Fritzing tutorial

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the Fritzing application to sketch up a simple circuit. Your final product will look like this:

1. Begin by opening the Fritzing app from the Applications folder. You will see the following opening screen.

1. From the File menu, select New.

• 1. This will open a new window for your Fritzing project. Be sure to Save it right away!

• 1. After saving, make sure you're on the Breadboard view. 

• 1. Click the default breadboard to select it. In the bottom right corner of the window, you'll find the Inspector lets you edit the properties of the selected item. Here, use the pull-down menu next to size to change to the half+ breadboard; this corresponds to the ones we've been using.

• 1. Next, try clicking the Rotate button at the bottom of the window. This will let you rotate the selected component. Rotate your breadboard until it is vertical.

• 1. Now select the little Arduino icon on the right-hand side of the window under the Parts section.

• 1. In the resulting Arduino section, click and drag the Uno icon onto your work area.

• 1. You should see the micro controller in your workspace now. Select the Uno and rotate until it is vertical. 

• 1. Under the Parts section, select CORE and look for the photoresistor part. Click and drag it onto your breadboard.

• 1. Rotate the photoresistor and move it so that its legs connect with two separate rows. If you do this correctly, you should see the rows light up green to indicate a connection.

• 1. Now look for a resistor part and drag it onto your breadboard. 

• 1. Rotate the resistor and move it so that one leg connects to the same row as a photoresistor leg and the other connects to an empty row. Again, confirm that the breadboard rows are green to indicate a connection.

• 1. Edit the resistance value under the Inspector to change it to 10k ohm.

• 1. Now we will add the remaining wire connections. To create a wire, simply click on any connection point (such as a hole in the breadboard or pin on the Arduino) and drag your mouse. Start by clicking on a hole in the row that contains only a single resistor leg. Drag the resulting wire to a hole in the vertical column usually used for ground (denoted by a blue line). You will know a connection is made if the hole highlights in blue.

• 1. Once you've completed the wire, click it to select it.

• 1. In the Inspector, change the color of the wire to black to stay with convention (black for ground).

• 1. Now create a second wire that connects a hole from the row with only a photoresistor leg to a hole in the vertical column usually used for voltage (denoted by a red line). Change its color to red.

• 1. Create a third wire that connects a hole in the row that has both the resistor and photoresistor legs to pin A0 on the Uno. Change its color to yellow.

• 1. You can add bends in your wires to help clean up your diagram. To do so, use your mouse to click and drag any point along the wire. 

• 1. Change its color to black and add some bends to clean up the diagram.

• 1. Finally, add a red wire to connect the vertical voltage column to the 5V pin on the Uno.

• 1. Your diagram is complete! Be sure to save your project.

  2. You will now use Fritzing to export your breadboard diagram as an image file. Go to the File menu and select Export -> as Image. In the resulting menu, pick a file type like JPG. 

• 1. To submit the lab, create a Lab 5 web page on your site and post your diagram as an image along with your Fritzing (.fzz) file.