Tutorials

Installing Arduino IDE

March 26, 2013
A step-by-step guide to installing and testing the Arduino software on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Creating a Humidor Control Box

March 13, 2013
Because some of our boards need to be re-humidified after reflow, we decided to make our own humidor. This tutorial will focus on how to model a project in 3D and then fabricate it using a CNC routing machine.

The Uncertain 7-Cube

March 8, 2013
The Uncertain 7-Cube is a non-committal, less-than-helpful, but also entirely honest fortune teller. Simply ask it a yes or no question, give it a nudge, and the 7-Cube will dutifully inform you that it doesn’t have all the facts and doesn’t feel comfortable making a guess.

Electronics Assembly

March 1, 2013
How SparkFun assembles SMD electronics.

Pulse Width Modulation

February 27, 2013
An introduction to the concept of Pulse Width Modulation.

What is an Arduino?

February 26, 2013
What is this 'Arduino' thing anyway? This tutorials dives into what an Arduino is and along with Arduino projects and widgets.

Soft Circuits: LED Feelings Pizza

February 13, 2013
Here we will learn how to say how you feel with pizza. Electric pizza.

Working with Wire

February 8, 2013
How to strip, crimp, and work with wire.

Voltage Dividers

February 8, 2013
Turn a large voltage into a smaller one with voltage dividers. This tutorial covers: what a voltage divider circuit looks like and how it is used in the real world.

Light

February 7, 2013
Light is a useful tool for the electrical engineer. Understanding how light relates to electronics is a fundamental skill for many projects.

How to Power a Project

February 7, 2013
A tutorial to help figure out the power requirements of your project.

Binary

February 7, 2013
Binary is the numeral system of electronics and programming...so it must be important to learn. But, what is binary? How does it translate to other numeral systems like decimal?

IR Communication

February 7, 2013
This tutorial explains how common infrared (IR) communication works, as well as shows you how to set up a simple IR transmitter and receiver with an Arduino.

Analog to Digital Conversion

February 7, 2013
The world is analog. Use analog to digital conversion to help digital devices interpret the world.

LDK Experiment 1: Lighting Up a Basic Circuit

February 7, 2013
The first experiment in the LilyPad Design Kit series. In this exercise, you will learn how a basic e-textiles circuit works, and light up a sewable LED using a coin cell battery holder and conductive thread.

Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Ohm's Law

February 6, 2013
Learn about Ohm's Law, one of the most fundamental equations in all electrical engineering.

What is a Circuit?

February 6, 2013
Every electrical project starts with a circuit. Don't know what a circuit is? We're here to help.

Battery Technologies

February 6, 2013
The basics behind the batteries used in portable electronic devices: LiPo, NiMH, coin cells, and alkaline.

Pull-up Resistors

February 1, 2013
A quick introduction to pull-up resistors - whey they're important, and how/when to use them.

Gyroscope

February 1, 2013
Gyroscopes measure the speed of rotation around an axis and are an essential part in determines ones orientation in space.

MP3 Player Shield Music Box

January 21, 2013
Music Box Project based on the Dr. Who TARDIS.

Heating Pad Hand Warmer Blanket

January 21, 2013
DIY Project Idea: Create a custom hand warmer blanket using heating pads.

Connector Basics

January 18, 2013
Connectors are a major source of confusion for people just beginning electronics. The number of different options, terms, and names of connectors can make selecting one, or finding the one you need, daunting. This article will help you get a jump on the world of connectors.

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

January 14, 2013
SPI is commonly used to connect microcontrollers to peripherals such as sensors, shift registers, and SD cards.