S4A

In the right hands, micro-controllers can turn into nifty little products that can bring plenty of improvements to the surrounding environment. They are very flexible and can receive input from an external source and react accordingly.

S4A is a modification of Scratch programming language for communicating with Arduino micro-controllers. This is actually what the name stands for: Scratch for Arduino (S4A).

Although the application is designed as simple interactive programming environment it is not intended for just about everybody and an Arduino board is required in order to be able to work with it.

Installing S4A is a simple job and that can be carried out by any user. The basic functions of the micro-controller are present in the interface and the programming is done by simply dragging the predefined actions into the correct order.

Working with S4A may seem like child’s play but the results can be pretty impressive, all while having a little fun. Also, S4A comes in handy to novices as the code is based on visual elements and there is little chance for writing incorrect code.

At the end of the programming session you can test the resulting script and see if everything works as planned.

For someone accustomed with Arduino boards and the programming required to complete a project S4A may not present a challenge but a different, more fun way to program the micro-controller. However, S4A appeals beginners in particular as it offers a simple approach to programming.

There is sufficient online documentation to get you going with programming for Arduino but if code makes you cringe than S4A is the answer. It is easy to use and provides a fun way to program the micro-controller.