Tutorial 6 – Using Pushbuttons for Digital Input

Welcome back to the Arduino tutorial series at CraftedTech Engineering! In Tutorial 5, we learned how to fade an LED using a potentiometer and PWM. Now, in Tutorial 6, we’ll explore pushbuttons — one of the simplest and most useful input components in electronics.

You’ll learn how to read digital input, trigger actions with a button press, and build the foundation for more interactive Arduino projects.

🔌 What You’ll Need

1 Arduino Board (e.g., Arduino UNO)
1 Pushbutton
1 10kΩ Resistor (for pull-down)
1 LED
1 220Ω Resistor
Breadboard
Jumper wires
USB cable for Arduino

You can order the required components here:

🧠 What Is a Digital Input?

A digital input reads either HIGH (5V) or LOW (0V). Pushbuttons are commonly used to send digital signals to the Arduino — allowing you to start/stop actions, toggle lights, control menus, and more.

🧾 Step-by-Step Instructions

🔧 Step 1: Circuit Wiring

One side of the pushbutton to digital pin 2
Other side of the pushbutton to 5V
10kΩ resistor from pin 2 to GND (acts as a pull-down resistor)
LED anode (long leg) to digital pin 13 via 220Ω resistor
LED cathode to GND

💻 Step 2: Arduino Code

int buttonPin = 2;    // Pin connected to the pushbutton
int ledPin = 13;      // Built-in LED pin
int buttonState = 0;  // Variable for reading button status

void setup() {
  pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  buttonState = digitalRead(buttonPin);  // Read the button

  if (buttonState == HIGH) {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);         // Turn LED on
    Serial.println("Button Pressed");
  } else {
    digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);          // Turn LED off
  }

  delay(100);
}

🔍 Code Breakdown

digitalRead(buttonPin) checks if the button is pressed
HIGH means the button is pressed (5V)
LOW means it's not pressed (0V)
LED lights up only when the button is pressed

🧪 Try This!

Add a second button to toggle the LED on and off
Change the code to detect when the button is released instead

🛠️ Troubleshooting Tips

Make sure your resistor is acting as a pull-down from pin to GND
Ensure the button legs are oriented correctly on the breadboard
Double-check pin numbers in code match your wiring

🧭 What You Learned in This Tutorial

✔️ How to use pushbuttons with Arduino
✔️ How to read digital inputs with digitalRead()
✔️ How to control an LED with a button press
✔️ The role of pull-down resistors in digital circuits

📌 Next Up: Tutorial 7 – Debouncing a Pushbutton

In the next lesson, we'll fix a common problem with buttons: bouncing — which causes multiple unwanted inputs. Learn how to debounce using code for cleaner input detection.

📣 Don’t forget to follow CraftedTech Engineering for more hands-on tutorials and project ideas!

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