Arduino Software Update
To successfully install the software so that the kids do not require further assistance, please plug in an Arduino board to your computer to a USB port as part of this installation process.
The instructions are very slightly different for Mac and Windows installs.
- Go to the Arduino Software page and scroll down to the “Download the Arduino IDE” section. Select the correct file relating to your operating system and download it onto your computer.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install it onto your computer.
- If you have a Windows machine, it also prompts you to install a USB driver which has been bundled with the downloaded file - this is required for the Arduino board to connect to the computer, so this driver can be safely installed.
- If you have a Mac, please download a driver and install it onto your machine.
- Open the software and test the connection.
- If you have a Windows machine, go to Tools > Port and select the COM port which corresponds to the USB port the Arduino board is plugged into. If you do not know which port you are using, open a new file (File > New) and upload it to the Arduino board (Sketch > Upload). Change the port selected under Port > Tools until the upload is successful and does not return an error message - the program will return “Done uploading.”
- If you have a Mac and have successfully installed the driver above, go to Tools > Port and select the option which looks like this “/dev/cu....”. Test the connection by opening a new file (File > New) and uploading it to the Arduino board (Sketch > Upload). If it’s been successful, the program will return “Done uploading.”
- Select the correct type of Arduino board. Go to Tools > Board and select "Arduino/Genuino Uno" from the drop-down menu selection.