Components

How to use the Rotary Switch Potentiometer breakout board, with some sample applications.

Learn how to extend the range of your I2C communication bus with the Qwiic differential I2C bus extender (PCA9615 ) breakout board.

Learn the basics about LEDs as well as some more advanced topics to help you calculate requirements for projects containing many LEDs.

Servos are motors that allow you to accurately control the rotation of the output shaft, opening up all kinds of possibilities for robotics and other projects.

Hook a light-sensing photocell up to an Arduino to create an ambient light monitor.

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.

An overview of the Bi-Directional Logic Level Converter, and some example circuits to show how it works.

How to hook a force-sensitive resistor up to an Arduino to measure pressure variances.

Learn how you can use the SX1509 to control 16 LEDs or up to 64 buttons with just two pins.

An introduction to shift registers and potential uses.

A tutorial on all things resistors. What is a resistor, how do they behave in parallel/series, decoding the resistor color codes, and resistor applications.

The PicoBuck board is a high-efficiency three-channel constant-current LED driver.

A diode primer! Diode properties, types of diodes, and diode applications.

How to combine a piezo sensor, high-value resistor, and an Arduino to create a vibration sensor.

An overview of the flex sensor - a bendable variable resistor. Plus, example circuits and Arduino code to get you started!

EEPROM is a great way to add extra memory to your microcontroller project. Wait 'til you see how easy it is to use!

A quick primer to get you going with the PCA9306 Logic Level Converter.

A tutorial on electronics' most overlooked and underappreciated component: the switch! Here we explain the difference between momentary and maintained switches and what all those acronyms (NO, NC, SPDT, SPST, ...) stand for.

Get to know the contents of the SparkFun Discrete Semiconductor Kit.

Equip your Arduino project with a sliding soft potentiometer to monitor position or adding linear control to your project.

How to assemble and use the Cherry MX Switch Breakout, allowing you to turn a matrix of mechanical switches into a full-size keyboard!

Use this IR LED/phototransistor fusion to sense objects in close proximity or even the color of a surface!

Magnetically-actuated reed switches are the perfect component for non-contact proximity sensors. This tutorial provides a quick overview and example hook up.

Learn about all things capacitors. How they're made. How they work. How they look. Types of capacitors. Series/parallel capacitors. Capacitor applications.