The Arduino Leonardo is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega32u4 (datasheet). It has 20 digital input/output pins (of which 7 can be used as PWM outputs and 12 as analog inputs), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a micro USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started.

The Leonardo differs from all preceding boards in that the ATmega32u4 has built-in USB communication, eliminating the need for a secondary processor. This allows the Leonardo to appear to a connected computer as a mouse and keyboard, in addition to a virtual (CDC) serial / COM port. It also has other implications for the behavior of the board; these are detailed on the Getting started with the Arduino Leonardo.

Related Boards

If you are interested in boards with similar functionality, at Arduino you can find:

• Arduino Leonardo without Headers
• Arduino Micro

Getting started

Find inspiration for your projects with Leonardo board from our tutorial platform Project Hub.

The Getting started with the Arduino Leonardopage contains all the information you need to configure your board, use the Arduino Software (IDE), and start tinkering with coding and electronics.

From the Tutorials section you can find examples from libraries and built-in sketches as well other useful information to expand your knowledge of the Arduino hardware and software.