Arduino Mega Tutorial: How to Blink an LED

Welcome to this beginner-friendly tutorial by Madras Academy, where you'll learn the fundamental skill of blinking an LED using the Arduino Mega. This "Hello World" of electronics is the perfect first project to kickstart your Arduino journey!

In this step-by-step tutorial, you will:

Set up your Arduino Mega board for the first time
Learn how to properly connect an LED with resistor
Write your first Arduino sketchto blink the LED
Upload code to your Arduino Mega board
Understand the basic structure of Arduino programs

Whether you're completely new to Arduino or just getting started with the Arduino Mega, this tutorial will help you understand the fundamentals of microcontroller programming in a simple, easy-to-follow manner.

👉 Use the tabs below to navigate through the project:

Project Info & Demo - See the blinking LED in action
Wiring & Code – Get the simple circuit diagram and complete code
Notebook & Help - Document your progress and troubleshooting tips

Let's make your first Arduino project a success!

📌 Project Information

Title: Blinking LED with Arduino Mega
Difficulty: Absolute Beginner
Build Time: 5-10 minutes
Skills Gained: Basic circuit setup, Arduino IDE usage, digital output control

🎬 Demo Video

Watch the project in action below:

🧰 Component List

This simplest Arduino project requires just a few basic components to get started:

Essential components:

Arduino Uno: The powerful microcontroller board
LED: Any standard LED (color of your choice)
220 ohm Resistor: Protects the LED from excessive current
Breadboard & Jumper Wires: For easy circuit assembly
USB Cable: To upload code and power the Arduino

Component	Quantity	Description
Arduino Mega	1	Main controller board
LED	1	Any color
220 ohm Resistor	1	Current limiter for LED
Breadboard	1	For building the circuit
Jumper Wires	2–3	For connections
USB Cable	1	To upload code

🔌 Circuit Diagram

Wiring diagram for Arduino Mega tutorial

💻 Arduino Code - The Blink Sketch


	// The setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board
void setup() {
  // Initialize digital pin 13 as an output
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
}

// The loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);   // Turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  delay(1000);              // Wait for a second
  digitalWrite(13, LOW);    // Turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  delay(1000);              // Wait for a second
}