Control Arduino From Your Computer (using FIRMATA)

This short project shows you how to control your arduino directly from your computer using the Firmata protocol.

Step 1: Connect Your Arduino

Open your arduino IDE.
Connect your arduino to your computer. Make sure you have selected the right port and arduino family in the arduino IDE.

Step 2: Upload Firmata to the Arduino

From your IDE go to
File>>Examples>>Firmata>>StandardFirmata as shown in the photo. verify then upload it to your arduino. The arduino should now be ready to communicate with the Firmata software that you are going to install. click upload.

Step 3: LED 13

We will use the default led on that arduino's pin 13 so you do not have to connect any extra LED. But go ahead and connect more than 1 led like I did so that you can test control them using the firmata software.

Step 4: Download the Firmata Software for Your Computer

For Linux (32 bit)
http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/firmata_test/firmata_t...

For Linux (64 bit)

http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/firmata_test/firmata_te...

http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/firmata_test/firmata_te... (Ubuntu 12.04)

http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/firmata_test/firmata_te... (Ubuntu 12.04, with log window)

For Mac OS-X

http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/firmata_test/firmata_te...

For Windows

http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/firmata_test/firmata_te...

Run this program and you are ready to start controlling the pins on your arduino directly without having to upload new code to it.
toggle the buttons for pin 13 and see what happens. do the same for any other pins you may have connected.