Arduino Potentiometer – Circuit and Code Example

This Arduino Potentiometer circuit is a simple example that shows you how analog inputs work, and how you can use the Serial Monitor to learn about what is going on inside the chip.

In this quickstart guide, you’ll learn how to connect a potentiometer to an Arduino board and read out the voltage. This is a great practice circuit when you’re learning Arduino. The code is straightforward and the potentiometer connections are simple.

Parts Needed

Arduino Potentiometer Circuit

To connect a potentiometer to an Arduino, connect the middle pin of the potentiometer to an analog input pin on the Arduino. Then connect the outer pins to 5V and GND.

What is Arduino and How Do I Get Started?

Arduino is a microcontroller board that makes it really easy to program electronics. It’s an easy way to get started with microcontrollers that I highly recommend since it lets you jump right into the code and do stuff from the start.

You can use it both for building simple things like a blinking LED – and advanced stuff like building an internet-connected robot. With Arduino, it’s simple to build really cool electronics projects without learning a bunch of theory. And it’s fun!

It has several inputs and outputs that are controlled by simple commands that you write into a program on your computer.

Arduino UNO board

Open Collector Output – What Is It and How Do I Use It?

An open collector output is not a normal high/low output. Instead, these outputs are connected via a transistor. And the collector of the transistor is available at the pin. For example, if you have a NAND gate with an open-collector output, it will look like this: So when the output from the NAND gate is ‘1’,

Arduino Blink LED – Circuit and Code Example

The Arduino blink LED circuit is a simple circuit that works great for starting to learn Arduino. Both the code and the connections are straightforward so that you can understand it with little to no background.

In this quickstart guide, you’ll learn how to connect an LED to an Arduino board and make it blink.

Parts Needed

Arduino Blink LED Circuit

To connect an LED to an Arduino, you need a resistor in series with the LED. This is to limit how much current the LED pulls out of the Arduino pin. The value isn’t crucial but should be between 220 Ω and 1000 Ω.

How Capacitors Work – A Tutorial For Hobbyists

A capacitor is a basic electronic component that works like a tiny rechargeable battery with very low capacity. Capacitors are used to create oscillators, time delays, add a power boost, and much more.

Like most components, the easiest way to understand how a capacitor works is to see with your own eyes what it does in a circuit.

Electrolytic capacitor

When I started learning electronics as a teenager, this was the first component I learned about. The way my father explained it to me made it easy to understand even though I had no understanding of the basics of electronics.

In this guide, I’ll show you how a capacitor works so that you’ll be able to understand what it does in circuits, and how you can use it in your own projects.

Covered in this guide:

The Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT): A Practical Guide

This is a practical guide to the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor, or IGBT. You’ll learn how to use it from a practical standpoint – without going into the physics of what it looks like on the inside. The IGBT is often presented as something complex and advanced. But when you strip away the physics explanation and get down to practice, putting it into a circuit is straightforward.

By the end of this guide, you will be able to use an IGBT and build your first simple circuit with it.

IGBT symbol and package

How to Build a DC Linear Power Supply

A DC linear power supply is an electric circuit that converts AC voltage to a stable regulated DC voltage – without any switching or digital circuitry. This makes the circuit both simple to understand and easy to build.

In this guide, you will learn how DC linear power supplies work and how to build your own.

DC linear power supply circuit

Arduino Laser Module: Connecting KY-008 to Arduino

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to connect an Arduino laser module to Arduino. I’ve used the KY-008 as an example, but most low-power laser modules will work the same way.

Blinking laser module with Arduino

Table of Contents:

The KY-008 Arduino Laser Module

The KY-008 is a laser transmitter module that creates a dot-shaped laser beam that can be used as a laser pointer or to create mini laser shows. It is compatible with Arduino, Raspberry PI, ESP32, and other popular microcontrollers.

Laser Diode: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

A laser diode is a cool component that you can do a lot of fun stuff with, from engraving wood to creating a light show or giving your robot eyes! They range from super cheap (or even free if you can find one in an old CD player!) to more expensive.

Most types are really easy to use too, once you learn the basics. In this article, you’ll learn the basics of laser diodes and how to use them in your own projects. In the end, I’ll show you how to create your own invisible tripwire!

Laser diode illustration

Identify Electronic Components (Quick Reference)

Not sure what type of component you’re looking at? Use this list to identify electronic components and learn what they do. 9V Battery ClipTo connect a 9V battery to your board. BreadboardThe breadboard is a very handy tool for connecting circuits. You can use it to practice, test ideas, or build simple prototypes. Breadboard wiresTo

Schottky Diode: A Beginner’s Guide

In this guide, you will discover what a Schottky diode is and how it can be used in electronic circuits.

Did you know that Schottky diodes, unlike other diodes, are formed by the junction of a semiconductor material with a piece of metal? That’s gives it some special properties that can come in handy.

Schottky symbol and packaging
Single Schottky Diode (left) and a Schottky Pair (right)

What Is a Schottky Diode?

Diodes are components that normally only let current flow in one direction. Like a regular diode, the Schottky diode allows current to flow in the forward direction when enough forward voltage is applied.

Schottky diode symbol
Schottky Diode Symbol

However, while a regular PN junction diode is made by connecting p-type and n-type semiconductors, the Schottky uses metals like gold, tungsten, platinum, or aluminum instead of the p-type semiconductors. 

Phototransistor – A Newbie’s Guide

A phototransistor is an incredibly useful component for detecting light in electronics projects. You’ll often find them in remote-control receivers, pulse oximeters, and line-following robots.

In this guide, you will learn what phototransistors are, how to use one, and with a simple project you can build to create an automatic light on/off switch.

Phototransistor symbol and package

Photodiode – A Beginner’s Guide

In this guide you are going to learn what a photodiode is, how it works, and more importantly, how you can use it in your own circuits. We’ll go through the basics, then build a fully working fire sensor circuit! Did you know that there are two different ways to use photodiodes? Both of them

Zener Diode Basics (A Beginner’s Guide)

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how a Zener diode works and how to use it in circuits.

Did you know that some of the common things you can build with Zener diodes include simple power supplies and guitar pedals?

Sounds interesting? Let’s jump in!

Zener Diode symbol

What is an Integrated Circuit (IC)?

An integrated circuit is simply any type of circuit, made to fit onto a small chip. Sometimes referred to as a chip, a microchip, or an IC. It can be a microcontroller, an amplifier, a Bluetooth module, or anything in between.

An integrated circuit made in 2008 by Oyvind Dahl
The integrated circuit I made in 2008

By making a circuit on a small chip, it’s much easier to build advanced projects. Let’s say you want to make a tracking device for your car. You can find a GPS chip for positioning, a GSM chip to send text messages with the position, and a microcontroller chip to control everything. Then create a printed circuit board design to connect them all.

This would be pretty much impossible to do if you were to design everything from scratch with individual components. Integrated circuits make building circuits so much easier!

Back in 2008, I made my own integrated circuit as I was doing my master’s degree at the University of Oslo. So if you want to learn how these tiny and powerful components are actually made, from a practical point of view, (and how you can make one yourself as a hobbyist), read on!