27 core lessons in 10 modules take you from bench safety and first sketches to sensors, actuators and integrated systems - with Code Along practice on a virtual Uno and competency-based practical assessments.
Choose the week your class is in. The page remembers it and moves on to the next week every Monday.
Bench habits, the Uno board, first uploads, variables and types.
if, switch, Serial commands, loops and arrays.
Functions, RGB LEDs and buzzers, pull-ups, bounce and edges.
millis(), state machines, planning evidence and the code-correction assessment.
Hardware fault finding, the ADC, PWM on the scope, and Task A.
MOSFET drivers, servos, DC motors, stepper stations and project proposals.
The I2C LCD, buses on the scope, IR remotes, formatted text and reassessment.
Resistive sensors, thermistor calibration and Task B.
DHT11, the RTC, the environment monitor and Task C.
Task C demonstrations, extension workshops, reassessment and project plan reviews.
Subsystems proven, then integrated into a working prototype.
Testing, documentation, rehearsal and final demonstrations.
Work through the modules in order. Each lesson links to its Theory Reference reading and its Code Along practice. Lessons marked optional are extension work and final-project material.
Bench safety for microcontroller work, the Uno board, and a reliable first upload.
Code Along1. Sketch Structure & Serial Output
Variables, decisions, Serial debugging, loops, arrays and functions - the C++ every later lesson uses.
Code Along1. Sketch Structure & Serial Output2. Variables & Types3. Operators & Decisions4. Loops & Arrays5. Functions
Drive outputs, read buttons without bounce, and keep several tasks running with millis().
Code Along6. Digital Outputs, RGB & Buzzer7. Buttons, Pull-ups & Debounce8. Time Without delay()
Plan, document and prove a build, and find faults by method instead of guessing.
Code Along9. Finding & Fixing Faults
Measure voltages with the ADC and control average power with PWM.
Code Along10. Analogue Inputs11. PWM & Fading
Apply transistor drivers to the Uno, then control servos, DC motors and steppers.
Code Along12. Servos & Position13. Motors & the H-Bridge19. Switching a Fan (MOSFET Driver)
The I2C LCD, how UART, I2C and SPI look on the wire, and decoding an IR remote.
Resistive sensors, thermistor maths and calibration, humidity and real-time clocks.
Code Along15. Text & Time Formatting17. Temperature & Humidity (DHT11)18. Real-Time Clock (DS1307)
Combine sensors, a display and actuators into complete systems, one subsystem at a time.
Optional lessons for fast students and final projects: interrupts, libraries and extra modules.
Short, phone-friendly pre-reading and Code Along practice for every session of the twelve-week course.
Set briefs with Competent / Not Yet Competent criteria for four practical tasks and the final project.
View the assessments or rehearse Tasks A and B in Code Along
Explain microcontroller hardware, C++ structures, sensors, buses and actuator drivers.
Plan pins and power, wire breadboards, protect outputs and verify circuits before energising.
Read inputs, make decisions, schedule tasks without delay(), organise functions and diagnose faults.
Plan, measure and document builds, then demonstrate them against practical assessment criteria.
Arduino Uno, USB data cable, breadboard, jumpers, digital multimeter and oscilloscope, LEDs, resistors, transistors, buttons, potentiometer and buzzer.
Servo, DC motor with H-bridge, I2C 16x2 LCD, DHT11, RTC, thermistor, LDR and IR receiver with remote.
Stepper motors and drivers are shared stations. Ultrasonic, keypad, RFID and SD modules are covered in the extension lessons for final projects.
Extra-low-voltage DC only. Never connect mains. Motors and servos need their own supply with a common GND, and heavy loads need a driver.
Search every Uno lesson and reference page by title or topic.
Apply your electrical basics to microcontroller work: protect Uno pins, read a breadboard correctly, and make first measurements with the multimeter and oscilloscope.
1 session + optional extras02Module 1 - Getting StartedMeet the computer on the Uno: MCU vs PC, power pins, I/O groups and clone boards, with optional R4 and bare-chip extras.
1 session + optional extras03Module 1 - Getting StartedInstall Arduino IDE 2, select board and port, Verify, Upload, and blink the onboard LED.
1 session + optional extras04Module 2 - Programming FundamentalsBuild readable sketches: setup/loop, named pins, suitable types, scope, and clean syntax.
2 sessions + optional extras05Module 2 - Programming FundamentalsCalculate, compare and branch: arithmetic, = vs ==, Boolean logic, if/else chains and switch.
2 sessions + optional extras06Module 2 - Programming FundamentalsWatch your sketch over USB Serial, print useful labels, and accept simple commands.
1 session + optional extras07Module 2 - Programming FundamentalsRemove repetition with for and while loops, and keep related pins and readings together in arrays.
1 session + optional extras08Module 2 - Programming FundamentalsPackage repeated work behind a clear name, pass values in with parameters, and hand results back with return.
2 sessions + optional extras09Module 3 - Digital I/O & TimingDrive LEDs safely, mix RGB colour, and play tones on a passive buzzer.
1 session + optional extras10Module 3 - Digital I/O & TimingRead buttons reliably: pull-ups and active-low wiring, contact bounce you can see on the oscilloscope, debouncing, and acting once per press.
1 session + optional extras11Module 3 - Digital I/O & TimingRun several timed tasks together without delay(), debounce a button alongside them, and sequence timed steps with a state machine.
2 sessions + optional extras12Module 4 - Engineering PracticeTurn a brief into success criteria, an IPO diagram, truth table and pin plan, then prove the build with a test table and fault log - the evidence every assessment marks.
1 session + optional extras13Module 4 - Engineering PracticeSet up the multimeter safely, check power, then signals, then code, prove each subsystem with a minimal test and keep a fault log.
2 sessions + optional extras14Module 5 - Analogue Inputs & PWMUnderstand analogue versus digital signals, measure voltage with the Uno ADC, and scale readings into engineering values.
1 session + optional extras15Module 5 - Analogue Inputs & PWMExplain PWM duty cycle, measure it on the oscilloscope, and control LED brightness from a potentiometer with analogWrite.
1 session + optional extras16Module 6 - Drivers & ActuatorsApply transistor and MOSFET switching to Uno outputs: size the drive, protect against inductive spikes, and verify the switch with meter and oscilloscope.
1 session + optional extras17Module 6 - Drivers & ActuatorsSee how pulse width sets a servo's angle, drive it with Servo.h in a safe range, and power it from its own supply with a common GND.
1 session + optional extras18Module 6 - Drivers & ActuatorsDrive a DC motor through an H-bridge: IN1/IN2 for direction, PWM for speed, and a short stop before every reverse.
1 session + optional extras19Module 6 - Drivers & ActuatorsMove a geared 28BYJ-48 stepper a counted number of steps with the built-in Stepper library, see the coil sequence on the scope, and understand why steppers can lose position.
1 session + optional extras20Module 7 - Displays, Buses & SignalsWire a 16x2 LCD with just SDA and SCL, find its I2C address with a scan, and print text and live values.
1 session + optional extras21Module 7 - Displays, Buses & SignalsCompare UART, I2C and SPI by wiring and device selection, find their Uno pins, capture UART and I2C traffic on the oscilloscope and choose a bus for a module.
1 session + optional extras22Module 7 - Displays, Buses & SignalsWire a 38 kHz IR receiver, print your remote's codes with IRremote, and map buttons to actions in your sketch.
1 session + optional extras23Module 8 - Sensors & CalibrationTurn a resistance change into a voltage the ADC can read, calculate sensor resistance from counts, and switch reliably on light level with hysteresis.
1 session + optional extras24Module 8 - Sensors & CalibrationConvert a thermistor divider reading to resistance and then to Celsius with the Beta equation, calibrate against a reference thermometer, and switch a fan with hysteresis.
1 session + optional extras25Module 8 - Sensors & CalibrationRead temperature and humidity from a DHT11 or DHT22 with the Adafruit library, and reject failed readings with isnan().
1 session + optional extras26Module 8 - Sensors & CalibrationKeep date and time through power loss with a DS1307, set it only when needed, and print it as fixed-width text with snprintf.
1 session + optional extras27Module 9 - Integration ProjectsIntegrate DHT11, LDR, I2C LCD and a temperature alarm into one monitored system.
1 session + optional extras28Module 9 - Integration ProjectsShare I2C between RTC and LCD, then drive a servo and buzzer from alarm states without blocking delays.
6-8 hours29Module 10 - Extension BuildsCatch a button press the moment it happens with an interrupt on D2, keep the interrupt function tiny with a volatile flag, and do the real work in loop(). An optional appendix covers the Uno's other interrupt sources and sleep.
2 hours core, plus optional appendix30Module 10 - Extension BuildsFull SimpleThermistor walkthrough: library folder layout, .h/.cpp class, test sketch and thermistor divider wiring.
2-3 hours31Module 10 - Extension BuildsTrigger a 40 kHz burst, time the echo with pulseIn, convert microseconds to centimetres, and handle timeouts.
4 hours32Module 10 - Extension BuildsRead a membrane keypad with the Keypad library and print each press on Serial.
2-3 hours33Module 10 - Extension BuildsIdentify cards with an MFRC522, decide allow or deny, and append timestamped events to the Velleman VMA202 SD card.
6-8 hours34Module 10 - Extension BuildsWire a 16x2 LCD without a backpack (RS, E and four data lines), set the contrast, and show text and live values.
4 hoursRefCourse ResourcesHow the course is assessed: a code-correction exercise, three practical tasks and a final project, each with a set brief and Competent / Not Yet Competent criteria.
Reference - see each briefRefCourse ResourcesLanguage, types, snprintf, I/O and circuit reference for this course. Read matching sections before practical lessons.
Reference - use as needed