# Need any info on Arduino microcontroller boards



## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

As the title states, I'm beginning to get into Arduino boards. I know absolutely NOTHING about them. My in-laws know that I like tech stuff, and my father in law got this board for me for my upcoming birthday. Anyone who can point me towards good info on how I can use this in the haunt, how to program it, etc, I'd greatly appreciate it.


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## Cole&Jacksdad (Jan 20, 2011)

I use them in my haunt. Last year was my first year using one. I was pretty intimidated because I know nothing about programing. Once I played around with the sample codes, I got the hang of it. They are programed in "C". What I did was use one of the sample codes and then changed and added a few things to fit my needs. Go to the web site. http://www.arduino.cc/ It will help. Also HomeyDaClown is a wealth of knowledge on the arduino. With the help of a relay board, I can control any of my props from 12 volt DC to 120 volts ac.
Youtube is another good source for info.


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## JeffHaas (Sep 7, 2010)

There are great tutorials on the Adafruit website, http://www.adafruit.com/

I suggest you start with the basics...learn how to set it up on your computer, how to make an LED blink, how to read a button that's been pushed and have the controller blink the LED, and so on.

Once you have that, then you have the basics for understanding how a microcontroller can automate a part of your haunt.

Then you can have it watch a motion sensor, and when someone walks into range, the controller sets off some kind of effect - lights go on, sounds play, a prop gets triggered through its footpad connector, and so on.

For your first year of using it, I'd suggest you pick a simple effect without too many parts. I can help provide code for you to learn from for the haunt part once you have the basics down, so can others here.

Also, you typically use one Arduino for a specific effect (such as setting off a prop, turning on lights, sounds, etc.) and that effect will work independently on its own. If you want a different effect somewhere else in the haunt, you'll need another Arduino with its own motion sensor and props to trigger.


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## JeffHaas (Sep 7, 2010)

Also check out "Spooky Arduino", a set of lessons for using Arduinos in haunting:

http://todbot.com/blog/spookyarduino/


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

Thanks a lot Jeff & Cole! Those sites have a lot of info on them. Now to get time to dig through it all.


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## Cole&Jacksdad (Jan 20, 2011)

JeffHaas said:


> There are great tutorials on the Adafruit website, http://www.adafruit.com/


I forgot that one. That site is great beacuse it has how to videos.


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## JeffHaas (Sep 7, 2010)

Depending on how fast you learn this kind of stuff, it should take you a few evenings to work through the basics. Then when you've got those going, come back and ask for more details.

Also, once you get the basics down, think of what you'd like to accomplish. In other words...

- Person walks up, is detected by a sensor (foot pad, IR, etc)
- Arduino waits five seconds for them to get closer to prop
- Turn on spot light, play sound effect (loud scream, whatever) and activate store-bought prop. BOO!
- Turn off light after eight seconds. Sound effect should be timed to match.
- Let store-bought prop finish up (time this too)
- Wait for 30 seconds, let the people walk away and don't retrigger anything
- Start over again at the top, for the next group

That's the idea. It is much simpler to trigger a store-bought animatronic than to make your own. Or you could skip the animatronic and just light up a corpsed skeleton with the scream being played. It depends on what space you have and where the people will walk.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I have to wait for the board to get here first. My in laws live in Mississippi, and told my wife that they are sending it to us. I've been looking through the sites you guys listed, and they have some really cool stuff. As soon as I get the board here, and can start tinkering around with it, I'll update as to what I'm picking up and what I'm having trouble with.


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## HomeyDaClown (Oct 3, 2009)

Best way to approach this is just grab one and go!

Nothing hard about it whatsoever and even a basic Arduino is loaded with multiple inputs for sensors and loads of outputs for leds, relays, servos you name it and it's already been hooked up and the code is already written for the taking. It's inexpensive and perfect for Halloween stuff.

As mentioned TodBot (Tod Kurt owner of ThingM) has always had great Arduino tutorials over in his Blog http://todbot.com/blog/. Tod's tutorials are downloadable PDFs that are used to teach even young kids how to program Arduinos to do various tasks (my 14 yr old son started with these).

http://todbot.com/blog/bionicarduino/ Bionic Arduino
http://todbot.com/blog/spookyarduino/ Spooky Arduino

You can also check out the new http://learn.adafruit.com although there is a lot there specific to Adafruit offerings, the Arduino projects are well written and the new site and tools make it easy to learn.

And last but not least, the central core of all things Arduino:
http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage Getting Started
http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage Learning Area
My favorite area to look at what other people are doing or have done already or to get a question answered:
http://arduino.cc/forum/ Arduino Forum

You'll want to download the latest Arduino IDE Version 1.01 here:
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software You need this to create, edit and save programs on your Arduino, it's free.


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## Sawtooth Jack (Apr 9, 2011)

Meant to post this the other day. Wired magazine posted a link to a Radio Shack arduino project called, The Tough Arduino. It's a build model for a basic arduino that you could evolve into pretty much what you want.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

Cool, thanks HomeydaClown and Sawtooth Jack! I printed off the tough arduino project, and I see a couple that I'm going to print off from Tod's blog.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I have a quick question. Have any of you guys ever used a Ultrasonic sensor distance measuring module with an arduino? I have an idea for my cemetery gates that I want to attempt. I'm wanting them to slowly open as someone approaches and slowly close as the person walks away. A guy I work with told me to try to find a "ping" sensor. When I googled it, one of the links was for a ultrasonic sensor distance measuring module. I'm wondering if that will work with what I'm wanting to do.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I'm guessing that that is a no.

Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to attempt to work it out.


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## goneferal (Sep 8, 2010)

I haven't, the only problem I'd foresee with a gate slowly opening and closing is that if you had a bunch of TOTs coming and going that the gate wouldn't "know" how to react. You might end up with a bottleneck at your gate.


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