Conrad Now Authorized Arduino® Distributor
Good news for electronics designers, makers and education providers: the Conrad Sourcing Platform now supplies the entire range of Arduino products.
- Everything from one supplier: circuit boards, modules, shields and kits
- Project-specific open-source software for industries, makerspaces, schools and colleges
- Stop the presses: brand-new Arduino products available on the Conrad Sourcing Platform
It all started in 2005, in the eponymous pub based in Ivrea, Italy. These days, they are a stable of makerspaces, FabLabs, and even some industry sectors. Designed around easy-to-use hardware in the form of a microcontroller, and easy-to-program software, Arduino has grown into an open-source platform used by electronics designers and programmers across the globe.
All Things Arduino from One Supplier
Conrad has been supplying selected Arduino products for a number of years. Now, the whole Arduino product line is available from the retailer: “Recently, we became an authorized Arduino distributor,” explains Alexander Kastner, product manager at Conrad Electronic. “This means that besides offering a comprehensive selection, we are able to make procurement easier and faster for our customers.” Conrad now also supplies Arduino boards, Arduino modules, Arduino shields and Arduino kits. Daniel Kilian, Global Sales Director at Arduino, points out another benefit arising from the global partnership: “Us working closely together now also means each and every new product will be available from Conrad on the very day it’s being released.”
STEAM Kits Aimed at the Education Sector
Besides industry and the maker community, Conrad has a track record of addressing the needs of the education sector when it comes to digital transformation and promoting STEAM subjects. Arduino Education products are especially designed to make STEAM lessons in schools and colleges more fun and engaging. Through the online content that accompanies all Arduino Education kit teachers can easily access multiple pointers on how to achieve this with their students, helping to speed up getting to grips with the fundamentals of electronics and programming. Alexander Kastner thinks there is a very good reason for using development boards in classrooms and in vocational training: “These days, you see Arduino prototyping kits in many industry sectors. This gives students and undergrads who know how to program Arduino hardware a significant head start when it comes to their professional career.”
Versatile and User-friendly
Arduino is first and foremost a versatile controller aimed at all those who want to realise their own project ideas, or are looking into process automation, whether it’s a simple traffic light controller circuit or a highly complex IoT setup. Unlike single-board computers, the Arduino hardware is basically a programmable I/O microcontroller. Using a wide range of different sensors, Arduino is capable of monitoring its environment, and of controlling lighting, electric motors, and many other actuators accordingly. Programming the hardware is easy, using Arduino’s C++ based programming language. The whole set-up has been designed around simplicity and user-friendliness: besides free software downloads, Arduino operates as an open-source platform. This means that electronics enthusiasts just need to go to the Arduino Website to get their hands on ready-to-use circuits, layouts and libraries, enabling them to focus on their idea. All of them can be changed to fit individual needs. Moreover, projects can be monitored and controlled remotely using the Arduino IoT Cloud and shared for the benefit of all via the Arduino Project Hub.
Arduino MKR – Boards for Makers
Arduino‘s MKR series has been especially developed for maker innovators. Besides covering a wide range of switching and operating tasks, the MKR series features largely centre around board and shield communication, including SigFox protocol for IoT applications, Wi-Fi for LAN connectivity, GSM compatibility and everything in between. In this context, using the versatile u-blox NINA w102 Bluetooth module together with Arduino’s NANO RP2040 Connect makes for a perfect pairing when it comes to tapping the potential of the Internet of Things (Product ID: 2372094 / 2371847).
Arduino PRO – Designed for Use in Industry
Arduino Pro is a high-performance system suitable, among other things, for complex industrial applications, robotics, on-device AI, and for operating equipment and machinery. This means advanced and highly sophisticated board layouts such as the Portenta H7 lite, featuring a dual core chip capable of processing complex tasks in real time (Product ID: 2464202). Linking the PRO hardware to the Arduino IoT cloud provides a complete low-code IoT application development platform, managing entire set-ups in one place.
The entire Arduino product line is available here.
www.conrad.com
