Part 1: Built-in LED

In this exercise we will light up and LED that is built into your Arduino.

Open the Arduino IDE

The Arduino IDE comes with some code sample files that will help you get started quickly. We are going to open one of these files and test our connection to the Arduino.

Navigate the menus to locate the Blink sample

  1. File
  2. Examples
  3. Basics
  4. Blink

LED Blink Code: Once you have selected the Blink sample, you should see the following code in your Arduino IDE

Plug in the Arduino

  1. Attach the USB cable to the computer
  2. Attach the USB cable to the Arduino.
    • Be careful attaching this end. Make sure it is right side up and do not force the connection
  3. Press the Verify button in the Arduino IDE (it looks like a checkmark)
  4. Press the Upload button in the Arduino IDE (it looks like an arrow facing right)
  5. The Arduino will indicate that it is updating
  6. Your code will execute blinking a single LED that is built into the Arduino board