How to Install Arduino IDE Software on Windows Easily

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will learn How to Install Arduino IDE Software on Windows, and software development by introducing the development environment (IDE ) which allows us to write, compile and transfer our programs to the board.​ First of all, it must be emphasized that the programming language used for Arduino is C/C++; we can speak of both languages, as it is possible to use or not the support for the classes that C++ makes available. Furthermore, the compiler used is obviously dedicated to Atmel’s AVR family microcontrollers and is part of a well-defined  GCC toolchain.

It is always possible to write and compile a program with a compiler and a simple text editor. However, to increase productivity and reduce development times, it is always preferable to use a dedicated IDE (if available). Luckily, with Arduino, we have this possibility!

Hardware Required

How to download and install the Arduino IDE

How to Install Arduino IDE on Windows Now First you Download the software which is available on the Arduino official website, from which we can download the Arduino IDE for the operating system we use (Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X are supported). In addition to the ” Arduino 1.8.8 ” version that interests us (the current version at the time of publication of the tutorial), a Beta version is available for the “Arduino Yun” board, a dedicated version for Intel “Galileo” and even the sources of the environment, given the open-source nature of the project.

In the case of Windows, which we will use throughout this guide, we have the option of downloading an installer or a simple ZIP file containing everything you need. To avoid an unnecessary installation process, the second solution is absolutely the best; in this way, we will simply need to delete the folder in case we have to update the IDE or do not want to use it anymore.

​Once the contents of the ZIP file have been downloaded and extracted, click on the arduino.exe executable file located in the main folder, and after a few seconds, we will find ourselves before our eyes the only simple but essential window of the IDE completely developed in Java.

How to Install Arduino IDE Software on Windows Easily

Step 1: First, download the latest version of the Arduino IDE software From here.

Step 2: Then Open the downloaded file to start the software installation procedure.

Click I Agree to accept the rules. as shown in the below Example

Step 3: Select the elements you require to install on your system. I suggest you leave all chances checked.

How to Install Arduino IDE Software on Windows Easily

Step 4: Select the software installation location. I suggest you to leave it unchanged if the “C” drive (the default drive suggested by the software) has enough free space,

Wait until the installation is complete.

Successful Install

The software has been successfully installed. Fortunately, operating with this software is as easy as installing it!

Using Arduino IDE

Arduino code is written in files called Sketch, which is saved in the computer storage with the .ino suffix. The given below figure displays the operating environment of a sketch.

Create A Simple Project with Arduino

Now Open the Arduino IDE software, create a new sketch, and save it with your chosen name. Then copy the given below code to the software environment. This code is for the Blinking of the LED on the Arduino board.

Code For Example

void setup() {

  pinMode(13,OUTPUT); //Sets pin 13 as output
}
void loop(){
      digitalWrite(13,HIGH); //Sets pin 13 to 5v
      Serial.println("Light ON"); //Prints on serial monitor
      delay(1000); //Waits for 1second
      digitalWrite(13,LOW); //Sets pin 13 to 0v
      Serial.println("Light OFF"); //Prints on serial monitor
      delay(1000); //Waits for 1second
}

Serial Monitor

A very useful feature of the IDE is the serial port monitor available in the Tools > Serial Monitor menu item. As we will see, this tool will prove to be very important for debugging our runtime programs. Due to limitations primarily due to the type of microcontroller, we do not have the debugging functions that we usually use for other types of applications. The library related to the management of the serial allows us to send messages on it and display them through the monitor. This way, we can “debug” and determine the point in the program or the value assumed by one or more variables at runtime. We cannot rely on breakpoints, step-by-step execution, or real-time display of variable values in this case. Although it may seem a bit rudimentary, it is the only solution in this case.