3. Arduino Uno R3 Technical Datasheet

The Arduino Uno R3 is a popular microcontroller board used for various applications such as robotics, IoT, automation, and more. It is based on the ATmega328P by Atmel, which is a low-power, 8-bit AVR microcontroller. The board has 14 digital input/output pins, 6 analog input pins, 16 megabytes of flash memory, 2 kilobytes of SRAM, and 1 kilobyte of EEPROM. The board is also equipped with a 16 MHz quartz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. The Arduino Uno is a popular platform for beginners and experienced users alike, and is widely used in education and industry.

AVR (ATmega328P - Arduino Uno) Architecture

Core Specifications

Communication Interfaces

Power Specifications

Current Ratings

Arduino IDE Workflow and Code

3.1 AVR (Arduino Uno) – Arduino IDE

Setup:

• Install Arduino IDE
• Select Board: Arduino Uno
• Connect via USB
• Write and upload .ino sketch
• Monitor output using Serial Monitor

9. Arduino IDE Installation

In this section, I have explained how I installed and configured the Arduino IDE to work with both the Arduino Uno (AVR) and the ESP32-C3 board.

1. I downloaded the latest version of the Arduino IDE from the official website:
   https://www.arduino.cc/en/software

Arduino IDE Home Screen



2. I installed it following the on-screen instructions.
3. After installation, I opened the Arduino IDE and selected Board: Arduino Uno from the Tools menu to work with the AVR architecture.
Preferences - Board Manager URL



4. To add ESP32-C3 support, I opened Preferences and pasted the following URL into the "Additional Board Manager URLs":
   https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json ESP32 Board Installation in Board Manager



5. I then navigated to Tools > Board > Boards Manager and searched for "ESP32 by Espressif Systems". I installed it and selected Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3 as the board.



Port and Board Selection


6. I connected the board using a USB cable, selected the correct COM port under Tools > Port, and uploaded the example blink code successfully.

Blink Code:

                    void setup() {
                    pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
                    }

                    void loop() {
                    digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
                    delay(500);
                    digitalWrite(13, LOW);
                    delay(500);
                    }
                    

Serial Output Code:

                    void setup() {
                    Serial.begin(9600);
                    }

                    void loop() {
                    Serial.println("Hello from AVR!");
                    delay(1000);
                    }
                    

4. ESP32-C3 (RISC-V) Architecture

Alright, let's talk about the ESP32-C3! Imagine a tiny powerhouse chip, but instead of the usual brain you might expect, this one runs on an open-source RISC-V architecture. This means it's super energy-efficient and perfectly suited for your next smart home gadget or IoT project. Plus, it comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so getting it connected to the internet is a breeze.

4.1 Communication Interfaces

4.2 Power Specifications

4.3 Current Ratings

4.4 ESP32-C3 – Arduino IDE

Setup:

• Install Arduino IDE
• Add ESP32 Board Manager URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espressif/arduino-esp32/gh-pages/package_esp32_index.json
• Select Board: Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3
• Connect via USB-C
• Write and upload .ino sketch

Blink Code:

                    void setup() {
                    pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
                    }

                    void loop() {
                    digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);
                    delay(500);
                    digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);
                    delay(500);
                    }
                    

Serial Output Code:

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

                    void loop() {
                    Serial.println("Hello from ESP32-C3 using Arduino!");
                    delay(1000);
                    }
                    

10. Thonny IDE and MicroPython Setup for ESP32-C3

This section covers how I installed Thonny IDE and configured it to work with the ESP32-C3 board using MicroPython.

1. I downloaded Thonny IDE from the official site:
   https://thonny.org/
2. I installed Thonny using the default setup wizard.
3. To flash MicroPython firmware to ESP32-C3, I downloaded the appropriate firmware from:
   https://micropython.org/download/esp32c3/
4. I used the following esptool.py commands to erase and flash the firmware:

                    esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port COMx erase_flash
                    esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port COMx write_flash -z 0x0 firmware.bin
                    







5. Once flashed, I opened Thonny and went to Tools > Options > Interpreter.
6. I selected MicroPython (ESP32) and chose the appropriate COM port.
7. I wrote and ran my first MicroPython program (LED Blink) directly from Thonny IDE.

Screenshot Attachments:

• Image 1: Thonny IDE Home Screen
  


• Image 2: Firmware Selection from MicroPython Site
  


• Image 3: Setting up Interpreter in Thonny
  


• Image 4: COM Port Detection and Running Code
  

4.5 ESP32-C3 MicroPython Workflow (Thonny IDE)

Setup:

• Download latest MicroPython firmware for ESP32-C3
• Flash using esptool.py:
• esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port COMx erase_flash
esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port COMx write_flash -z 0x0 firmware.bin
• Open Thonny IDE and select MicroPython (ESP32) from Tools > Interpreter
• Write and run Python scripts live

Blink Code:

                    from machine import Pin
                    from time import sleep

                    led = Pin(10, Pin.OUT)

                    while True:
                        led.value(1)
                        sleep(0.5)
                        led.value(0)
                        sleep(0.5)
                    

Serial Output Code:

                    from time import sleep

                    while True:
                        print("Hello from ESP32-C3 using MicroPython!")
                        sleep(1)
                    

5. Toolchain Summary

6. Comparison Table

7. Conclusion

This experiment helped me understand how development flows differ between microcontroller architectures and IDEs. The Arduino Uno (AVR) is beginner-friendly and works seamlessly with the Arduino IDE, making it ideal for basic electronics. The ESP32-C3, on the other hand, supports both Arduino and MicroPython programming models and offers built-in Wi-Fi, BLE, and enhanced performance due to its 32-bit RISC-V core.

Arduino IDE is best suited for C/C++ development with direct hardware control. Thonny IDE, paired with MicroPython, offers faster prototyping and simplicity for scripting-style projects. The ESP32-C3’s flexibility in supporting both makes it highly suitable for modern IoT applications.