Before the Intel-based boards, the Arduino platform was composed of either an 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontroller or a 32-bit Atmel ARM. The latest Arduino models have 6 analog inputs and 14 digital I/O pins with a USB interface.

However, as with all developing technologies, Arduino boards have evolved a lot. Here are the Arduino versions that are commercially available along with their basic features:

Each of these board versions differ in voltage, processor frequency, dimensions, flash memory, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM).

Among these Arduino versions, the Galileo Board is the first board to be based on Intel x86 architecture.

Galileo is based on 32-bit Quark SoC x1000, Intel's first ever product from the Intel Quark family, which features low power small-core products. The board is hardware compatible with Arduino's expansion cards (called shields) and is software compatible with Arduino's Integrated software Development Environment (IDE). It can run on Linux, Mac OSX, and Microsoft Windows.

Currently, there are two versions of Intel Galileo—Gen 1 and Gen 2. The difference between the two lies in the General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins, the latter having improved performance and compatibility with Arduino shields and accessories.

Here is a picture of the Intel Galileo Gen 2 board:

You will notice that Intel Galileo has 3.3V and 5V power supply ports, 14 digital pins, 6 analog pins, In-Circuit Serial Programming (ICSP) header, and Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) ports. Galileo has similar basic port locations as the Arduino Uno R3, but it features components that stretch its capabilities beyond the usual Arduino shield system. You can find a microSD slot, RS-232 serial port, USB port, a full-size mini-PC Express slot, Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) header, an 8-byte NOR flash, and a 100Mb Ethernet port.

Here is a short description of the Intel Galileo facility features:

Aside from the improved shield compatibility of Galileo Gen 2, it has upgraded the input power range from 7V to 15V instead of just 5V, upgraded resolution of digital pins with PWM, and provides optional 12V PoE support.

Now that you are familiar with the parts and features of Galileo, you will learn how to set up the development environment.

Note that you should not use the same power supply for Galileo Board Gen 1 and Gen 2. Gen 1 is only rated at 3.3V to 5V, while Gen 2 boards are powered up with a voltage between 7V and 15V. Using the Gen 2 power supply on Gen 1 boards will cause permanent damage to the Gen 1 boards.

Let's get started with setting up the development environment. You need to perform the following steps:

That's how easy navigation is on the Galileo interface!

If your LED light does not blink, check the following:

In this chapter, you learned what the Arduino platform is, how it came to be, what it is for, where it is used, and its commercially available versions. Most of all, we found out about one of the latest boards of the Arduino platform and the first to use the Intel microprocessor: the Intel Galileo board.

We know that there are two current versions of Intel Galileo: Gen 1 and Gen 2. We will focus on Galileo Gen 2 in this book, but Gen 1 will work as well for all the projects of the book. You also learned how to set up the development environment for Intel Galileo and how to update its firmware.

We are just starting to explore the first ever Arduino board to run on an Intel microprocessor and we are just barely scratching the surface. You have so much more to discover and learn!

In the following chapters, you will learn more of Galileo's basic and core functions. You will study structure, variables, and functions of Gen 2. We will explore digital, analog, and communication applications by creating our own DIY projects. We'll also start with the weather measurement and data logging station project in the next chapter.