How To Set Up UART Communication On The Arduino

RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
How to Set Up UART Communication on the Arduino

Introduction
The universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) serial protocol is one of the

most basic and commonly used communication interfaces found on microcontrollers.
All Arduino boards feature one or more hardware UARTs that can communicate with
peripheral devices, sensors, gateways, and other MCUs using just 2 wires – RX and
TX.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to utilizing the Arduino’s built-in

UART hardware to add serial communication capabilities to projects. We will cover
UART theory, Arduino integration, connections, configurations, data transmission,
and use cases through example sketches. After finishing, you will have the essential
knowledge to implement robust wired serial links in your own Arduino-based designs.
UART Communication Basics
Before diving into Arduino UART programming, let’s briefly review how
asynchronous serial transmission works.
Asynchronous Protocol
UART stands for universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter. The key word here is
asynchronous – it does not use a clock signal to synchronize both ends of the link
like SPI or I2C. The transmitting UART simply sends serial data without external
timing reference.
The receiving UART determines the baud rate and timing from start/stop bits
embedded in the serial byte stream. This allows the two UARTs to operate
independently, only requiring common baud rate and data format agreement.
UART Hardware Interface
Just two wires are needed for basic UART communication:
TX (Transmit) – Carries serial data from the transmitting UART’s output to the
receiver’s input.
RX (Receive) – Carries data in the opposite direction, from receiver back to

transmitter. Provides a return communication path.
PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

With only TX and RX crossed between the two UARTs, 2-way asynchronous serial
communication can occur.
Data Frame Format
UART data is sent in configurable frames that contain:
Start Bit – Goes low at the start of transmission to signal a new byte.
Data Bits – The data byte being transmitted, typically 5-8 bits.
Parity Bit – Optional extra bit for basic error checking.
Stop Bit(s) – Goes high at end to signal the end of a byte. 1, 1.5 or 2 bits.
This frame timing allows the receiver to reconstitute the asynchronous data back into
bytes using just the TX line as a reference.
Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote
Arduino UART Capabilities
Most Arduino boards have one or more hardware UARTs available for serial
communication. Key characteristics include:
UART Count – Lower-end Arduinos like the Uno have a single hardware UART,
while more advanced models may have 2 or more.

Baud Rates – Support standard rates from 300 baud up to 115200 baud or higher.
Buffers – Built-in FIFO buffers smooth data transmission at high baud rates.
Pins – The UART TX/RX lines are broken out to dedicated pins like D0/D1.
Voltage Support – Can interface directly with both 3.3V and 5V devices.
Flow Control – Hardware or software handshaking like CTS/RTS can be added.
This integrated UART peripheral provides the foundation for easy serial
communication.
UART Programming
Interfacing with the Arduino’s UART capabilities involves configuring the desired
parameters and transmitting/receiving data.
Setup and Initialization
First, the UART must be initialized by specifying communication parameters. This is

done using the begin() function.
Serial.begin(baud_rate, config);
For example, to setup the primary UART at 115200 baud:
Serial.begin(115200);
Common configurations are:
 baud_rate – 300 to 115200

 config – SERIAL_5N1, SERIAL_6N1, SERIAL_7N1, SERIAL_8N1,
SERIAL_5N2 etc.
The config defines the number of data bits, parity, and stop bits. SERIAL_8N1 (8 data,
no parity, 1 stop bit) is most frequently used.
Transmitting Data
To transmit data bytes or text strings, we can use the Arduino’s print() or write()
function:

Serial.print(data); // Prints data to serial

transmission Serial.write(byte_data); //Writes raw 8-bit data
For example:
int sensorValue = 512; Serial.print("Sensor Value: ");

Serial.println(sensorValue);
This will send the formatted string out the TX pin one byte at a time.
Receiving Data
Incoming data is buffered into a receiver circular buffer until it can be read by the
sketch.
We can continuously check for incoming data availability with:
int bytes = Serial.available();
bytes will contain the number of bytes currently available to read.
Once we confirm data is available, we can read it into a variable with:
char input = Serial.read();
This pulls a single byte from the receive buffer. We can append incoming bytes to
build a complete message.
Interrupts
To trigger code execution when data is received without continuous polling, enable
Rx interrupts in setup():
Serial.println(RXCIE); // Enable RX interrupts
Then attach an interrupt handler function:
Signal(SIG_USART_RECV) { // Interrupt code to handle received data }
This function will automatically be called when the UART receive buffer reaches its
configured threshold.
Multi-UART Boards

For Arduinos with multiple UARTs like the Due, we specify the UART number when
initializing.
For UART #1:
Serial1.begin(9600);
For UART #2:
Serial2.begin(115200);
This allows accessing each distinct UART separately.
Making UART Connections
Once the code is ready, we need to make physical connections between the Arduino
and other devices:
Within Arduino Ecosystem
Connecting two Arduino boards is straightforward using TX->RX and RX->TX

between the UART pins.
The Arduino’s 5V tolerant pins means voltage level logic shifting is not required
between 5V and 3.3V boards.
To Non-Arduino Devices
For other interfaces, we need to identify the UART pinout and voltage levels:
 UART Pinout – Locate the TX and RX pins from the datasheet. They may be
labeled differently.
 Voltage Levels – Determine if the device runs at 3.3V or 5V logic levels.
 Logic Shifter – Use a bidirectional logic level shifter if voltage mismatch.
 Voltage Divider – A simple resistor divider can work for RX if device
permits.
With the pinout known and voltages matched, we can now connect to peripherals
using jumper wires.
Long Distance Cables

When running lengths over 50 ft, it is recommended to:
 Use shielded twisted pair cabling to reduce noise

 Add termination resistors (120 ohm) on both ends
 Employ stronger drivers/receivers or RS-232 conversion
Otherwise, signal degradation can occur on long UART runs.
Wireless bridges
For non-wired links, devices like Nordic’s nRF24L01+ can wirelessly bridge between
UART interfaces. Useful for remote sensors and removing cabling.
Example Code
Let’s look at some example Arduino sketches to demonstrate UART functionality:
Simple Echo
This basic example just echoes any received bytes back to the sender:
void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { if (Serial.available())

{ char input = Serial.read(); Serial.print(input); } }

Anything sent to the Arduino is simply echoed back over serial.
Text Command Processing
Here we process keyed-in text commands and handle them:
void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); } void loop() { if (Serial.available())

{ String input = Serial.readStringUntil('\n'); if (input.equals("LED_ON"))
{ digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH); } else if (input.equals("LED_OFF"))
{ digitalWrite(LED1, LOW); } } }
This allows controlling the sketch behavior via text commands sent over the serial
connection.
Serial Sensor Data
In this example, we transmit continuous sensor readings from an analog temperature

sensor:
#define THERM A0 void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { int temp

= analogRead(THERM); Serial.print("Temperature: "); Serial.print(temp);
Serial.println("*C"); delay(500); }
The Arduino sends a formatted multi-byte string every 0.5 seconds containing the
current sensor measurement. A connected device can log and parse this data.
Bidirectional Communication
For 2-way data flows, we can combine transmit and receive handlers:
#define LED1 5 void setup() { pinMode(LED1, OUTPUT); Serial.begin(9600); }

void loop() { if (Serial.available()) { char cmd = Serial.read(); if (cmd
== '1') { digitalWrite(LED1, HIGH); Serial.println("LED ON"); } else if (cmd
== '0') { digitalWrite(LED1, LOW); Serial.println("LED OFF"); } } //More
code follows }
Now the Arduino can both receive control commands to manipulate I/O pins and send
back acknowledgement messages over the serial link.
Real-World Examples
Some common real-world applications of Arduino UART communication include:

 Sending debug or status messages to a PC terminal

 Interfacing with peripherals like GPS, bar code scanners
 Communicating with other microcontrollers
 Connecting to single board computers like Raspberry Pi
 Transferring sensor data to logging and analytics systems
 Remote control or reconfiguration
Almost any device with a UART interface can share serial data flows with an Arduino
for an extremely flexible wired data link.
Troubleshooting Issues
If communication issues arise, here are some things to check:
Mismatched Baud Rate – Both devices must use the same baud rate. Recheck with
oscilloscope.
Incorrect Wiring – Verify TX->RX and RX->TX lines are crossed properly.
Unsuitable Environment – Electrical noise or RF interference can corrupt UART

signals. Check scope waveforms for noise sources.
Voltage Mismatch – Use a logic level shifter if voltage levels are incompatible.
Buffer Overflow – Slow processing of received data can overflow internal buffers
and lose bytes. Increase buffer sizes.
Transmission Errors – Add checksums or CRC to validate error-free data receipt.
Distance Too Great – Long runs require regulated drivers, shielded cables, low baud
rates.
Meticulous UART wiring, data validation, and baud rate checking typically resolves
most serial interface issues.
Conclusion
The humble UART serial protocol remains a staple communication interface for
embedded systems and microcontrollers like Arduino. With just a TX and RX
connection, robust asynchronous serial links are possible over short and long
distances. Carefully structuring your Arduino code to properly initialize, transmit, and
receive data will enable UART’s simple 2-wire interface to solve many connectivity
needs. The extensive hardware and software support makes integrating UART serial
communication into your next Arduino project smooth and painless.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can multiple devices be connected to an Arduino UART?
A: Yes, using RS-485 converters multiple receivers and transmitters can share an
Arduino UART in a multi-drop network. The Arduino transmits to all devices, while
each device takes turns transmitting in response.
Q: How fast can UART communication data rates reach?
A: Standard Arduino UARTs max out around 115200 bits/second. Faster transmission
up to 1 Mbps is possible using HardwareSerial libraries and higher-speed MCU clock
rates.
Q: Why is serial data garbled on the receiving end?
A: Electrical noise, loose wires, unmatched baud rates or incorrect UART settings like
parity can corrupt data. Oscilloscope checks can identify the issue source.
Q: What is the maximum transmission distance of UART?
A: Using Cat 5e cable, UART can reach approx. 1000 ft at 115200 baud or 2500 ft at
9600 baud reliably. Beyond this, signal issues arise. RS-485 conversion extends
distances further.
Q: How can two Arduinos communicate if they both only have one UART?
A: A software serial library like SoftwareSerial can allow using GPIO pins to create a
second virtual UART for one of the Arduinos.
The Simple Dynamics of UART Arduino
UART is one of the most common and pretty basic hardware communication
peripherals that electricians and makers implement in microcontrollers. Similarly,
Arduinos contain UART peripherals too. Have you ever used a UART Arduino before?
Are you planning on using one or your project? Would you like to know all about this
incredible device? Well, in this article, we shall dig deep into UART Arduino and
discuss issues such as:
 What is a UART Arduino?

 How does a UART Arduino work?
 How does communication in UART Arduino occur?
 Some Arduino UART examples and so on.

After reading this article, you will have all you require on UART Arduino and more.
Hence follow along as we explore this great topic!
Request UART Arduino Quote Now
Arduino
If you love tech, then you most probably have heard of the term Arduino, maybe from
a lecturer, on the internet, or from a friend. Well, Arduino refers to an
open-source electronic platform basing on hardware and software that is easy to
use. Arduino boards can read inputs (for example, when you press a button or when
light flashes on a sensor) and then turn the input into output (for example, activating
an LED after pressing the button or turning on a motor after detecting light). You can
easily tell your Arduino board what action to take by inputting a set of instructions
into the board’s microcontroller. To input this instruction, you implement Arduino
programming language, basing on wiring, and Arduino software for processing.
Arduino, over the years, has been the brain of a lot of projects; we are talking about
thousands and thousands of projects. The device has been in use for simple tasks and
complex scientific projects, with its efficiency only growing stronger by the day.
What’s more, Arduino’s open-source platform has brought together a community of:
 Professionals
 Programmers
 Artists
 Hobbyist
 Students
The Arduino community enables access to great Arduino knowledge to both experts
and beginners. Since this community keeps on growing and each person can
contribute, the knowledge base keeps expanding too!
The development of Arduino happened at the Ivrea Interaction Design Institute. Many
anticipated an easy tool to implement for faster prototyping. The aim for the device
was to help students who had no programming and electronic background. However,
as soon as these boards hit the wider community, they grew like wildfire. The board
started to change to adapt to the newly found challenges. The boards evolved from
simple eight-bit boards to products for wearable, IoT applications, embedded
environments, and 3D printing.
Request UART Arduino Quote Now
Why is Arduino Super Popular?

uart arduino code
These boards are pretty simple to use, and they are also easily accessible to users. The
Arduino software is also super easy to use for the novice, yet it is also flexible enough
for implementation by advanced users. Arduino also dramatically simplifies the
tedious processing of working with microcontrollers. Due to these reasons, Arduino
has been implemented in many different applications and projects.
Arduino also has some added advantages that it offers to interested amateurs, students,
and teachers over the system. They include:
1. Inexpensive – compared to other microcontrollers platforms, Arduino boards

are relatively inexpensive. Pre-assembled Arduino boards cost less than fifty
dollars, while those not assembled cost even less than this, pretty cheap.
2. Cross-platform – Arduino software can run on Linux, Macintosh OSX, and
Windows operating systems.
3. Clear and straightforward programming environment – Arduino software is
pretty easy to use, even for beginners.

4. Extensible, open-source software – Arduino software is open source which

means that experienced programmers can expand the software’s capabilities.
You can expand the software using C++ libraries.
Now that we know what Arduino is, let us look at UART Arduino and see the
difference.
What is a UART Arduino?
UART (Universal Asynchronous Reception and Transmission) is a pretty simple

protocol for serial communication that lets hosts communicate with different serial
devices. UART supports serial, asynchronous, and bidirectional data transmission. It
uses three lines to communicate efficiently, namely:
 TX (Pin 1) – used for transmission

 RX (Pin 0) –used to receive
 GND – common ground
It is possible to connect the two between two separate devices, for example, USB on
an Arduino and computer. UART is available on every type of Arduino board which
in turn helps the Arduino in terms of communication with a pc because of its onboard
USB to Serial converter.
If you write an Arduino program using Linux, Windows, or Mac OS, all you have to
do to use it with your Arduino is to connect the two (your Arduino and your computer)
using their USB ports.
Arduino UART Interface
An Arduino can have one or multiple UART pins; this depends upon the type of
board in use. In this article, the project that we shall go through mainly implements
an Arduino Uno; this Arduino board has one UART interface, which is present on
TXO (pin 1) and RXO(pin 0). The TX0 and RX0 communicate as indicated earlier (as
TX and RX). The two work together to ensure that communication between two
UARTs is successful.
How many UART ports on Arduino uno come
pre-installed?

Arduino uno has only one hardware UART port, this port is permanently engaged
with the IDE and serial monitor. However, you can still create another port via
software instructions. Using this port you can connect a second UART port driven
device like a HC12 Radio module, a Bluetooth module et cetera.
However, there is a downside to this software port. It requires a great amount of help
from the Arduino controller to efficiently send and receive data, this makes the port
slow and less efficient compared to the hardware port.
Logic levels of UART
Logic levels of UART might differ between different manufacturers. Take, for
example, Arduino Unos have a 5-V logic level, but the logic level of the
computer’s RS232 port stands at +/-12 V. Therefore if you connect an Arduino Uno
directly into an RS232 port, you might end up damaging the Arduino. If two UART
devices do not have equal logic levels, you should use a logic level converter circuit
to connect the two.
Advantages of using UART Arduino
1. UART Arduino are pretty simple to operate. They are also well documented on
the internet as people worldwide utilize the Arduino platform. Hence, you can
find a lot of tutorials online on Arduino to help you grow your knowledge of
the device and its uses.
2. UART Arduino does not require a clock
Disadvantages of using UART Arduino
1. Lower speed when compared to SPI and 12C

2. Baud rates for every UART must be within 10 percent of each other; this
prevents data loss.
3. UART Arduino cannot utilize multiple masters like slaves and Arduino
What is Serial Transmission?
Arduino UART uses serial transmission to send and receive data, but what is serial
transmission. Well, serial transmission is a method of transmitting data that transmits
data one bit at a time. Hence UART Arduino sends information one bit at a time.

UART Communication Arduino
When computers transmit information to an Arduino, this occurs via USB (Universal
Serial Bus). The USB signal is then converted into serial form, and then undergoes
transmission to the UART. On receiving the data, the system will placed it inside a
buffer (memory storage utilized to hold information temporarily). At this point,
UART Arduino utilizes the three communication lines for efficient serial
communication.
 Just as the name suggests, the TX line (Transmission line) is good to

efficiently send information to the recipient’s device. Hence, the sending
device’s TX line should have a direct connection to the receiving device’s RX
line.
 In UART Arduino serial communication, these two lines send and receive
information simultaneously; this means that UART Arduino can perform
full-duplex communication.
 UART transmits information asynchronously; this means that an external
clock line does not drive the bits. But if there is no clock signal utilized to
synchronize the output of bits that are being transmitted from the transmitting
UART to the UART receiving the bits, how does the UART Arduino work
then?
UART Bits
Instead of utilizing a clock, UART uses a start and a stop bit combined with the data
packet undergoing transfer process. Here is how it works:
 The start bit – Start bits show where data words begin. It is essential to
synchronize the transmitter UART and the receiver UART.
 The stop bit – Stop bits show when the last bit was sent. A stop bit can be one
bit or multiple bits.
 Data packet – They are usually nine to five bits in length. A data packet
contains the information under transfer process. The information is in binary
data bits form. The data packet is usually sandwiched between the start and the
stop bits.
 A parity bit – We mostly use it for error detection. It does the process via a
single bit extra bit that one adds to the data under transmission. The parity bit
tells the receiving UART whether the number of 1’s in the data under
transmission is odd or even. The receiving UART can then assess whether or
not the data is correct.
Baud Rate

Once a receiving UART Arduino device detects the start bit, it reads the incoming bits.
However, for the reading process to be successful, the receiving UART device has to
read the bits using a specific frequency, one that had been agreed upon initially by
both devices. The agreed-upon reading frequency is known as baud rate. In simpler
terms, the baud rate is the measure of data transfer speed.
The most commonly used baud rates when utilizing Arduino are:
 9600
 14400
 19200
 And ultimately 115200
Now that we know how a UART Arduino works, let us look at the programming side
that makes this device the brains of a project. The examples provided below are some
of the most essential programs involved in UART Arduino programming:
Serial begin
The serial.begin command is useful in starting off serial communication. Its program
looks like this:
 Void setup(){
//To start off serial communication for an Uno R3
//To start serial communication for arduino Mega at port 3 you write
//Serial3.begin(14400);
Using this command, you bound the UART only to accept one parameter; this is the
baud rate. In this program, we have set the baud rate to be 14400.
The Uno board Arduino board has only one port for serial communication. Hence
there is no need to specify the port number. However, other boards such as the
Arduino mega board have more than one port. You, therefore, have to select the exact
port that you wish to start serial communication.
Once you call upon the serial.begin, incoming bytes are then listened for, and once
received, they are automatically stored inside a buffer.

Buffer overflow – when the process of receiving bytes is faster than the process of
reading the, we call such a situation “buffer overflow.”
Serial.available
The serial.available command is placed inside an if statement to check if any

information has been received. Once it identifies that data has been obtained, it
returns the number of bytes that are available for reading. Suppose there are no bytes
available for reading, the serial.available command returns false or 0.
The data undergoing checks is the data that has already arrived and is being stored
inside a serial receive buffer.
Its program looks like this:
Void setup(){
Void loop(){
If (serial.available() > 0){
//do some task
How to read UART Arduino
Serial.read
If the buffer has information to read, the next step should ultimately be to read the
available data. You can use the serial.read command for this job; this command reads
bytes from the buffer.
The serial.read command returns the first incoming byte available. If there is no data
in the buffer, this command returns -1.
Serial.readByte

The serial.readByte is applicable for reading multiple bytes. You, however, have to
set the number of bytes to read, for example:
Serial.readbyte(buffer, length);
The serial byte command returns the exact number of characters available in a buffer.
A zero means that no data (valid) is available.
The function stops once it has read the specified amount of bytes. It would help if you
implemented serial.setTimeout to avoid unnecessary stalling if the program starts to
wait for data that might never arrive.
Serial.readBytesUntil
What if you do not know how many bytes of data will be received? If such a case
occurs, you utilize the serial.readByteUntil command, this command has an added
argument known as “character.” The serial.readByteUntil reads the available data and
only stops once it has read all the available data, when it times out, or when the
UART receives a special character.
Its program look like this:
Serial.readByteUntil(character, buffer, length);
How to Print using UART Arduino
Serial.print
Besides just receiving data, an Arduino can send data to another device. We use the
serial.print command to print information on a serial monitor as ASCII text that
humans can read. Its program looks like this:
Void setup(){
Serial3.begin(14400); // for Arduino mega boards
Void loop(){
Serial.print(“hello world!);
Serial.print(“20”)

Serial.print(“3.959586589”);
Serial.print(270);
Serial.print(2.432);
Serial.println
The serial.println automatically adds a new line onto your program and returns at the
text’s end.
Program example:
To achieve this feat, all you have to do is switch the serial.print used in the previous
program and replace it with serial.println, for example, instead of typing in
serial.print(“hello world!”); you type in serial.println(“Hello world!”);
Serial.write
If you wish to write serial numbers instead of ASCII characters you should implement
the serial.write command. Here is an example of this program:
Serial.write(0*48);
Serial.write(0*45);
Serial.write(0*4C);
Serial.write(0*4C);
Serial.write(0*4F);
When you run this program it spells out “hello.”
Now that we have gone through how an Arduino works let us now look at the ft232r
USB UART.
The FT232R
To get the concept of the ft232r USB UART drivers, you have first to understand the
ft232r.

We can define the ft232r as a USB to serial interface for UART that implements an
output through a clock generator. In addition to this, the ft232r uses synchronous and
asynchronous bit modes taking the bang interface.
Now that we have that out of the way, we can now look at the ft232r UART driver.
The FT232R USB UART DRIVER ARDUINO
If you are utilizing a windows operating system, you must have FT232R USB UART
DRIVER to develop cool ft232r UART Arduino codes with your PC. So what exactly
does the DRIVER do? Well, this software efficiently converts the language in use by
the UART device into a language that your PC can understand. Your computer can
hence decode any terms used in your Arduino program. You can also utilize the driver
as a support element to any new functions that arise and all the USB protocols.
FT232R USB UART DRIVERS designed for windows devices are freely available.
They are, however, pretty tricky to install, but no worries as we will take you through
the installation process.
Different methods can be implemented in downloading the latest version of FT232R

USB UART DRIVER suitable for your computer.
The first method: Update the FT232R USB UART
DRIVER Version you have
If your FT232R USB UART DRIVER is old and not functioning correctly, this can be
fixed via a simple software update to the newest version. We use FT232R USB
UART to asynchronously carry out communication with other devices. However,
achieving this feat requires a driver; this driver should help you update your FT232R
USB UART DRIVER to the latest version. It prompts you, and all you need to do is
monitor its instructions, and you are good. If this trick does not work, you might need
to take manual steps in the installation of the driver.
The second method: Manual installation
For FT232R USB UART DRIVER, you will realize that the specific version good for
windows is freely distributed but without an auto-installer. You hence have to
manually install it into your device. Follow the following steps to install the drivers
into your device.

 Download the FT232R USB UART DRIVER from the internet. Ensure that
you download this driver from a safe and secure provider.
 After you have downloaded the drivers, head on to your control panel and start
device manager. Right-click on exclamation mark you see (yellow in color),
then select update driver software.
 Extract the downloaded zip folder to get your FT232R USB UART DRIVER,
and windows OS will then start the installation process. Once the installation
process is done, you will have the latest FT232R USB UART DRIVER
installed and you can start developing great Arduino projects.
The third method: manual installation of up-to-date
latest driver from scratch
FT232R USB UART DRIVER installation from scratch can be pretty tedious and not
to mention super tricky. Here are the steps to follow to achieve this feat:
 Download the FT232R USB UART DRIVER

 After downloading the driver, install into your device. To do so, follow the
instructions provided as per installation wizard up to the very end.
 Once you have completed the installation procedure, run the software and then
complete the update.
 Once you have extracted all the files, you will have to run the installer to
enable you install UART DRIVER (FT232R USB).
 On completing these steps, you must restart your computer to ensure that the
FT232R USB UART DRIVER has been installed.
In summary form:
After you have downloaded the FT232R USB UART DRIVER, the next step is the
installation process. You then install your serial port drive followed by the installation
of the USB serial port drivers. You can run the software for the serial port. Lastly,
restart the PC, this helps to confirm whether or not the driver has been installed.
Uninstall previous FT232R USB UART DRIVER
Once you have downloaded the latest FT232R USB UART DRIVER, uninstall the
outdated version first before installation. You can then uninstall the earlier USB serial
converter driver when you are done. Once you have taken care of this, you may install
and utilize your ft232r USB UART without any issues.

It is crucial to remember that you cannot install FT232R USB UART DRIVER once
you happen to delete it.
Official FTDI providers
FT232R USB UART DRIVER can be freely downloaded by visiting FTDI website.
All you should do is search using the precise keywords, and the internet will do the
rest for you.
Arduino UART example
Arduino Uno Rev3
The Arduino Uno Rev3 is an incredible UART microcontroller board that is based on
the ATmega328; this Arduino has the following specs:
 14 digital output/input pins

 Six analog inputs
 16 MHz crystal oscillator
 USB connection
 A power jack
 An ICSP header
 A reset button
The Arduino Uno Rev3 is an incredible UART Arduino that you can utilize to test out
the strength of UART technology.
The seeeduino v4.2
Another Arduino UART example is the seeeduino v4.2. For starters, this board is
compatible with Arduino based on ATmga328P MCU. The seeeduino is pretty easy to
use, and it is much more stable compared to other Arduino devices. You can also try
out this board to take things up a notch.
Conclusion
Tech is evolving pretty fast; new inventions are coming in every day, all meant to
improve our lives. Most of these inventions utilize Arduino boards as the brains of the
project; this makes choosing the correct Arduino board pretty crucial. In this article,
we have gone through all you need to know about UART Arduino, from its meaning
down to Arduino UART examples. All this information will help you craft out a

fantastic tech project. We hope that we have answered all the questions you might
have had on the topic.
Related Posts:
1. SPI vs I2C vs UART – What are the Differences between these Protocols?
2. What is the difference between Arduino Nano and Arduino Micro?
3. How is IoT used in wireless communication?
4. What is Near Field Communication (NFC) ?
https://www.raypcb.com/uart-arduino/

How To Set Up UART Communication On The Arduino

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

How To Set Up UART Communication On The Arduino

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

How to Set Up UART Communication on the Arduino

The universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) serial protocol is one of the

This article provides a comprehensive guide to utilizing the Arduino’s built-in

UART Communication Basics

UART Hardware Interface

Just two wires are needed for basic UART communication:

RX (Receive) – Carries data in the opposite direction, from receiver back to

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Data Frame Format

UART data is sent in configurable frames that contain:

Parity Bit – Optional extra bit for basic error checking.

Request PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Quote

Arduino UART Capabilities

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Flow Control – Hardware or software handshaking like CTS/RTS can be added.

Setup and Initialization

First, the UART must be initialized by specifying communication parameters. This is

For example, to setup the primary UART at 115200 baud:

Common configurations are:

 baud_rate – 300 to 115200

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Serial.print(data); // Prints data to serial

int sensorValue = 512; Serial.print("Sensor Value: ");

We can continuously check for incoming data availability with:

int bytes = Serial.available();

bytes will contain the number of bytes currently available to read.

Once we confirm data is available, we can read it into a variable with:

char input = Serial.read();

Serial.println(RXCIE); // Enable RX interrupts

Then attach an interrupt handler function:

Signal(SIG_USART_RECV) { // Interrupt code to handle received data }

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

For UART #1:

For UART #2:

This allows accessing each distinct UART separately.

Making UART Connections

Within Arduino Ecosystem

Connecting two Arduino boards is straightforward using TX->RX and RX->TX

Long Distance Cables

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

When running lengths over 50 ft, it is recommended to:

 Use shielded twisted pair cabling to reduce noise

Otherwise, signal degradation can occur on long UART runs.

Let’s look at some example Arduino sketches to demonstrate UART functionality:

void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { if (Serial.available())

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Anything sent to the Arduino is simply echoed back over serial.

Text Command Processing

Here we process keyed-in text commands and handle them:

void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); } void loop() { if (Serial.available())

Serial Sensor Data

In this example, we transmit continuous sensor readings from an analog temperature

#define THERM A0 void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { int temp

#define LED1 5 void setup() { pinMode(LED1, OUTPUT); Serial.begin(9600); }

Some common real-world applications of Arduino UART communication include:

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 Sending debug or status messages to a PC terminal

If communication issues arise, here are some things to check:

Unsuitable Environment – Electrical noise or RF interference can corrupt UART

Transmission Errors – Add checksums or CRC to validate error-free data receipt.

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Frequently Asked Questions