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Arduino Plug and Make Kit Review

The Arduino Plug and Make Kit is a great way to get started with Arduino. It includes everything you need to start building projects, and the included guide is easy to follow.

14 September 2024
4 minute read

By Kevin McAleer
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Arduino Plug and Make Kit Review

The Arduino Plug and Make Kit is a great way to get started with Arduino. It includes everything you need to start building projects, and the included guide is easy to follow.


 14 September 2024   |     4 minute read   |   By Kevin McAleer   |   Share this article on

Video

For every project I create, I often make a corresponding YouTube video. Sometimes, there might be more than one video for a single project. You can find these videos in this section.

Explore more through this this dedicated video.

Arduino Plug and Make kit

The Arduino Plug and Make Kit is a new Starter Kit for beginners. It contains an Arduino Uno R4 and 7 electronics modules called Modulinos. It’s priced at €95.20 and contains everything you need to start building fun projects.

Arduino Plug and Make Kit


Initial impressions

My initial impressionare are that this is a premium experience - it has nice packaging and is well presented. The unboxing experience is delightful; after removing the sleeve the box opens into two halves. One half contains all the electronics, the other half has the PCB board that the modules and Arduino attach to.


Modulino

The kit comes with 7 Modulino modules — these are little circuits that contain sensors, controls, or outputs. Each has 2 Qwiic connectors so that they can be daisy-chained together. They communicate over I2C and use the popular Stemma QT/Qwiic connectors.

The seven modules included are:

  • Modulino Knob - a rotary encoder control with a push button, too
  • Modulino Pixels - an RGB LED Strip with 8 pixels
  • Modulino Distance - a precise distance sensor that uses a time-of-flight laser
  • Modulino Movement - an inertial measurement unit for accurately measuring the tilt, roll, and yaw
  • Modulino Buzzer - a small but loud buzzer for playing sounds and musical tunes
  • Modulino Thermo - a temperature and humidity sensor
  • Modulino Buttons - a circuit that has three buttons

Modulino


Arduino Uno R4 WiFi

This is the latest incarnation of the original Arduino Uno microcontroller. It has built-in WiFi and an impressive array of LEDs to display scrolling text or simple animations.

Top down view


Whats in the box?

The box contains:

  • Arduino UNO R4 WiFi: The microcontrol board that powers the kit
  • 7 Modulino nodes: Sensors and actuators for different projects
  • The Modulino Base: For housing the modules
  • USB-C cable with USB-A adapter: To provide power and upload code to your Arduino
  • Qwiic cables: For connecting the Modulino nodes and the Arduino board
  • Spacers, screws, and nuts: To secure everything in place for a permanent installation

Writing Code

The kit is designed to be used with the Arduino IDE and C++ programming language. The programming experience is further enhanced by using the Arduino Cloud, a cloud-based service that enables your creation to present the data and controls via an elegant dashboard interface that can be controlled from anywhere in the world.

knob


Over-the-air updates come as standard

You can update your projects using the Over-the-air (OTA) feature without plugging in a USB cable to update the code.

OTA is a method of updating the code on your microcontroller using Wi-Fi and a cloud service that can push a new version to the device, which will install it and restart it.

Register the device with Arduino Cloud, and the OTA boot code will be added to your projects. Your device can receive OTA updates as long as the WiFi connection is available and the WiFi password remains the same.


Example projects

The kit comes with a comprehensive guide that includes 10 example projects. These projects are designed to help you get started with the kit and learn how to use the Modulinos and Arduino Uno R4 WiFi, these include:

  • Weather Report - Never get caught in the rain again, with a visual reminder to take an umbrella when needed
  • Hourglass - Who needs an egg timer? Customize your own digital hourglass
  • Eco Watch - Make sure your plants thrive in the perfect temperature and humidity
  • Game Controller - Level up with your very own HID (Human Interface Device) gamepad
  • Sonic Synth - Get one step closer to being a rockstar, DJ or sound engineer!
  • Smart Lights - Set the mood with your very own smart lamp
  • Touchless Lamp - Control lights with a simple gesture

The projects are easy to follow and take you through the setup step by step. The projects are also designed to showcase the best of the kit and give you the foundations for creating your own projects and taking it further.


Value for Money

On first glance, this is an expensive kit at €95.20 (plus shipping), however the Uno R4 WiFi is a premium board and the Modulinos are well made and versatile. The kit is designed to be used over and over again, and the projects are designed to be expanded upon. The Arduino Uno R4 WiFi on its own is priced at €30.50, and with the seven modules, mounting board, and accessories, the kit is actually good value for money.

The quality of the parts is very high and the documentation and support is excellent. The kit is a great way to get started with Arduino and is a good investment for anyone looking to get into electronics and programming.

The packaging is mostly cardboard and paper, so it’s also environmentally friendly.


Conclusion

The Arduino Plug and Make Kit is a great way to get started with Arduino. It includes everything you need to start building projects, and the included guide is easy to follow. The Modulinos are well made and versatile, and the Arduino Uno R4 WiFi is a premium board that is easy to use and has built-in WiFi.

The modules introduce you to a range of sensors and actuators, and the projects are designed to help you get started and learn how to use the kit. The kit is good value for money and is a great investment for anyone looking to get into electronics and programming.