The use of Arduino simulator in education

Due to the increasing application of microcomputers, microcontrollers and programmable electronic circuits in electrical engineering, the knowledge of programming has become essential for students majoring in Electrical Engineering. In the Computer Usage course, attended by first-year students, they are expected to get introduced to the basics of programming. Since Arduino is an open-source platform that consists of a set of simple and flexible electronic and software components that can be easily interconnected into more complex sections, it has been selected for classroom use. However, teaching with the Arduino platform has numerous disadvantages. First of all, it is the investment in the electronic components, provision of facilities and change in the concept of teaching. In fact, it is necessary to increase the number of total lessons per semester because in this case students are supposed to spend time not only on programming circuits, but on their physical connection as well. To avoid the above mentioned disadvantages, Arduino simulator Autodesk 123D circuits have been introduced. This program allows students to design and analyse electronic circuits using personal computers before the circuits are realised in practice. The Simulator is accessed through a web browser and this property makes it suitable for use in e-learning. This paper presents how to use the simulator and its capacities, with an emphasis on the possibility of teamwork on the project.