Introduction

Vernier Software & Technology has always supported hands-on, do-it-yourself projects for students and teachers. The availability of inexpensive, easy-to-program microcontrollers, like the Arduino, makes integrating engineering concepts into your science or STEM curriculum easy and affordable.
This guide was designed to help you with the connections and programming required when using Vernier sensors with Arduino. We’ve included many example sketches (programs) offered as starting points for your projects. They can save you a lot of time, because they already contain the code to read Vernier sensors. They were intentionally kept simple, so that you can easily see their functionality without getting overwhelmed with complex features. This guide can also help you learn how to use the Vernier Digital Control Unit (DCU) to control motors, LEDs, buzzers, and other simple electronics. Hopefully, after reading through this information, you will find an idea for some entertaining and educational projects.
Products
Sketches
All of Vernier’s Arduino sketches are available to view, download, or fork on GitHub.
About Arduino
The Arduino website is a great place to start to learn about this development platform. Go to the Arduino home page to discover:
- An extensive array of tutorials
- Programming tools you need to write sketches
- Additional examples for using Arduino
- Troubleshooting tips
Table of Contents
- Arduino Terminology
- About Vernier Sensors: Analog (BTA) and Digital (BTD)
- Connecting Vernier Sensors to Arduino
- Using the VernierLib Library
- Using Vernier Analog (BTA) Sensors with Arduino
- Using Vernier Digital (BTD) Sensors with Arduino
- Using the Vernier Digital Control Unit (DCU) with Arduino
- Using Motors with Arduino
- Calibrating Vernier Analog Sensors
- Importing Data into Graphical Analysis 4
- Importing Data into Logger Pro®
- Projects and Ideas
- Turn on a Buzzer Based on a Motion Detector Reading
- Produce a Tone Out that Depends on Sensor Reading
- Controlling a RGB LED with a 3-Axis Accelerometer
- Controlling a Mousetrap with a Photogate
- Laser Pointer Controlled by a Motion Detector
- Add a Display For Temperature Readings
- Auto-ID for Analog (BTA) Sensors
- Auto-ID for Digital (BTD) Sensors
- Auto-ID for Analog (BTA) Sensors with Display
- Pendulum Driver
- Levitating Ping Pong Ball
- DCU-Controlled Birthday Candle
Contents
Introduction- Arduino Terminology
- About Vernier Sensors: Analog (BTA) and Digital (BTD)
- Connecting Vernier Sensors to Arduino
- Using the VernierLib Library
- Using Vernier Analog (BTA) Sensors with Arduino
- Using Vernier Digital (BTD) Sensors with Arduino
- Using the Vernier Digital Control Unit (DCU) with Arduino
- Using Motors with Arduino
- Calibrating Vernier Analog Sensors
- Importing Data into Graphical Analysis 4
- Importing Data into Logger Pro®
- Projects and Ideas
- Turn on a Buzzer Based on a Motion Detector Reading
- Produce a Tone Out that Depends on Sensor Reading
- Controlling a RGB LED with a 3-Axis Accelerometer
- Controlling a Mousetrap with a Photogate
- Laser Pointer Controlled by a Motion Detector
- Add a Display For Temperature Readings
- Auto-ID for Analog (BTA) Sensors
- Auto-ID for Digital (BTD) Sensors
- Auto-ID for Analog (BTA) Sensors with Display
- Pendulum Driver
- Levitating Ping Pong Ball
- DCU-Controlled Birthday Candle
Vernier Engineering Contest
Vernier recognizes instructors for creative uses of Vernier sensors to introduce engineering concepts and/or practices. Vernier Engineering Award »