Using the Arduino Programmer

Introduction

The Arduino Programmer is a tool that will let you view and create sketches, send them to an Arduino, and share them with others. This guide will show you how to create, save, share, and send sketches to your Arduino using the Arduino Programmer. This guide doesn't explain how to write code. Check the Arduino website for a bunch of great programming tutorials. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, please contact us at support@manylabs.org.

Important To program your Arduino using the Arduino Programmer, you'll need to install the WireGarden Browser Plugin. If you have not already, please follow this guide.

Sketch List

To view the sketch list click here. Or, from inside the Arduino Programmer, click the arrow to the left of the sketch title.

The sketch list shows all the sketches you have permission to view and edit. Each sketch has a view and download link. If you have admin permissions for a sketch it will also have a delete link. The sketch list is divided into a few sections: The Your Sketches section will show any sketches you create, and any sketches that someone else shares with you. The Class Sketches section shows any sketches that are shared with a class you're a member of. The Community Sketches section shows any sketches that are shared with everyone.

Creating a Sketch

To create a sketch click the New Sketch button in the Your Sketches section of the programming hub. This will take you to the Arduino Programmer with a blank sketch.

Editing a Sketch

The Arduino Programmer has multiple tabs. Next we'll go over each tab and what it's for.

Info

The Info tab shows the title and description of the sketch. Click edit next to the title to edit the title and description. When you're finished, click done.

Code

The Code tab is where the code for the sketch goes. As mentioned above, check the Arduino website for a bunch of great tutorials on programming the Arduino.

Admin

The Admin tab is where you can set the permissions for your sketch. You start out with permission to edit your sketch and edit the permissions for your sketch. Anyone who doesn't have permission to edit the permissions for your sketch won't even see the Admin tab.

You can click Add User to give permissions to a specific user, or Add Group to give the same permission to everyone in a group. Add Everyone adds a general permission that lets everyone view your sketch.

To remove a permission, just click the x at the far right of the permission you want to remove.

Logs

The Logs tab has a menu that lets you open two different logs. The first is Status. When you verify or send a sketch to your Arduino, Status will update to show what's going on. The second is Plugin Log. This shows some more technical information about what the plugin is doing.

If everything's working as it should be, you'll never need to look at these. If you're having trouble though, these will help us diagnose the problem.

Saving a Sketch

To save a sketch, you can press ctrl-s (command-s on a Mac), or click Save in the top right corner of the Arduino Programmer. If you change the title, description, code, or permissions for your sketch, be sure to save it. You should see a notification at the bottom of the Arduino Programmer letting you know that it's been saved.

If you're viewing a sketch you don't have permission to edit, Save will say Save as a Copy instead. This will make a copy of the sketch with permission for you to edit the sketch and permissions.

Verifying a Sketch

After you've written the code for your sketch, you can verify it. This will compile the code without sending it to the Arduino as a way of testing for some kinds of errors. In fact, you don't even need an Arduino connected to verify your code.

First, select the type of Arduino you're using. Then click the Verify button. If there are any errors, they'll show up as notifications at the bottom of the Arduino Programmer. Each error will have a line number - this is the line in your code where that error happens. If there aren't any problems, you'll get a success notification instead.

Sending a Sketch to your Arduino

Before you can send a sketch you need to select the type of Arduino you're using along with the port it's attached to. If your Arduino isn't connected, you need to connect it and click the Refresh Ports button (It's two arrows in a circle) next to the port list. Then select the port.

Next, click Send to Arduino. The first part of the process does exactly the same thing as Verify. Then, if that's successful, the sketch will be sent to your Arduino. If there are any errors, they'll show up as notifications at the bottom of the Arduino Programmer. Otherwise, you'll see a success notification. That means your sketch is now running on your Arduino.

Troubleshooting

If you're having trouble sending your sketch there are a few things to check. Here's a list of some possibilities starting with the most common.

• Make sure your Arduino is connected.
• Make sure you've selected the correct port. You may need to click the Refresh Ports button (It's two arrows in a circle) next to the port list before the port your Arduino is connected to will be available.
• Make sure you don't have any other browser tabs or windows open that are using the Arduino. For instance, other ManyLabs lessons that use sensors.
• Try disconnecting your Arduino and reconnecting it.
• Try restarting your browser.
• Try a different USB cable or a different USB port.

If you're still having trouble, please contact us at support@manylabs.org.