How to simulate an Arduino project

Nowadays, there are many software to simulate Arduino or electronic projects, but today I am going to show a really easy one. Tinkercad is an online simulation software develop by Autodesk, because it is online, you don´t have to install anything on your device. It has a lot of components and it is totally free, you have to register and then you are ready to begin your simulation projects. Another think that you can do on Tinkercad, is to design 3D objects, I haven´t used yet, but I think it is really a basic program like the new 3D paint on windows.

Features:

• Collaborative projects
• Online and free
• You can share projects with the community
• Easy to use
• On cloud storage
• Interactive
• Code by text or blocks

Now I am going to show you a little example, so you can know the basics.

Controlling a servo with a digital PIN on Arduino

In this example we are going to control a servomotor by using a digital pin on an Arduino board, we are basically to simulate a PWM signal changing states of a digital pin.

In the next image your going to see how a servo can move through different positions just changing the width of the HIGH state on a PWM signal frequency.

First, enter to Tinkercad website and register, once you are registered and have logged in, go to circuit on the main page and create a new Circuit.

Go to the right side and searh for a microverso, a pot and an Arduino board. Like in the image below.

Connect both components: 

Servo	Arduino
Red	5 v
Black	GND
Orange	pin 9

POT

Center   A0

Left       5 v

Rigth     GND

To code our Arduino, we are going to click on the Code button and then click on Text. An IDE window will appear, we are going to put the next code, it is commented, so you can understand it.

//Define pins and variables
#define servo 9
int pot;

void setup()
{
//Setting up the Serial port, so we can see our variable velues
Serial.begin(9600);
//The pin to control our servo as OUTPUT
pinMode(servo, OUTPUT);

}

void loop()
{
 //Using the pot to change our pulse width on HIGH state
 pot= map(analogRead(A0), 0, 1023, 700, 2000);
 //Showing the actual value
 Serial.println(pot);
//Making out PWM pulse, changing from HIGH to LOW for specific periods digitalWrite(servo, HIGH);
 delayMicroseconds(pot);
 digitalWrite(servo, LOW);
 delayMicroseconds(1500-pot);

}

Once you have your code and all setting up, start the simulation. You will see how the servo is moving while you change the value on the potentiometer. Like in the next animation.

This is all, hope you like it and find this information useful.

Using android phone as GPS for Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects

Sometimes, when we are making projects money is the principal challenge, and components like GPS modules are kind of expensive. Once I was in that situation and I figured the way to fiinish my work, I did it with cheap and common compoenents, a smatphone and a Bluetooth module.

Nowadays, allmost every person has a smartphone and they come with sensors that we can use in our inventions, like IMU, GPS, Cameras, etc. And we can obtain a Bluetooth module for around $4.00 USD.

So, lets begin with this toturial:

Materials:

• HC-06 Bluetooth module

• Android phone
• Raspberry PIor Arduino

Process:

First we are goin to enter to App Inventor, this is a MIT website to create android apps, you are able to log in with your Google account or register with another email.

Once you're logged in, go to start new project. Now that you are in the window of creation you could see a Palette where sensors, buttons and other functions can be added to our app.

We are going to add a ListPicker, WebViewer, Bluetooth Client, Clock and a Location Sensor. Your components and preview have to look like the next screenshot.

On my app I configure the ListPicker like a conecction button, all you have to do is to click on the component and change its properties.

You can change colors, dimensions and another things if you want, but today we are going to make it a little simplier. Now, we have to do the code, don´t worry, this website allows you to program buttons and sensors with blocks. I am going to put some screenshots of each part of the app, you can get blocks from the right corner of the main window. And all fuctions are on the blocks window.

Now the programing:

Connection button:

Clock:

In this image we can see our message that is sended trought our bluetooth module. You can make a script for arduino or python for a Raspberry Pi board, also this could work for BeagleBone.

Now, we can download our app:

Finally, I will leave here an example of how the information can be recieved on an Arduino board.

Comment and share if you found this useful.

Controlling DC motor speed with arduino by Serial communication | Tinkercad | Arduino