Arduino and its features

ARDUINO – AN INTRODUCTION

Arduino is an open-source prototyping platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software.

Arduino boards are able to read inputs in the form of
1.Sensor data
2.Push buttons
3. Twitter message etc …
And can output in the form of
1.Twitter notification
2.Glow an LED
3.Turn on a motor


WHY ARDUINO?
Inexpensive
Cross-platform
Simple, clear programming environment
Open source and extensible software
Open source and extensible hardware

Coding languages for arduino
C
C++
C#
Java
Arduino using frameworks
.net


Digital pins-- Use these pins with digitalRead(), digitalWrite(), and     analogWrite(). analogWrite() works only on the pins with the PWM symbol.

Pin 13 LED --The only actuator built-in to your board. Besides being a handy target for your first blink sketch, this LED is very useful for debugging.

Power LED Indicates that your Genuino is receiving power. Useful for debugging.

ATmega microcontroller-- The heart of your board.

Analog input- Use these pins with analogRead().
GND and 5V pins-- Use these pins to provide +5V power and ground to your circuits.

Power connector-- This is how you power your Genuino when it’s not plugged into a USB port for power. Can accept voltages between 7-12V.

TX and RX LEDs --These LEDs indicate communication between your Genuino and your computer. Expect them to flicker rapidly during sketch upload as well as during serial communication. Useful for debugging.

USB port-- Used for powering your Genuino Uno, uploading your sketches to your Genuino, and for communicating with your Genuino sketch (via Serial. println() etc.).

Reset button --Resets the ATmega microcontroller