Question 1

Can this be used to make a button box for PC please?

Accepted Answer

Hello Dom,
Thank you for your question. We would suggest arduino leonardo or PRO Micro for they are more convenient to connect PC.
Please let us know if you need any further details and wish you a great day!
Kind regards,
Elegoo Team

Question 2

What is the usb to serial converter chip on this one?

Accepted Answer

Hello Matthew,

Thank you for your question. It is ATmega 16U2. Please let us know if you need any further details. Have a nice day!

Kind regards,
Elegoo Team

Question 3

Can i use 12v inputs with this board?

Accepted Answer

As you ask about inputs in plural then, as others have said, absolutely not for GPIOs which are limited to the nominal 5V max. You must translate high-voltage bidirectiinal input logic to 5V, or simply drop with resistor dividers if input-only to avoid MCU destruction.

As for the source supply, 12V is fine but unnecessary for on-board regulators, and will increase heat dissipation from them under load.

If nothing demands shared Vin at higher voltage (e.g. plug-on shield boards, etc), then 7.5V is a good compromise for the 5V linear regulator to function normally under load - affording enough headroom whilst minimising dissipation that can be calculated by (Vin-5V) x Load Current. For example, at 100mA from the 5V regulator with a 7.5V supply, regulator dissipation will be 0.25W, but with 12V supply then dissipation will be almost 3x more at 0.7W for generally no gain.

Furthermore, as the 3.3V regulator is directly powered from the 5V regulator, then any load on 3.3V adds further to both 5V regulator dissipation and total board heat dissipation in exactly the same way - specifically (5V-3.3V) x Load Current, plus the same current added to the 5V regulator.

This is a general rule for constant loads, but just wanted to highlight thermal dissipation concerns which can become a limitation, and why a reduced source supply is advisable wherever possible.

Question 4

Usinmg serial.print (or println using IDE is not working or producing any results, anyone else had this problem or know how to fix it?

Accepted Answer

SerialMonitor
SITUATION: The Arduino is connected to a computer. The Arduino IDE is running and the Serial Monitor is open. The Arduino sketch contains Serial.print() and Serial.println() statements but the text is not appearing in the Serial Monitor.

STEP 1: Verify the Arduino and the Arduino IDE are connected to the same communications port. These can become separate if the Arduino is unplugged and plugged back in. A simple way to be certain the port is correct is by re-uploading the sketch from the same IDE that is used to open the Serial Monitor.

STEP 2: Verify the Serial Monitor on the computer and the Serial Port on the Arduino are set to the same data rate. The data rate is often referred to as the baud rate.
Verify the data rate specified in the Serial.begin() statement is the same value as the data rate set for the Serial Monitor.
 STEP 3: Closely examine the Arduino sketch. Be certain the Serial.begin() programming statement is being executed. If it is not then the Serial Port will not function.
STEP 4: Closely examine the Arduino sketch. Be certain the Serial.print() and Serial.println() statements are being executed. Sometimes a branching statement, such as if and else, will cause these statements to be missed.
STEP 5: Check the Serial.print() and Serial.println() statements for syntax errors. Since print and println are common among several programming languages sometimes a usage that is valid in one doesn't work with the Arduino. 
STEP 6: Examine both the Arduino sketch and the wiring of any circuit connected to the Arduino. Make certain the digital pins 0 and 1 are not being used. Both are connected to the components on the Arduino that performs the serial text communication and may not be simultaneously used for something else.

Brand	ELEGOO
Product Dimensions	10.49 x 5.51 x 0.99 cm; 70 g
Item model number	UK-EL-CB-003
Manufacturer	ELEGOO
Series	EL-CB-003
Colour	Blue
Standing screen display size	3
Processor Brand	AMD
Processor Speed	16 MHz
Processor Count	1
Memory Technology	DDR
Hard Disk Description	HDD
Hard Drive Interface	ATA-4
Graphics Card Description	Integrated
Graphics RAM Type	DIMM
Optical Drive Type	BD-R
Hardware Platform	Arduino
Operating System	Windows 10
Are Batteries Included	No
Item Weight	70 g
Guaranteed software updates until	unknown

ELEGOO MEGA R3 Board ATmega 2560 + USB Cable Compatible with Arduino IDE Projects RoHS Compliant

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