http://embed.ted.com/talks/massimo_banzi_how_arduino_is_open_sourcing_imaginationI ran across this beginners guide to arduino. Very Very cool. also a good free eBook on PDF that is supposed to be better than the one supplied with starter kits…
Free Software-> https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
https://www.arduino.cc/download_handler.php?f=/arduino-1.6.10-windows.exe
Works right out of the box, when I used my printers USB cable (Old Epson Printer).
Apparently you can use LEDs as light detectors… who knew?
https://www.arduino.cc/en/uploads/Main/Arduino_Uno_Rev3-schematic.pdf
You can run a servo directly off of the main board.
However the power either needs to be supplied externally. Or you need to power the board from the barrel supply or externally with something more than the USB to computer adapter…. i.e. 6-12 V not 5 V USB.
| Microcontroller | ATmega328P |
| Operating Voltage | 5V |
| Input Voltage (recommended) | 7-12V |
| Input Voltage (limit) | 6-20V |
| Digital I/O Pins | 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output) |
| PWM Digital I/O Pins | 6 |
| Analog Input Pins | 6 |
| DC Current per I/O Pin | 20 mA |
| DC Current for 3.3V Pin | 50 mA |
| Flash Memory | 32 KB (ATmega328P) of which 0.5 KB used by bootloader |
| SRAM | 2 KB (ATmega328P) |
| EEPROM | 1 KB (ATmega328P) |
| Clock Speed | 16 MHz |
| Length | 68.6 mm |
| Width | 53.4 mm |
| Weight | 25 g |
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardUno
Awesome tutorials: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-arduino-lesson-1-blink/