Beginner Arduino programming course — Shahid Rajaei University
A from-scratch, project-based path into embedded systems: starting from "what is a microcontroller" and ending with a working security system, built one concept at a time.
Each lecture lives in 01 Lectures/ and builds directly on the one before it.
| # | Lecture | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Introduction | Arduino's history, the Uno R3 board, the ATmega328P microcontroller |
| 02 | C Overview | Variables, loops, conditionals, functions — the language fundamentals |
| 03 | Blink | Your first program: digital output, pinMode, digitalWrite |
| 04 | Potentiometer | Analog input, analogRead, mapping values |
| 05 | Fire Alarm System | Sensors, thresholds, conditional logic in a real project |
| 06 | Servo | PWM signals and controlling a servo motor |
| 07 | Security System | Putting it all together — sensors, logic, and actuation in one build |
| 08 | Tank Level Control | Enums, state machines, and cleaner control-flow patterns |
| 09 | Speed Measurement | Enums, state machines, and cleaner control-flow patterns |
Practice problems live in 02 Assignments/. These lean on the C fundamentals from Lecture 02 — series, number theory, numerical approximation — to build programming muscle before it gets applied to hardware.
- HW01 — factorial series, Armstrong numbers, Goldbach's conjecture, prime/perfect number checks, and Taylor series approximations (π and sine)
No local setup needed to start writing C:
Why use a simulator?
- Zero risk, zero cost — you can't damage components with a wrong connection, and it's free to start
- Convenience and speed — no waiting for parts to ship or debugging physical wiring; test an idea instantly
- Accessibility — anyone with a browser can learn embedded systems without buying hardware first
Online:
- Wokwi — free simulator for Arduino, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi Pico, entirely in-browser
- Tinkercad — best known for 3D design, but its Circuits feature simulates electronics and microcontrollers too
Offline:
- Beginning C for Arduino — Jack Purdum, Ph.D.
- Arduino Key — Ardeshir Hakimi
- Pick a compiler or simulator from above (Wokwi is the easiest starting point — no installs, no hardware required).
- Read Lecture 01 and work through the syllabus in order.
MIT — see LICENSE.