How to Program Arduino Pro Mini With USB to UART Serial Converter Module

How to start with Arduino Pro Mini and USB to UART Serial Converter Module

Arduino is very popular within electronic hobbyist and robotics due to its simplicity.Freely you can download all the data of arduino from http://www.arduino.cc/
Arduino software,The hardware reference designs and all the libraries are free to download from their site.

Arduino Pro Mini is a small version of Arduino. Original Arduino Pro Mini is about $18. Also you could buy one from ebay for lower prices.To program the board you need a USB to UART Serial Converter Module if you are going to program it using your laptop since modern laptops doesn't include any serial port.When you are ordering Arduino Pro Mini remember to order USB to UART Serial Converter Module which you can easily buy from ebay.

• First of all, drivers for USB to UART converter should be installed on your laptop.Drivers are depend on your device.(most of the devices are CP2102).Follow the steps in the link to install drivers.
• Once you installed the drivers you must confirm that it has been installed correctly.To verify this go to Device Manager in your computer.To simply do this type as Device Manager on your search bar in start menu.Then select Ports(COM & LPT).Then connect the USB to UART Serial Converter Module to one of your USB ports.If drivers are correctly installed your device will be shown on menu..

• Connect USB to UART Serial Converter Module and Arduino Pro Module as shown in the figure.Be sure to connect them properly. (specially power pins 5V and GND)

Bootloader is installed in every arduino board you buy from marcket. Without the help of bootloader you wont be able to write programs to microcontroller in Arduino board simply using USB to UART Serial Converter Module .Bootloader is a simple program which runs when you power up the Arduino board or press the reset button.It waits about few seconds to write a program which coming from the USB to UART Serial Converter Module.After that time period currently existing program will run.

• Once you connect Arduino Pro Mini to USB to UART Serial Converter Module you don't need to power up the board using external power source.

• Install Arduino software on your computer.Then you must select type of the board.

• Before upload the program COM port should be selected.To know which COM port you have connected to the board goto Device Manager - Ports(COM & LPT).Then you will notify to which COM port it has been connected.

• Write your own program on Arduino IDE.I will show you a simple program which we can check whether programming is correctly done.

                     void setup(){

  

                     pinMode(13,OUTPUT);      //set pin no. 13 as out put,led has connected to pin 13.

                     }

                     void loop(){

  

                    digitalWrite(13,HIGH);   //set 13 high 

                    delay(1000);              //wait for 1s

                    digitalWrite(13,LOW);    //set 13 low  

                    delay(1000);

                    }

• You have done almost everything.You are just behind one click.Click upload button in Arduino IDE.Once the progres bar come into a position as shown in below image immediately press the RESET button in Arduino board.You will notice LED bulbs in Arduino board and USB to UART Serial Converter Module will blink for few seconds.So the job is done!