If you are just stepped into the world of Arduino, you may be confused about what projects I have to do first and what components I have to buy.
To avoid this confusion I’m going to tell you the 8 most useful components that can be used in your Arduino projects.
Here is a list of some of them and their prices.
| Display (LED or LCD) | 2 – 13 USD |
| LED (bundle) | 1 – 2 USD |
| Breadboard (small) | 5 USD |
| Wires (small bundle) | 3 USD |
| Temperature Sensor | 2 USD |
| small motor | 2 USD |
The above components can be categorized into three parts.
- Input Components (sensors).
- Output Components (Display, motors, LED).
- Other (wires, Breadboard).
1. LED or LCD Display
The LED or LCD is the best way to display the information which is processed by your Arduino program such as messages, readings of sensors, etc.
Arduino has libraries that make interfacing a display so easy.
According to my experience cheapest prices for those are available on Aliexpress.com. Here are some typical prices of displays.
| 1 row 8 character LCD display | 3 – 5 USD |
| 4 row 16 character LCD display | 7 – 13 USD |
| 2 digit LED display | 2 USD |
Note: Here is an extra tip. If you don’t have a display, in that case, you can use the serial monitor of Arduino IDE to display your readings, sensor data, etc.
2.LED’s
LED is a simple, yet very useful component that can be used with Arduino. This can be used to communicate with the outside world by showing some indications.
And also programming LED patterns will lead you to practice and understand All the basic concepts of programming such as variables, loops, arrays, etc.
Note: Purchasing a bundle of a few hundred LEDs is a lot cheaper than buying individually.
3.Breadboard
A breadboard is a component that allows you to prototype circuits very fast. It is a flat board with holes which are interconnected in rows.
The price of breadboards usually lies between 5 to 35 USD according to their size.
The importance of a breadboard for Arduino projects is that it allows you to implement your circuit quickly, find bugs, and reimplement the corrected one before going to solder the circuit.
4.Wires
Hereby “wires”, we mean jumper wires which are used in breadboards. There are 3 types of jumper wires.
- Female to Female
- Male to Male
- Male to Female
It is good to have 1 set of each type with you if you are going to experiment with your Arduino.
The cost of a wire bundle is typically 3 – 6 USD.
5.Cables
If it is not a starter kit consisting of some other components, mostly the Arduino comes without a cable.
A cable is used to connect the Arduino to the computer. Cables are different from Arduino type to type.
Here are some cable types you would better to have.
| USB type B | 3 – 5 USD |
| USB type B micro | 3 – 5 USD |
| Power Cable (including adapter) | 9 – 10 USD |
6.Sensors
Almost all electronic systems need sensors to get data from the physical world.
Therefore sensors are must-have components when you start to learn and experiment with Arduino.
Here are some common and useful sensors you have to buy.
| Temperature sensor | 0.5 – 2 USD |
| Current/Voltage Sensor | 2 – 9 USD |
| Soil moisture sensor | 5 USD |
| Light sensor | 2 USD |
| Tilt Sensor | 2 USD |
7.Motors
In the projects like robotics, CNC, and 3D printers, motors are used commonly and most of these are 6V or 9V motors that can be controlled through Arduino’s PWM output.
Very often you will need motor controlling shields to control your motor.
Here are some types of motors and some motor controlling shields you may want.
8.Relays
Relays can be used as input devices as well as Output devices.
- Output – Can be used to control (switch) other circuits.
- Input – Can be read by the Arduino to Understand the state of something physical.
Relays are commonly used to
- Switching another circuit that uses high current or voltage (eg:230v).
- Electrically isolate two circuits.
- Reading the state of two circuits.
Relays can be purchased with following options.
- Single Relay.
- Relay Module.
- 4 Relay Module.
Note: You can buy an Arduino kit that consists of the above components which are cheaper than buying components one by one.
Here are some quality and cheap Arduino kits available in the market.