Arduino Program Structure¶

Let’s take a look at the new sketch file. Although it has a few lines of code itself, it is actually an “empty” sketch. Uploading this sketch to the development board will cause nothing to happen.

void setup() {
// put your setup code here, to run once:

}

void loop() {
// put your main code here, to run repeatedly:

}

If we remove setup() and loop() and make the sketch a real blank file, you will find that it does not pass the verification. They are the equivalent of the human skeleton, and they are indispensable.

During sketching, setup() is run first, and the code inside it (inside {}) is run after the board is powered up or reset and only once. loop() is used to write the main feature, and the code inside it will run in a loop after setup() is executed.

To better understand setup() and loop(), let’s use four sketches. Their purpose is to make the on-board LED of the Arduino blink. Please run each experiment in turn and record them specific effects.

Sketch 1: Make the on-board LED blink continuously.

void setup() {
    // put your setup code here, to run once:
    pinMode(13,OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {
    // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
    digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
    delay(500);
    digitalWrite(13,LOW);
    delay(500);
}

Sketch 2: Make the on-board LED blink only once.

void setup() {
    // put your setup code here, to run once:
    pinMode(13,OUTPUT);
    digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
    delay(500);
    digitalWrite(13,LOW);
    delay(500);
}

void loop() {
    // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
}

Sketch 3: Make the on-board LED blink slowly once and then blink quickly.

void setup() {
    // put your setup code here, to run once:
    pinMode(13,OUTPUT);
    digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
    delay(1000);
    digitalWrite(13,LOW);
    delay(1000);
}

void loop() {
    // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
    digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
    delay(200);
    digitalWrite(13,LOW);
    delay(200);
}

Sketch 4: Report an error.

void setup() {
    // put your setup code here, to run once:
    pinMode(13,OUTPUT);
}

digitalWrite(13,HIGH);
delay(1000);
digitalWrite(13,LOW);
delay(1000);

void loop() {
    // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
}

With the help of these sketches, we can summarize several features of setup-loop.

loop() will be run repeatedly after the board is powered up.
setup() will run only once after the board is powered up.
After the board is powered up, setup() will run first, followed by loop().
The code needs to be written within the {} scope of setup() or loop(), out of the framework will be an error.

Note

Statements such as digitalWrite(13,HIGH) are used to control the on-board LED, and we will talk about their usage in detail in later chapters.