Microcontroller Programming with Arduino IDE

An educational resource for learning microcontroller programming with Arduino, STM32, ESP8266, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi Pico.

Introduction to Arduino IDE

The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a powerful yet user-friendly platform designed for writing code and uploading it to various microcontroller boards. It supports a wide range of boards, including the Arduino Uno, STM32, ESP8266, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi Pico.

The Arduino IDE is available on Windows, Linux, and ARM Linux for the Raspberry Pi.

Supported Boards
  • Arduino Uno
    The ATmega328P-based Uno is ideal for beginners learning digital I/O, PWM, and serial communication.

  • STM32
    STM32 ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers provide high speed and rich peripherals for complex embedded systems. Popular boards include the Bluepill.

  • ESP8266
    A low-cost WiFi-enabled microcontroller suited for IoT projects, web interfaces, and connected devices.

  • ESP32
    A dual-core microcontroller with WiFi + Bluetooth, offering higher performance for robotics, automation, and IoT.

  • Raspberry Pi Pico / Pico W
    RP2040-based board with dual ARM Cortex-M0+ cores, ideal for both simple automation and advanced interfacing. The Pico W adds WiFi.
Learning Resources

This platform focuses on practical applications of microcontrollers and assumes basic knowledge of the Arduino IDE and C/C++ programming.

  • Overview of microcontrollers and embedded systems.
  • Digital I/O, PWM, ADC, and basic programming concepts.
  • Communication protocols: SPI, I2C, UART.
  • Interrupts, timers, and real-time control.
  • IoT networking with ESP8266 and ESP32.
  • Low-power and interfacing projects with Raspberry Pi Pico.
Project Ideas
  • Home automation systems using ESP8266/ESP32.
  • Temperature & humidity monitoring with Arduino and Bosch BMP/BME sensors.
  • Real-time clock and data logging with STM32 boards.
  • Simple WiFi web app control using ESP modules.
  • Motor and servo control using Raspberry Pi Pico.
Board Images

Arduino Uno (R3)

Arduino Uno R3 top view (ATmega328P based board)

Image: SparkFun Electronics / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Arduino Leonardo

Arduino Leonardo board top view (ATmega32u4 based board)

Image: Jeremy Blum / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Arduino Nano (v3)

Arduino Nano V3.0 top view (small breadboard-friendly board)

Image: Mauricio V. Genta / Wikimedia Commons, **CC0 1.0** (public domain) :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Arduino Mega 2560

Arduino Mega 2560 top view (ATmega2560, many I/O pins)

Image: Simon Waldherr / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Arduino Due

Arduino Due front/top view (ARM Cortex-M3 SAM3X8E based board)

Image: Arduino SA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Arduino is a registered trademark of Arduino AG. Images used under their individual Creative Commons licences — see attributions above.

Raspberry Pi Pico

Raspberry Pi Pico board (RP2040 microcontroller)

Image: Misael Reséndiz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Top view of Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040)

Image: Phiarc / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

STM32 Blue Pill (STM32F103)

STM32 Blue Pill development board (STM32F103C8T6)

Image: Avandalen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

STM32 Black Pill (STM32F4 / F411)

STM32 Black Pill development board

Image source not found / licence not confirmed — please verify.

STM32 Nucleo Board

STM32 Nucleo development board (generic)

Image: Avandalen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

ESP32

ESP32 microcontroller development board

Image: Edwiyanto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

ESP32 ESP‑WROOM‑32 module

Image: Brian Krent / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

ESP8266

ESP8266 Wi‑Fi module board

Image: Suyash Dwivedi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Development board with ESP8266 module

Image: Ogidya / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0 :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi Pico, STM32, Blue Pill, Black Pill, Nucleo, ESP32, and ESP8266 are registered trademarks or brand names of their respective owners: Raspberry Pi Foundation, STMicroelectronics, and Espressif Systems. All images are used under the licences indicated in the attribution lines (Creative Commons, CC BY, or CC BY‑SA), and are not official product representations. This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the respective trademark holders.