Inputs and outputs: button

UNO board

You can use any Arduino UNO original or compatible board

USB cable

Depending on your board, you'll need a microUSB cable or a miniUSB cable

Computer

You need a computer with Arduino IDE software. If you don't have it, follow this link with instructions to download and install it.

Download Arduino IDE

Button brick

A simple push button brick with SVG connections

LED brick

A monocolor LED brick with integrated resistors and SVG connections

1. Connect your components

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2. Open Arduino IDE

Once you've opened the editor, open the button example from File->Examples->Digital->Button

3. Connect your board

Connect your board with USB cable and wait a bit until you computer recognises it. Now select the correct serial port from Tools->Serial port->(choose correct port) COM1, 2, 3...

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4. Change variables value

In the example, button pin input number is 2 while LED output pin number is 13 (built-in led). In order for your circuit to work, you must change these numbers to match your connections.

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5. Upload to the board

Use the upload button to transfer the program to your board. Once done, you should read Upload completed. That means the transfer was succesful. If it's not succesful, try disconnecting your board and connecting it again and repeating the upload process.

6. Final result

It everything worked correctly, your LED should turn on or off depending on the button status (pressed or not).

You've done it! You're on the right path to be a maker! 🙂

Now is your turn:

Questions:

In step 4 of the instructions says you have to modify the code in order to make it work, what did you change?
Use your favourite browser to search for the difference between an input and an output.
Write some examples of inputs and outputs

Activities:

Think about how would you modify the code so the button acts the other way around, with the LED on when not pressed and off when pressed.
I challenge you to modify the code, so the push button acts like a switch, keeping its state until it is touched again.