Arduino Development Cookbook

Learning Arduino code basics

Here we begin with the basics of coding for Arduino. Writing code for Arduino and other embedded platforms is a little different from writing code for a computer. But don't fear—the differences are small.

Getting ready

To execute this recipe, we need just one ingredient: the Arduino IDE running on a computer.

How to do it…

These are the two mandatory functions in the Arduino coding environment:

void setup() {
  // Only execute once when the Arduino boots
}


void loop(){
  // Code executes top-down and repeats continuously
}

How it works…

Each Arduino sketch has two mandatory functions: the setup() function and the loop() function. The setup() function only executes once: either when we apply power to the Arduino or when it resets. ...