Wilteq WILTEQArduino Uno Course
Week 1 · Getting Started

Session 2: The Uno and a first reliable upload

Teach & build120 minLesson 02: Microcontrollers & the Arduino Uno · Lesson 03: Arduino IDE 2 & First Upload

Learning outcomes

  • Identify the Uno's power, digital, PWM and analogue pins and their limits
  • Select the board and port in Arduino IDE 2 and upload reliably
  • Change the Blink sketch and predict the effect
  • Read the first compiler error and fix the line it points to

Kit and components

  • Uno and USB data cable
  • Lab PC with Arduino IDE 2
  • The D8 LED circuit from session 1
  • Multimeter and oscilloscope

Pre-reading about 25 min

Students read these on their phones before class. They are listed on the student Before class page.

  1. Lesson 02: Power pins: 5V, 3.3V, VIN, AREF and GND
  2. Lesson 02: Electrical limits
  3. Lesson 03: Verify vs Upload
  4. Theory Reference: Program structure: setup() and loop()

Session plan

  1. 0:0010 min
    Recap

    Quiz: resistors and safety

    Five quick questions from the Check your understanding section of lesson 1.

  2. 0:1015 min
    Demo

    Tour of the Uno

    Keep it short: the power pins and USB versus VIN, the ~ PWM pins and A0-A5. Measure the 5 V and 3.3 V rails live with a meter on the projector. Leave buses and board variants to the reading.

  3. 0:2545 min
    Build

    IDE set-up and Blink

    Students select Board and Port, verify, upload Blink to LED_BUILTIN, then edit it to drive D8. Show a failed upload once so students recognise it. Nobody moves on until every board in the room uploads - pairs help each other and you fix cables and ports.

  4. 1:1035 min
    Code Along

    Sketch structure and Serial

    setup() versus loop(), Serial.println and fixing compile errors. For the three-bug exercise students read only the first error, fix it, then run again.

  5. 1:4515 min
    Wrap-up

    Predict, change, measure

    Each student changes one delay value, predicts the scope period, uploads and checks it.

Checkpoint: ready to move on?

Every student can upload to their own board without help, has changed Blink to drive D8, and has passed the three-bug exercise.

Extension for fast finishers

Add a Serial trace and flash an S in Morse code; compare the Uno R3 and R4 Minima sections of the lesson.

Catch-up path

Upload problems: work through the Board and port section with a known-good data cable. Repeat the Blink edit at the start of S3.

Homework and practice

Code Along 1.5 and 1.6, and the pre-reading for S3.

Facilitator notes

  • Charge-only USB cables cause most failed uploads. Keep a box of known-good data cables.
  • Install IDE 2 on the lab PCs before the session.
  • Two lessons is a lot for one session, so some sections are reference only - students read them if curious and you do not teach them: in L02, Microcontroller versus microprocessor, Clone Uno R3 boards (CH340), Digital pins, analogue pins and buses, and the R4 Minima appendix; in L03, Clone boards and the CH340 driver and Library Manager (preview). Come back to the CH340 driver only if a clone board will not appear as a port.
  • Name badge (Code Along 1.2) is not done in class here - it is already S1 homework.
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