Arduino Uno questions Anyways cutting to the chase I am pretty good at C++ as I have been doing it for over 6 months pretty much 1-2 hours each day and I am looking for cool things to use my knowledge on ,I have heard of the Arduino's but the problem is I don't know my arse from my elbow when it comes to electrical engineering and all that so I have a couple of questions.
1. Do I need to have a background in engineering to use an Arduino.
2. Is there any cheap alternatives to the quite costly starter kit.
I don't know my arse from my elbow when it comes to electrical engineering and all that so I have a couple of questions. 1. Do I need to have a background in engineering to use an Arduino.


The answer to your first question: it depends on what you want to achieve, and how much time you are willing to spend stuck.

A bit of electrical/electronic background can help you a lot.  Basics such as Ohm's, Kirchhoff's.  Semiconductor devices (diodes, transistors, OpAmps).  It's very useful to understand what kinds of test&amp;measurement equipment exists and how it can be used.

You can pursue C++ for 6 months 1-2 hours a day.  You can pursue electrical knowledge in the same way as well.  A solid book like "The Art of Electronics" will help you a lot (doesn't have to be the latest edition).

Then you can pursue more exciting things: sensors (for example).