Installing Arduino IDE

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Introduction
This tutorial will walk you through downloading, installing, and testing the Arduino
software (also known as the Arduino IDE - short for Integrated Development
Environment). Before you jump to the page for your operating system, make sure you've
got all the right equipment.

Required Materials
 A computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
 An Arduino-compatible microcontroller (anything from this guide should work)
 A USB A-to-B cable, or another appropriate way to connect your Arduino-
compatible microcontroller to your computer (check out this USB buying guide if
you're not sure which cable to get).

An Arduino Uno
 An A
-to
-B USB Cable

Suggested Reading
If you're new to Arduino in general, you want to check out this tutorial to familiarize
yourself with everyone's favorite microcontroller platform.

WHAT IS AN ARDUINO?
FEBRUARY 26, 2013

What is this 'Arduino' thing anyway? This tutorials dives into what an Arduino is and
along with Arduino projects and widgets.

HOW TO INSTALL CH340 DRIVERS

AUGUST 6, 2019

How to install CH340 drivers (if you need them) on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

If you're ready to get started, click on the link in the column on the left that matches up
with your operating system, or you can jump to your operating system here.

 Windows
 Mac
 Linux
Windows
This page will show you how to install and test the Arduino software with a Windows
operating system (Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, and XP).

 Go to the Arduino download page and download the latest version of the Arduino

software for Windows.
 When the download is finished, un-zip it and open up the Arduino folder to
confirm that yes, there are indeed some files and sub-folders inside. The file
structure is important so don't be moving any files around unless you really know
what you're doing.
 Power up your Arduino by connecting your Arduino board to your computer with a
USB cable (or FTDI connector if you're using an Arduino pro). You should see the
an LED labed 'ON' light up. (this diagram shows the placement of the power LED on
the UNO).

Drivers for Arduino Uno on Windows

Installing the Drivers for the Arduino Uno (from Arduino.cc)

 Plug in your board and wait for Windows to begin it's driver installation process
 After a few moments, the process will fail, despite its best efforts
 Click on the Start Menu, and open up the Control Panel
 While in the Control Panel, navigate to System and Security. Next, click on
System
 Once the System window is up, open the Device Manager
 Look under Ports (COM & LPT). You should see an open port named "Arduino
UNO (COMxx)". If there is no COM & LPT section, look under 'Other Devices' for
'Unknown Device'
  Right click on the "Arduino UNO (COMxx)" or "Unknown Device" port and choose
the "Update Driver Software" option
 Next, choose the "Browse my computer for Driver software" option

 Finally, navigate to and select the Uno's driver file, named "ArduinoUNO.inf",
located in the "Drivers" folder of the Arduino Software download (not the "FTDI USB
Drivers" sub-directory). If you cannot see the .inf file, it is probably just hidden. You
can select the 'drivers' folder with the 'search sub-folders' option selected instead.
 Windows will finish up the driver installation from there

For earlier versions of the Arduino boards (e.g. Arduino Duemilanove, Nano, or
Diecimila) check out this page for specific directions.

Drivers for RedBoard on Windows

If you are using a RedBoard programmed for Arduino, please go to How to Install FTDI
Drivers, for specific instructions on how to install the drivers.

USB SERIAL DRIVER QUICK INSTALL

AUGUST 31, 2017

How to install USB serial drivers on Windows, MacOS , and Linux.

Launch and Blink!

After following the appropriate steps for your software install, we are now ready to test
your first program with your Arduino board!
 Launch the Arduino application
 If you disconnected your board, plug it back in
 Open the Blink example sketch by going to: File > Examples > 1.Basics > Blink

 Select the type of Arduino board you're using: Tools > Board > your board type
 Select the serial/COM port that your Arduino is attached to: Tools > Port >
COMxx
  If you're not sure which serial device is your Arduino, take a look at the available
ports, then unplug your Arduino and look again. The one that disappeared is your
Arduino.
 With your Arduino board connected, and the Blink sketch open, press the
'Upload' button

 After a second, you should see some LEDs flashing on your Arduino, followed by
the message 'Done Uploading' in the status bar of the Blink sketch.
 If everything worked, the onboard LED on your Arduino should now be blinking!
You just programmed your first Arduino!

Troubleshooting
This guide from Arduino has some more details and troubleshooting tips if you get stuck.

Mac
This page will show you how to install and test the Arduino software on a Mac computer
running OSX.

 Go to the Arduino download page and download the latest version of the Arduino

software for Mac.
 When the download is finished, un-zip it and open up the Arduino folder to
confirm that yes, there are indeed some files and sub-folders inside. The file
structure is important so don't be moving any files around unless you really know
what you're doing.
 Power up your Arduino by connecting your Arduino board to your computer with a
USB cable (or FTDI connector if you're using an Arduino pro). You should see the
 an LED labed 'ON' light up. (this diagram shows the placement of the power LED on
the UNO).
 Move the Arduino application into your Applications folder.

FTDI Drivers
If you have an UNO, Mega2560, or Redboard, you shouldn't need this step, so skip it!

 For other boards, you will need to install drivers for the FTDI chip on your
Arduino.
 Go to the FTDI website and download the latest version of the drivers.
 Once you're done downloading, double click the package and follow the
instructions from the installer.
 Restart your computer after installing the drivers.

Launch and Blink!

After following the appropriate steps for your software install, we are now ready to test
your first program with your Arduino board!

 Launch the Arduino application

 If you disconnected your board, plug it back in
 Open the Blink example sketch by going to: File > Examples > 1.Basics > Blink
 Select the type of Arduino board you're using: Tools > Board > your board type
 Select the serial port that your Arduino is attached to: Tools > Port > xxxxxx (it'll
probably look something like "/dev/tty.usbmodemfd131" or "/dev/tty.usbserial-131"
but probably with a different number)
 If you're not sure which serial device is your Arduino, take a look at the available
ports, then unplug your Arduino and look again. The one that disappeared is your
Arduino.
 With your Arduino board connected and the Blink sketch open, press the 'Upload'
button
  After a second, you should see some LEDs flashing on your Arduino, followed by
the message 'Done Uploading' in the status bar of the Blink sketch.
 If everything worked, the onboard LED on your Arduino should now be blinking!
You just programmed your first Arduino!

Troubleshooting
If you're having problems, check out this troubleshooting guide from Arduino.

Linux
If you are a Linux user, you probably know that there are many different distribution
'flavors' of Linux out there. Unsurprisingly, installing Arduino is slightly different for many
of these distributions. Luckily, the Arduino community has done an excellent job of
providing instructions for most of the popular versions. Click on the link below that covers
your flavor of Linux:

 ArchLinux
  Debian
 Fedora
 Gentoo
 MEPIS
 Mint
 openSUSE
 Puppy
 Pussy
 Slackware
 Ubuntu
 Xandros (Debian derivative) on Asus Eee PC

If the above directions did not work for you, or you don't see your distribution, try
this catch-all guide.
You can go to the download page and download the latest version of Arduino for Linux
(there are 32-bit and 64-bit versions available) when your system is properly set up.

Launch and Blink!

After following the appropriate steps for your software install, we are now ready to test
your first program with your Arduino board!

 Launch the Arduino application

 If you disconnected your board, plug it back in
 Open the Blink example sketch by going to: File > Examples > 1.Basics > Blink
 Select the type of Arduino board you're using: Tools > Board > your board type
 Select the serial port that your Arduino is attached to: Tools > Port > xxxxxx (it'll
probably look something like "/dev/tty.usbmodemfd131" or "/dev/tty.usbserial-131"
but probably with a different number)
 If you're not sure which serial device is your Arduino, take a look at the available
ports, then unplug your Arduino and look again. The one that disappeared is your
Arduino.
 With your Arduino board connected and the Blink sketch open, press the 'Upload'
button
 After a second, you should see some LEDs flashing on your Arduino, followed by
the message 'Done Uploading' in the status bar of the Blink sketch.
 If everything worked, the onboard LED on your Arduino should now be blinking!
You just programmed your first Arduino!

Troubleshooting
The Arduino Playground Linux section is a great resource for figuring out any problems
with your Arduino installation.

Board Add-Ons with Arduino Board Manager

With Arduino v1.6.4+, a new boards manager feature makes it easy to add third-party
boards (like the SparkFun Redboard, Digital Sandbox, and RedBot) to the Arduino IDE.
To start, highlight and copy (CTRL + C / CMD + C) the text below for the boards manager
URL. You'll need this to configure Arduino.
COPY
CODEhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/sparkfun/Arduino_Boards/master/IDE_Bo
ard_Manager/package_sparkfun_index.json
Open up Arduino:

 Configure the Boards Manager

o For Windows and Linux, head to File>Preferences>Additional Boards
Manager URLs and paste (CTRL + V / CMD + V) the link
o For Macs, head to Arduino>Preferences>Additional Boards Manager
URLs and paste (CTRL + V / CMD + V) the link
 Click on Tools>Board>Boards Manager...
 Select the Type as "Contributed" from the drop down menu.
 Click on the SparkFun AVR Boards and then click Install

That's it! Boards are all installed. This also gives you access to all of our library files as
well through the built-in Library Manager tool in Arduino. Looking for more information
about adding other custom boards? Check out the the following tutorial to install other
Arduino cores.

INSTALLING BOARD DEFINITIONS IN THE

ARDUINO IDE
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

How do I install a custom Arduino board/core? It's easy! This tutorial will go over how to
install an Arduino board definition using the Arduino Board Manager. We will also go over
manually installing third-party cores, such as the board definitions required for many of
the SparkFun development boards.

Resources and Going Further

Now that you've got the Arduino software installed on your system and tested it with your
Arduino board successfully, you're ready for your next steps into the world of embedded
electronics. If you want to learn about some of the concepts that will help you build your
projects, check out some of the following tutorials:

Installing an Arduino Library

How do I install a custom Arduino library? It's easy! This tutorial will go over how to install
an Arduino library using the Arduino Library Manager. For libraries not linked with the
Arduino IDE, we will also go over manually installing an Arduino library.

How to Power a Project

A tutorial to help figure out the power requirements of your project.

Choosing an Arduino for Your Project

Examining the diverse world of Arduino boards and understanding the differences
between them before choosing one for a project.
 CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE TUTORIALS RELATED TO ARDUINO

Or check out the some of the Adventures in Science videos focused on Arduino.

SPARKFUN: ADVENTURES IN SCIENCE

Looking for the right Arduino?

Check out our Arduino Comparison Guide! We've compiled every
Arduino development board we carry, so you can quickly compare
them to find the perfect one for your needs.

TAKE ME THERE!

If you'd rather jump right in to building something, check out these links to projects here
on learn as well as some other places to find Arduino-based projects:

 Arduino Project Hub

 WorkBench: SparkFun
 Instructables: Arduino
 Hackster.io: Arduino
 The ITP Physical Computing Wiki
 Make: Projects

Or any of our tutorials tagged with Arduino.

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