Embedded systems are ubiquitous in modern technology and are often used to automate tasks and control devices. An embedded system is a combination of hardware and software that is designed to perform a specific function. The software is usually written in low-level programming languages such as C or assembly language. However, there are modern programming languages that can be used to build embedded systems. In this tutorial, we will explore building embedded systems with Go programming language and Arduino.


Requirements:

  • Basic knowledge of programming in Go language
  • Familiarity with Arduino hardware and software


Setting up the Environment

The first step is to set up the environment. The environment consists of the software tools and hardware components that will be used to build the embedded system. In this tutorial, we will use the following components:

  • An Arduino board (we will use the Arduino Uno board)
  • A breadboard
  • LEDs
  • Resistors
  • Jumper wires
  • A computer with the Go language installed


Installing Required Libraries

To communicate with the Arduino board, we will need to install the "go-arduino" library. This library allows us to program the Arduino board using Go language. To install the library, we will use the following command in the terminal:

go get -u github.com/go-arduino/arduino


Connecting the Hardware

The next step is to connect the hardware components to the Arduino board. We will connect LEDs to the Arduino board using resistors and jumper wires. The LEDs will be connected to digital pins of the Arduino board. Here is the schematic of the circuit:

     +5V
      |
      |
     [R]
      |
      |
     LED
      |
      |
     [D]
      |
      |
    GND

Here, [R] represents the resistor and [D] represents the digital pin of the Arduino board.


Writing the Code

Now we can write the code to control the LEDs. We will use the "arduino" library to communicate with the Arduino board. Here is the code:

package main

import (
	"time"

	"github.com/go-arduino/arduino"
)

func main() {
	board := arduino.MustConnect("/dev/ttyACM0", 115200)
	defer board.Close()

	pin13 := board.PinMode(13, arduino.Output)

	for {
		pin13.Write(arduino.High)
		time.Sleep(time.Second)
		pin13.Write(arduino.Low)
		time.Sleep(time.Second)
	}
}

This code will blink the LED connected to digital pin 13 of the Arduino board. The code will turn the LED on for one second, and then turn it off for one second.


Uploading the Code

To upload the code to the Arduino board, we need to compile the code and upload it to the board. We will use the following command to compile and upload the code:

GOARCH=avr GOOS=linux go build -o blink main.go
avr-objcopy -O ihex -R .eeprom blink blink.hex
avrdude -v -patmega328p -carduino -P/dev/ttyACM0 -b115200 -D -Uflash:w:blink.hex:i


Conclusion:

In this tutorial, we have learned how to build embedded systems using Go programming language and Arduino. We have set up the environment, installed the required libraries, connected the hardware, and written the code to control the LEDs. Finally, we have uploaded the code to the Arduino board. With this knowledge, you can build more complex embedded systems using Go language and Arduino.