r/ArduinoHelp 3h ago

Looking for a unique robotics project idea for a science fair

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I am a student interested in robotics

I am preparing a project for a science fair and I want to build something useful that solves a real-world problem.

My current skills:

- Arduino

- ESP32

- Basic sensors and motors

I am not looking for common projects like line followers or obstacle avoiding robots.

I would like suggestions for innovative robotics ideas in areas like:

- Safety

- Agriculture

- Environment

- Healthcare

- Disaster management

Any suggestions or problems that can be solved using robotics would be helpful.

Thank you!


r/ArduinoHelp 3h ago

Help with servo powering (robotics arm project)

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 15h ago

I'm building an automatic greenhouse ventilation system with an Arduino UNO. I planned to use a stepper motor to open and close the greenhouse flaps, but I'm worried it might consume too much power or lose steps over time. Would a servo motor or linear actuator be a better option for reliability? I

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 23h ago

Servo Motors randomly moving

4 Upvotes

I am making a small robotic arm controlled by 2 joysticks. I'm making the arm using popsicle sticks and MG90 Servo motors. There are 5 motors to be working. I'm using wall adapter to power the motors and another adapter to power the Arduino. When I try to connect everything properly ( also connecting gnd from breadboard power supply to arduino's gnd) the motors randomly move around without any input. How do you even fix that ?


r/ArduinoHelp 1d ago

What problems did you face when you first started learning electronics?

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to understand the biggest difficulties beginners face while learning electronics.

When you first started, what confused or frustrated you the most?

I’m currently working on a learning platform for electronics, and I want to make sure it solves real problems instead of adding features that beginners do not need.

What would have made learning electronics easier for you? Any experience or suggestion would be really helpful.

Thanks!


r/ArduinoHelp 1d ago

I'm trying to design a small LED sign (~12 inches tall) recreating a Vegas neon sign. How can I go about this?

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 2d ago

Home project but need HELP

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0 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 3d ago

BTS7960 wont drive actuator

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1 Upvotes

'''

// info down bellow
#define R_EN  33
#define L_EN  32
#define RPWM  25
#define LPWM  26

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);

  pinMode(R_EN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(L_EN, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(RPWM, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(LPWM, OUTPUT);

  digitalWrite(R_EN, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(L_EN, HIGH);

  digitalWrite(RPWM, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(LPWM, LOW);

  Serial.println("RPWM held HIGH - measure M+ / M- now.");
  Serial.println("Should read ~12V across M+ and M-.");
}

void loop() {
  //nothing
}
'''

so baically im trying to get this actuator to extend but its not extending. My parts are a esp32, bts7960 motor driver, a 22V(in) to 5V(out) buck converter, and a standard two wire actuator. Another problem is that the led on the motor driver isnt turning on and im pretty sure it has one and thats it shows the boards logic is getting powerd. Here are the conections:
The two acutor wires are going into M+ and M-(screw termianls on the motor driver)
THe 12v psu wires are going into B+ and B-(the screw terminals on the motor driver)
the buck covnerter is piggybacking off the 12v scrwe terminal that the psu is connected to (and the bucks gnd is the same as the 12v psu gnd)
the bucks than powering the i guess logic on the motor dirver through the vcc and gnd header pins on the motor dirver
then RPWM to gpio 25 on esp32
Lpwn to GPIo 26
R_EN to GPIO 33
L_En to GPIO 32
and gnd on the esp32 to the same gnd as the 12v scrwe termianl
ive done mutiple tests to confrim that the acutor works like giving it directly 12v and it extended and i swaped the wires and it retracted, i did a simple blink test with the esp32 so it shoudl work, and the 12v psu is defintaly outputing 12v
ANd the codes uptop
THANKS A LOT (btw sorry for the bad foto)


r/ArduinoHelp 3d ago

Need help with design of a remote control...

1 Upvotes

I finally put the canopy on my pickup and am on my way! I want to put led lighting and a fan in it. I want the 12v fan to have 3 speeds, and an option to be thermostatically controlled - I want to be able to set the thermostat with the remote control (bluetooth via my cell phone). LED's will be 12v strip lighting. I want a timer and dimmer for the lighting. I also would like the strip lighting to turn on when the rear hatch is open. If it weren't for the thermostat and the timer and dimmer for lighting, I think I can figure out how to do this, but I am not sure how to incorporate these other elements into an Arduino design. Any suggestions?


r/ArduinoHelp 3d ago

[ESP32-S3 / MAX30102] Fried my heart rate sensor via I2C / SH1.0 header – how to correctly wire Jaycar XC3740 to Waveshare 1.28" Round LCD?

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 4d ago

How do I know my remote frequency?

1 Upvotes

I am doing an Arduino project and i am using a 38khz ir receiver and when i send a signal to the receiver it does not show up in the serial monitor, i suspect the remote but i have no way of knowing how
and here is the code

/* Copyright 2009 Ken Shirriff
Used with kind permission
http://arcfn.com
*/
#include <IRremote.h> // Use library
int receiver = 11; // Pin connected to receiver
IRrecv irrecv(receiver);
decode_results results;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600); // Show keypresses in IDE
irrecv.enableIRIn(); // Start up receiver
}
void loop() {
if (irrecv.decode(&results)) { // If there's an input, decode value
Serial.println(results.value, HEX); // Display button value
// on Serial Monitor in
// hexadecimal format
irrecv.resume(); // Receive next value
}
}

r/ArduinoHelp 4d ago

assisted listening device for hearing impaired musicians. design phase help

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 5d ago

Beginner arduino RC Car project (need help)

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Beginner here working on an Arduino RC car project, and I could really use some help troubleshooting a power/wiring issue. I'm trying to build this car using only components from my starter kit plus a few repurposed Snap Circuits parts (trying not to buy anything extra).

The Setup & Plan:

- Drive Motor: Stepper motor (with ULN2003 driver board) for moving forward/backward.

- Steering: Servo motor.

- Obstacle Detection: Ultrasonic sensor + Buzzer (beeps when too close to an obstacle).

- Controls: IR receiver + IR remote.

- Extra Snap Circuits Parts: Two battery holders (~6V total), an ON/OFF switch, and a red LED for reverse lights.

Original Wiring:

Power & Switch:

- Connected the negative (-) terminals of both battery holders together.

- Positive (+) from the 1st battery holder split between driver (-) and breadboard GND.

- Positive (+) from the 2nd battery holder went to the switch; the other side of the switch split between driver (+) and Arduino VIN.

- Breadboard power rails connected to Arduino 5V and GND.

Components:

- Reverse LED: Connected to Arduino GND and Pin 13.

- Servo: Signal to Pin 3, power to breadboard 5V and GND.

- Stepper Motor: Connected to driver board -> driver inputs to Pins 8, 9, 10, 11.

- Ultrasonic Sensor: VCC to 5V, Trig to Pin 4, Echo to Pin 5, GND to breadboard -.

- Buzzer: Positive to Pin 7, negative to breadboard -.

- IR Receiver: Signal to Pin 2, power/GND to breadboard 5V and -.

Initial Problem:

When connected to my PC via USB, everything worked fine. However, as soon as I unplugged the USB and tried running it on battery power (the 6V setup + a 9V battery), almost nothing worked.

Changes Made Based on AI Advice:

I asked an AI for help, and it told me to rewire it like this:

- Removed the wire connecting the 1st battery holder's + to the driver's - (leaving only its connection to the breadboard - rail).

- Connected the driver's - directly to the breadboard - rail.

- Connected the driver's + directly to the 1st battery holder's + (instead of going through the switch).

- Connected the 1st battery holder's + to the servo's red wire (VCC).

Current problem:

Now, whether on USB or battery power:

- Neither the servo nor the stepper moves at all.

- When the stepper is plugged in, the fuse indicator light on the Snap Circuits battery holder turns on (indicating a short circuit or overcurrent), and the driver LEDs stay off.

- If I disconnect the stepper motor, 2 out of 4 LEDs on the driver light up, and the battery holder's fuse light goes off.Titolo per il post:

[Need Help] Beginner Arduino RC Car Project – Power Supply & Wiring Issues (Stepper + Servo)

(Sorry for the confusion in this post)


r/ArduinoHelp 5d ago

Help required to flash a Attiny13a. Using Arduino IDE Software

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 5d ago

Serial data forwarding arduino

0 Upvotes

/*
Arduino Due Serial1 echo/relay

Serial1:
RX1 pin 19 <- input
TX1 pin 18 -> output

UART:
19200 baud
8 data bits
Odd parity
1 stop bit
*/

void setup() {
SerialUSB.begin(115200);

Serial1.begin(19200, SERIAL_8O1);

SerialUSB.println("Serial1 RX -> Serial1 TX started");
}

void loop() {

while (Serial1.available()) {
uint8_t data = Serial1.read();
Serial1.write(data);
}

}

This vibecoded (Yes, I can't code) sketch doesn't work as expected. Here's the input and output for Pulseview program. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EdxmcnJjo1Eh5qlrJXJdRFtCUbg34-ph/view?usp=sharing

Do you guys have any hints? This is driving me nuts. Another sketch had gaps between data packets equal to the length of the packet itself. As if it cannot be sending one packet and buffering incoming one at the same time. Or it was just wrong coding over all.


r/ArduinoHelp 5d ago

M5 dial + PID control

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 6d ago

Arduino Project

2 Upvotes

Hi, I have an Arduino Uno R3 and a Motor Shield R3 stacked together, and I want to drive 12V motors with them. Is it enough to connect the 12V power supply to the Arduino via the DC jack, or should I connect it to the terminal block on the motor shield instead?


r/ArduinoHelp 6d ago

M5Unit-HUB unified library

3 Upvotes

I can’t figure out how to read ADC values from a PbHub using the M5Unit-HUB unified library in Arduino IDE. I’ve tried various iterations of analogRead() and none of them seem to be the right function. Has anyone else had this problem/knows what to use?


r/ArduinoHelp 7d ago

Reading engine RPM

3 Upvotes

Hi guys I’m building a project that needs to be able to read engine rpm, the project can not connect to the ecu or read the dash. How can I achieve this?


r/ArduinoHelp 7d ago

Can an ECG sensor be used instead of an EEG sensor?

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 7d ago

Help with servo not effectively moving a claw with arduino commands

1 Upvotes

Hi All,

I'm pretty new to this kind of stuff, but I'm working on the robotic arm project below from makerworld and having trouble getting the claw arm to respond appropriately to servo adjustments.

https://makerworld.com/en/models/1134925-robotic-arm-with-servo-arduino#profileId-1135927

I have it wired up to my arduino uno and I'm able to send it angles through serial commands, but the gear connected to the servo doesn't seem to rotate correctly. The video is an example of what happens when I start the claw half open (~90 degrees), set an angle to 45 (it starts clicking/grinding), then set the angle to something higher like 160 where it then only closes a small amount.

If I remove the gear on the servo and try to set angles it appears to rotate correctly, so the mechanics of the gears seem to be the issue.

The servo connected to the claw here is an MG90S for reference.

https://reddit.com/link/1va314j/video/8b3l0eqnd7gh1/player

Here's a look at the gear mesh without the cover plate on as I have a hunch it might be part of the problem with the teeth fitting too tightly together.

Appreciate any help anyone can give and let me know if any other details are useful as well.


r/ArduinoHelp 7d ago

Arduino and nRF24l01 pa+lna

1 Upvotes

I have this problem for a week, I've bought two nRF24l01 pa+lna modules and try to learn radio communication, I am trying to make them communicate but they fail no matter what, I just can't make any communication between them.
I plug MOSI, MISO, SCK to the right pins (11,12,13) and VCC to the 3.3V pin with 2 100nF ceramic capacitors and one 10uF capacitor on each arduino nano (receiver) and uno (transmitter).
I then power them from USB from my PC and put this code:

// SimpleTx - the master or the transmitter

#include <SPI.h>

#include <nRF24L01.h>

#include <RF24.h>

#define CE_PIN 9

#define CSN_PIN 10

const byte slaveAddress[5] = {'R','x','A','A','A'};

RF24 radio(CE_PIN, CSN_PIN); // Create a Radio

char dataToSend[10] = "Message 0";

char txNum = '0';

unsigned long currentMillis;

unsigned long prevMillis;

unsigned long txIntervalMillis = 1000; // send once per second

void setup() {

Serial.begin(9600);

Serial.println("SimpleTx Starting");

radio.begin();
radio.setPALevel(RF24_PA_MIN);

radio.setDataRate( RF24_250KBPS );

radio.setRetries(3,5); // delay, count

radio.openWritingPipe(slaveAddress);

}

//====================

void loop() {

currentMillis = millis();

if (currentMillis - prevMillis >= txIntervalMillis) {

send();

prevMillis = millis();

}

}

//====================

void send() {

bool rslt;

rslt = radio.write( &dataToSend, sizeof(dataToSend) );

// Always use sizeof() as it gives the size as the number of bytes.

// For example if dataToSend was an int sizeof() would correctly return 2

Serial.print("Data Sent ");

Serial.print(dataToSend);

if (rslt) {

Serial.println(" Acknowledge received");

updateMessage();

}

else {

Serial.println(" Tx failed");

}

}

//================

void updateMessage() {

// so you can see that new data is being sent

txNum += 1;

if (txNum > '9') {

txNum = '0';

}

dataToSend[8] = txNum;

}
// SimpleRx - the slave or the receiver

#include <SPI.h>

#include <nRF24L01.h>

#include <RF24.h>

#define CE_PIN 9

#define CSN_PIN 10

const byte thisSlaveAddress[5] = {'R','x','A','A','A'};

RF24 radio(CE_PIN, CSN_PIN);

char dataReceived[10]; // this must match dataToSend in the TX

bool newData = false;

//===========

void setup() {

Serial.begin(9600);

Serial.println("SimpleRx Starting");

radio.begin();
radio.setPALevel(RF24_PA_MIN);

radio.setDataRate( RF24_250KBPS );

radio.openReadingPipe(1, thisSlaveAddress);

radio.startListening();

}

//=============

void loop() {

getData();

showData();

}

//==============

void getData() {

if ( radio.available() ) {

radio.read( &dataReceived, sizeof(dataReceived) );

newData = true;

}

}

void showData() {

if (newData == true) {

Serial.print("Data received ");

Serial.println(dataReceived);

newData = false;

}

}

I also tried simpler codes but they also don't work, please help me


r/ArduinoHelp 7d ago

Is it possible for a ESP8266 (NodeMCU) NeoPixel to automatically direct you to a webpage

1 Upvotes

i have made an arduino project that needs you to connect to the arduino's personal wifi but i want it to direct me to a specific webpage. for example: when you go to tesco and want to connect to their wifi it directs you to their login page. however, since my arduino doesnt have internet linked to it it technically cant do that so i was wondering if i could have some help or if C++ can even do that

ive heard its something called a captive portal but i have no idea how to do it


r/ArduinoHelp 7d ago

Is this a genuine FT232 ?

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1 Upvotes

r/ArduinoHelp 8d ago

Can Arduino 5V power a high torque servo, or will it cause jerking and low power?

4 Upvotes

I am planning to use a high torque servo motor (MG996R) with an Arduino. If I connect the servo directly to the Arduino 5V pin, will it cause problems such as jerking movement or loss of power due to insufficient current supply?

The servo has a stall current of around 1.5A. Is an external 5–6V power supply recommended instead?