Saturday, March 24, 2018

How to turn your Smartphone into a virtual Arduino Board?

Arduino emulator on Android

Run Arduino code on Android smartphone

Connect Android smartphone to Arduino IDE

In this post I’m searching for a solution to a problem I faced today. I thought about it and tried to search it all over the internet and still couldn’t find it yet.

My idea is that I want to find an Arduino Emulator that runs on an Android Smartphone.

I’ve searched the internet but still could find one.

To make it clear.

Emulator is different that a Simulator.

Simulator is a software that can run Arduino code and make it visual to you apparently. But emulator is running the code with the ability to make outside world FEEL as if a real Arduino is running the code.

Think of it.

What I don’t want

Option 1: Android app that programs Arduino board without having a PC.

Parts needed:

Smartphone with Arduino IDE App and USB OTG support
Real Arduino Board

In this case, you need to have an Android smartphone, tablet or phablet that has USB OTG feature and runs Arduino IDE so you can write code on it and then download it on a real Arduino board.

Option 2: Android app that controls Arduino board

Parts needed:

PC running Arduino IDE to program the Arduino Board
Smartphone with control interface App
Real Arduino Board
Bluetooth Module for Arduino

In this case, you need to have a real Arduino board that connects to Android device and that Android device runs an app has interface for controlling Arduino PINs and LEDs.

Option 3: 1sheeld - Turn your smartphone into multiple shields

Parts needed:

PC running Arduino IDE
Smartphone with 1Sheeld App
Real Arduino Board
1Sheeld Board

I know a clever project has made something similar. This project made by Egyptian group of engineers called 1sheeld.

This project makes something close to what I want but instead of using the USB cable to connect smartphone to PC they use a special built Arduino shield that connects Arduino to Android via Bluetooth.

Here you still need the real Arduino board.

Also, the Arduino code is run on a real Arduino board but you only used Android as an extension shield for Arduino.

Here comes the famous slogan of 1sheeld “replace all you Arduino shields with only 1sheeld”.

What I really DO need is

Parts needed:

PC running Arduino IDE
Smartphone with Emulator App
USB cable (Mini USB for smartphone)

A PC running Arduino IDE and Android device running emulator app and they are both connected with a USB cable.

When the app on Android starts and connects to PC, the PC detects as if an Arduino board is connected to COM 4 for example.

I want to write, verify and compile Arduino sketches on the PC and then upload the code to the Android device.

Then the Android device can run the code and performs all android functions.

For example, the Android device has some LEDs that can be tuned on and off when I write Arduino code for them.

Android has LCD display that can write text on it.
Android accelerometer and gyroscope can send serial data to the PC on the serial monitor.

In short, I want to use mobile phone and standard PC to write code and run it without having to carry an Arduino board.

If you see that application, please leave a comment or send me a message.