The Ultimate Guide to Installing and Configuring Arduino IDE on Raspberry Pi for Robotics, IoT, and Electronics Projects.

Learn how to install the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) on your Raspberry Pi and start programming your very own electronic projects! …

Updated October 13, 2023

Learn how to install the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) on your Raspberry Pi and start programming your very own electronic projects!

Installing Arduino IDE on Raspberry Pi - A Step-by-Step Guide

In this article, we will discuss how to install Arduino IDE on Raspberry Pi. The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is an open-source software used for writing code and uploading it to the Arduino board. It simplifies the process of programming and testing circuits, making it easier for beginners as well as experienced developers to create electronic projects.

What is Arduino?

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. It consists of a microcontroller board and a development environment that provides simplified coding and programming tools for building all kinds of interactive objects or devices. The Arduino IDE allows you to write code in various programming languages such as C++, Python, and more.

Why Install Arduino on Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi is an affordable, credit-card sized computer that can be used for a wide range of applications like robotics, IoT, and electronics projects. By installing the Arduino IDE on your Raspberry Pi, you will have access to powerful tools for creating these projects. Here are some reasons why you might want to install Arduino on your Raspberry Pi:

Interactive Projects: You can use Raspberry Pi and Arduino to create interactive projects like robots, automated systems, or IoT devices that respond to sensors and user input.
Education: Installing Arduino on your Raspberry Pi will make it easy for students and hobbyists to learn about electronics and programming.
Expanded Functionality: The combination of Raspberry Pi and Arduino offers expanded functionality, allowing you to create complex projects that integrate computer vision, AI, and machine learning algorithms with your electronic devices.

Steps to Install Arduino IDE on Raspberry Pi

Installing the Arduino IDE on Raspberry Pi is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to get started:

Update Your System Before installing the Arduino IDE, it’s essential to update your system and ensure that all packages are up-to-date. Open a terminal window and run the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Install Dependencies The Arduino IDE requires some dependencies to work properly on Raspberry Pi. Run the following command to install them:

sudo apt-get install libudev-dev libusb-1.0-0-dev gcc-avr avrdude python3-pip

Download and Install Arduino IDE You can download the latest version of Arduino IDE from the official website: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

Once you have downloaded the file, open a terminal window in the directory where the file is saved, and run the following command to install it:

sudo dpkg -i arduino-<version>-linuxarmhf.deb

Replace <version> with the version number of the Arduino IDE you downloaded (e.g., 1.8.5).

Set Up USB Permissions In order to upload code to your Arduino board, you need to set up USB permissions. Run the following commands:

sudo usermod -a -G tty pi
sudo usermod -a -G dialout pi

This will add your user account to the tty and dialout groups, which grant permission to access serial devices like Arduino boards.

Configure Arduino IDE Open the Arduino IDE from the menu or by running the following command:

arduino

Go to File > Preferences and set the following options:

Additional Boards Manager URLs: http://adafruit.github.io/arduino-board-index/package_adafruit_index.json
Additional libraries URLS: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/RoboticsBrno/RBLibraryArduino/master/package_roboticsbrno_index.json

Click “OK” to save the changes.

Install Board Support To install board support for Raspberry Pi, open Arduino IDE and go to Tools > Boards > Boards Manager. Search for raspberry and click on Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040 by earlephilhower. Click “Install” to download and install the board support package.
Restart Arduino IDE Close and reopen the Arduino IDE for the changes to take effect. You should now see Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040 in the list of boards under Tools > Boards.
Connect Your Arduino Board Plug your Arduino board into your Raspberry Pi using a USB cable. Make sure that your board is powered on and recognized by the system. You should see a new device listed in /dev/ttyACM* or /dev/ttyUSB*.
Upload a Test Sketch Create a new sketch in Arduino IDE, upload it to your Raspberry Pi, and test it out on your Arduino board. For example, you can use the following code to blink an LED:

#define LED_PIN 13 // set LED pin number

void setup() {
  pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT); // set LED as output
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(LED_PIN, HIGH); // turn on the LED
  delay(10000);            // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(LED_PIN, LOW);  // turn off the LED
  delay(10000);            // wait for a second
}

Save the sketch and upload it to your Raspberry Pi. You should see the LED blinking on your Arduino board.

Conclusion