Start here: Arduino Ultrasonic Distance & Parking Learning Kit

Start here: your learning path

Follow these 7 steps before Lesson 1. They take about 30-45 minutes and prove that your computer, cable and UNO all work - so if something goes wrong later, you know it is the wiring, not the setup.

1. 0Start here30-45 min · setup
2. 1 Measure Distance with Sound 30-45 min
3. 2 Traffic-Light Distance Indicator 30 min
4. 3 Parking Beeper 30 min
5. 4 Blind Zone & No Echo 25 min
6. 5 Calibrate Your Sensor 40 min Extra equipment
7. 6 Angles & Surfaces 40 min Extra equipment
8. 7 Smoothing Noisy Readings 30 min
9. 8 OLED Distance Meter 45 min Adult help
10. 9 Everything Together - Distance Lab 45-60 min Extra equipment

Lessons 1-7 need only the kit, a computer and things from home such as a book and a ruler. Lesson 8 adds the OLED and needs two free libraries (and an adult only if the OLED has no pins). Lesson 9's battery demo needs a 9V battery, which is not in the box.

1. 1

   Check the parts

   • Open the box and lay the parts out on a clear table.
   • Tick each one off against the photos and descriptions below.

   Safety: Small parts: keep them away from young children and pets.

   

   1 × UNO R3 Development Board ATmega328P Microcontro… Board marked UNO with a square USB socket. The cable has a square plug at one end.

   

   1 × HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor Module for A… Board with two round "eyes" and 4 pins: VCC, TRIG, ECHO, GND.

   

   1 × Active Buzzer Module 5V DC, Plug-and- Alarm Out… Small board with a round black buzzer and 3 pins (VCC, GND, I/O).

   ◇

   1 × 5MM LED R-Y-G Red, yellow and green 5 mm LEDs. The longer leg is +.

   

   1 × RESISTOR ASSORTED 220-1K-10K Small beige parts with coloured bands: 220 Ω red-red-brown, 1 kΩ brown-black-red, 10 kΩ brown-black-orange.

   

   1 × 400 Tie Point Solderless Breadboard - Half Size… White board with 400 holes and red and blue lines along the edges.

   

   1 × Jumper Wire Assorted Pack 120 Pieces - Male-to-… Rainbow ribbon of wires: male-male, male-female and female-female (10 cm).

   

   1 × 0.96" OLED Display Module 128x64 I2C (White) Small display with a glass screen and 4 pins labelled GND, VCC, SCL and SDA (the order varies).

   

   1 × 9V Battery Holder Case with 5.5x2.1mm DC Male P… Black box for a 9V battery, with a round plug on a lead. The battery is not included.

   Photos are the catalogue pictures of each part. Your parts may differ slightly in colour - go by the shape, the pins and the labels.

   You should see: You have all 9 items listed below.

   If it doesn't work

   Something is missing or broken

   Send us a photo with your order number on WhatsApp.

   Breadboard

   A white board full of holes that lets you connect parts without soldering.

2. 2

   Check what else you need

   • Read the "You also need" list below.
   • Find a computer you are allowed to install software on, with a free USB port.

   You also need (not in the box)	For	Note
   A computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) where you can install the free Arduino IDE 2 - or a Chromebook with the Arduino Cloud Editor	All lessons
   A free USB-A port, or an adapter, for the kit's USB cable	All lessons
   An internet connection, to download the IDE, the libraries and the code	Start here, Lesson 8
   A ruler or tape measure, and a book or flat piece of card	Lessons 1-9
   A cushion or jumper, a bottle and a pencil, to test targets	Lessons 4 and 6
   A spreadsheet program (Google Sheets, Excel, LibreOffice)	Lesson 5 - optional
   A 9V battery	Lesson 9 battery demo - optional	Not included. The holder is in the box.
   A 4-pin header and soldering	Lesson 8 - only if your OLED has no pins fitted	Adult only
   A multimeter	Optional	No lesson needs one. Useful for an adult checking 5V and GND.

   You should see: You have a computer, a free USB port, an internet connection, a ruler and a book.

3. 3

   Set up the computer

   • Go to arduino.cc/en/software and download the free Arduino IDE 2 for your computer (Windows, macOS or Linux).
   • Install it and open it. If it asks to install drivers, allow it.
   • On a Chromebook, use the free Arduino Cloud Editor in the browser instead (it needs a free Arduino account).

   You should see: The Arduino IDE opens with a new, empty sketch that contains setup() and loop().

   If it doesn't work

   The download or install is blocked

   School and work computers often block installs. Ask an adult or use a home computer.

   IDE

   The program where you write code and send it to the UNO.

   Sketch

   An Arduino program.

4. 4

   Connect the UNO with its USB cable

   • Plug the square end of the USB cable into the UNO and the flat end into the computer.
   • Nothing else is connected to the UNO yet.

   Safety: Put the UNO on a dry table, away from coins, paper clips and other metal - they can touch the pins underneath and cause a short.

   You should see: A small power light on the UNO (marked ON or PWR) lights up. The light marked L may already be blinking - some boards come with Blink loaded.

   If it doesn't work

   No light at all

   Push the plug fully into the UNO. Try another USB port, then another cable.

5. 5

   Select the board and the port

   • In the IDE open Tools → Board → Arduino AVR Boards → Arduino Uno.
   • Open Tools → Port and choose your UNO: COM3, COM4… on Windows, /dev/cu.usbserial… or /dev/cu.usbmodem… on a Mac, /dev/ttyUSB0 or /dev/ttyACM0 on Linux.
   • Not sure which one? Unplug the UNO, look at the list, plug it back in: the new entry is your UNO.

   You should see: The bottom of the IDE window shows "Arduino Uno" and your port.

   If it doesn't work

   The Port menu is greyed out or empty	Some USB cables only charge and carry no data. Try the kit's cable in another port, or another data cable.
   Windows shows "USB2.0-Serial" or an unknown device	Look at the small chip next to the UNO's USB socket. If it says CH340, the computer needs the free CH340 driver - ask us on WhatsApp and we'll send the link.
   Mac: no new port appears	Do the same CH340 check. After installing a driver, you may need to allow it in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
   Linux: "permission denied" on the port	Ask an adult to add your user to the dialout group (sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER), then log out and back in.

   Port

   The name your computer gives the USB connection to the UNO.

6. 6

   Upload Blink

   • Open File → Examples → 01.Basics → Blink.
   • Click the round Upload button (the → arrow) at the top left.
   • Wait for "Done uploading." at the bottom of the window.

   You should see: The small light marked L (next to pin 13) blinks: 1 second on, 1 second off.

   Try it: Change both delay(1000) lines to delay(200) and upload again. The L light blinks five times faster. Now you know you can change code and upload it.

   If it doesn't work

   "can't open device" or "Access is denied"	The port is busy or wrong. Close other Arduino windows, choose the port again (step 5) and try again.
   "programmer is not responding"	The wrong board or port is selected, or the cable carries no data. Check step 5 and try another cable.
   A red "Compilation error"	The example was changed by accident. Close it without saving and open Blink again from File → Examples.
   "Done uploading" but L doesn't change	Your board may already have been running Blink. Do the change below (delay 200) and look for faster blinking.

   Upload

   Sending your sketch from the computer into the UNO. It stays there even after you unplug.

   Compile

   The IDE checks your sketch and turns it into code the UNO understands. It happens automatically before every upload.

7. 7

   Continue to Lesson 1

   • Unplug the USB cable.
   • Open Lesson 1: Measure Distance with Sound and follow it step by step.
   • Do the lessons in order: each one builds on the last, and the wiring stays in place.

   You should see: You are ready to build.

   Open Lesson 1 → Printable manual

Hi DIY KIT, I'm stuck on the Arduino Ultrasonic Distance & Parking Learning Kit.
Lesson: __
Step number: __
What should happen: __
What happens instead: __
Error message (copied exactly): __
I'll attach a photo of my wiring.