotary potentiometer.
  
  Create a program that monitors the microcontroller's incoming data and uses that data to control the output of the channel connected to the LED. Upload the program to your microcontroller. Disconnect the microcontroller's power. Connect one of the potentiometer's outer legs to the positive voltage on the microcontroller. Connect the other outer leg to the microcontroller's ground terminal. Connect the middle leg to the analog input channel on the microcontroller. Turn the microcontroller on. Turn the rotary potentiometer to increase and decrease the LED's brightness.
GPS Tracker
- Use your microcontroller to create a GPS tracker that logs your location wherever you go. This project is suitable for hobbyists with intermediate to advanced experience with electronics. You need a microcontroller, computer, GPS module, enclosure and battery pack. The GPS module tracks your locations and saves them to memory. Upload the data to your computer and translate it into addresses using software, such as Google Earth or GPSvisualizer. If you want to see the data in real-time, add an LED screen to the project. You can also add a cellular module to transmit the data from the GPS module to your cell phone.
MIDI Control
- MIDI, or musical instrument digital interface, is digital data that controls audio sequencers, digital synthesizers, VJ software and much more. You can transform a microcontroller into a MIDI controller using sensors, such as flex, temperature and pressure sensors.
  
  Create a program that accepts input from all of your sensors. Multiply or divide the incoming values so that the resulting values range from 0 to 127, which are appropriate MIDI values. Convert the resulting values into MIDI data using a MIDI library for your microcontroller or your own code.

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