Arduino for Beginners · Introduction: Arduino and Your First Program
What Is Arduino — Board, Microcontroller, and Uses
Introduction: Arduino and Your First Program
Introduction
Before you write your first line of code, it helps to know what Arduino actually is: an open-source platform (founded in 2005 in Ivrea, Italy) combining physical boards, a microcontroller (e.g. the ATmega328P on the Uno), and an ecosystem of software and community. This lesson separates three commonly confused concepts — board, chip, and platform — compares a microcontroller with a microprocessor and Arduino with a Raspberry Pi, presents popular models (Uno, Nano, Mega, Leonardo), and covers typical uses. We do not yet touch pins, the IDE, or Blink — those are topics for later lessons.