Installing Arduino IDE and USB Drivers

Download and install Arduino IDE

The Arduino IDE is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Download Arduino 1.8.1 or later:

Drivers

Official Arduinos do not usually require any drivers for either Windows, Mac or Linux. However, some “unofficial” versions may require a third party USB driver. Read more about Clones, Derivatives, Compatibles, and Counterfeits here: https://blog.arduino.cc/2013/07/10/send-in-the-clones/

The two most common USB controllers for boards like NodeMCU and WeMos are CH340G SiLabs.

Download USB drivers for MacOS:

If the device is not recognized in the Arduino IDE, then please check if the driver is blocked in the “Security & Privacy” in System Preferences  in MacOS

USB Cables

Make sure to use a good quality USB cable. We have experienced that cheap cables either:

  • Break fast
  • Do not have a data connection i.e. only contains power
  • Can affect the data output e.g. give varying measurements