THE SNAPINO - An introduction to the Arduino and data collection

     One feature of the Arduino board is that it does so much and there are so many possible projects, it's a bit intimidating.  For younger or newer programmers, a good introduction to the Arduino is through the Snapino Snap Circuits kit.      The Snapino links Snap Circuits components to an Arduino.  The set is relatively inexpensive (about $50.00) and is available on Amazon.com. The Arduino is mounted on a Snap Circuits adapter and can easily be plugged into any Snap Circuits project.    An Arduino board and several Snap Circuits blocks, including a light sensor, are included.      The project below, taken from the Snap Circuits manual included with the kit, is for a simple light monitor.  The manual provides clear, helpful instructions for building the circuit, downloading the software, and running the program.  The program and the circuit setup are well-documented.  And, since students have access to the program and the environment, they can easily change the program, add instructions, or write their own code using the provided program as an example.