Development Environment Setup

Download and Install Arduino IDE

  1. Download the installer for your operating system from the official Arduino website: Arduino IDE.

Note

For Chinese developers, if the download is slow or fails, visit the Arduino Chinese Community and use the provided cloud download links.

  1. Run the installer. It is recommended to use the default settings and install to a path with no non-ASCII characters.

Note

Installation paths containing non-ASCII characters (e.g. Chinese) may cause issues.

Arduino IDE Interface Overview

The Arduino IDE interface is shown below:

../../_images/ide_if.png

Configure Arduino IDE (Optional)

  • When launched for the first time, the IDE may automatically download and install Arduino built-in core files and drivers. If the operating system prompts for driver installation or network security confirmation, it is recommended to allow them. The output window will display download and installation messages during this process — this is normal, no action is required.

../../_images/ide_first_open1.png

  • Arduino IDE displays in English by default, but can be switched to other languages. Click File > Preferences… to open Settings, set Language to the desired language, and click OK. Arduino IDE will restart automatically with the new language.

../../_images/file_preferences_language1.png

  • To change the Sketchbook location, go to File > Preferences… and modify the Sketchbook location field, as shown below.

../../_images/file_preferences_sketch_folder_path.png

  • Additional options such as font size, interface scaling, theme, and verbose output can also be configured here.

Install Arduino Libraries (Optional)

Via Library Manager:

  1. Click Tools > Manage Libraries… in the menu bar, or click the Library Manager icon in the sidebar.

  2. Enter the library name in the search box. Matching libraries will appear in the search results. Review the description and author information to find the desired library. Select the desired version from the dropdown menu and click Install, as shown below:

../../_images/lib_manager_install1.png

  1. Arduino IDE will automatically create a libraries folder under the Sketchbook location to store downloaded libraries. To change the storage location, refer to Changing the Sketchbook Location.