Blocks

Arduino Message Setup

This block will give the Arduino the ability to send and receive messages. The stuff under the ----------- is for the virtual circuit. It tells the virtual circuit that a message is being received and what that message is in the loop number that the Arduino is currently executing.

Arduino Get Message

This block gets the message being sent from the computer to the Arduino.

Button Setup

This block will tell the Arduino which pin to connect the button to. The stuff under the ----------- is for the virtual circuit. It's used to tell the virtual circuit whether the button is pressed or not in the loop that the circuit is running.

Color Exact

The block returns a custom color based on the red, green, and blue numbers you put into the block.

Color Picker

Returns a custom color based on the color picked in the color picker.

Compare

The block will compare the blocks on the right and left. It will use the option in the middle to make the evaluation. This block will equal true or false. If the option is set to "=" it will return true if what is on the right and left side is true. It it's set to "≠" then what is true if what is on the right and left side are not equal.

FASTLed Setup

This block will setup the fast led library. Here the options:

• Analog Pin -> Sets the data pin that your led light strip is wire to. The data controls the colors of your LEDs.
• Type -> is the chip name that is used to control your LEDS. Most of them use WS2811.
• Color Order -> On most neopixels this will be RGB and on cheaper light strips it will be GRB.
• Number of Leds -> Controls the number of leds in strip. Electroblocks can only simulate 60 leds at this time.
• Brightness: Controls how bright the leds are. If you are photographing them I have found 10 to be a good brightness.

FASTLed Set Color

Change the color for an LED. The position will start at one in ElectroBlocks.

Get Variable

A variable is one way you can tell the computer to store something. The get variable block will get the value stored inside the variable.

If

The block is used to make decisions. If what is connected to the block is true, then what is inside the do block will run.

Is Button Pressed

This block will return if the button is pressed.

Loop

Blocks inside the block will run forever on the actual Arduino. It will be from top to bottom, and once it reaches the bottom block, it will go back to the top block. The simulator on the right of the screen will run three times.

Loop With

This block is used to repeat something over and over again. It creates a variable often called "i". It will start "i" from the number and add or subtract the value stored in "i" until it gets to the to number. The best way to understand loops in Electroblocks is to play around with them.

Led

The LED block controls whether an led is on or off. The first dropdown decides which Arduino Pin the led is connected to. The second dropdown turns the LED on or off.

RGB Set Color

Sets the color of the RGB LED.

RGB LED Setup

Sets the wires used in the RGB LED.

Servo

The block controls the data pin that the servo is connected to and the number of degrees that you want to rotate the servo. The higher the number, the more the servo will rotate.

Wait

The wait block will pause the Arduino.