Power

Power is one of the more fundamental concepts in electronics. Check out the following tutorials to reduce current consumption, toggle high power applications, monitor your battery, or charge your LiPo battery safely! Not sure the power requirements of your project? Try checking out the tutorial on how to power your project for some considerations.

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How to Run a 5V Device On a 3.3V System With Qwiic

June 5, 2025
Power up your 5V I2C devices on the Qwiic system! This tutorial shows you how to use the SparkFun Qwiic 5V Boost to integrate power-hungry sensors like the SEN55 seamlessly.

Getting Started with the MyoWare® 2.0 Muscle Sensor Ecosystem

April 1, 2022
The MyoWare® 2.0 Muscle Sensor, an Arduino-compatible, all-in-one electromyography (EMG) sensor from Advancer Technologies. In this tutorial, we will go over the features and related shields to connect the sensor to a muscle group.

Beginner Parts Kit Identification Guide

March 22, 2019
The essential parts for beginning (or even experienced) hobbyists that gives you all of the basic through-hole components you will need to get started playing with embedded projects. We'll identify a few parts in the kit and provide a few basic circuits to get started!

Single Cell LiPo Battery Care

March 16, 2023
This tutorial will go over how to safely charge, connect, disconnect, reinforcing the cables, and handle single cell LiPo batteries.

INA169 Breakout Board Hookup Guide

November 20, 2013
How to interface with the INA169 Breakout Board to measure current.

LiPo Charger Plus Hookup Guide

May 30, 2019
This tutorial shows you how to hook up and use the SparkFun LiPo Charger Plus board.

Battery Technologies

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

IoT RedBoard ESP32 Development Board Hookup Guide

August 18, 2022
Delve into the functionality-rich world of the IoT RedBoard ESP32 Development Board!

SparkFun RTK Express Hookup Guide

June 21, 2021
Learn how to use the enclosed RTK Express product to achieve millimeter level geospatial coordinates.

Understanding Thermal Resistance

May 14, 2020
Discussing what thermal resistance is, how it’s used for thermal management, and how to maximize the life of your project.

How to Power a Project

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

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.

Beefcake Relay Control Hookup Guide

June 2, 2016
This is a guide for assembling and basic use of the Beefcake Relay Control board

ATX Power Connector (4-Pin) Breakout Hookup Guide

October 10, 2019
Do you need to power a project with 12V and 5V from one wall adapter? The ATX power connector breaks out the standard 4-pin computer peripheral port for your 12V and 5V devices!

LiPo Fuel Gauge (MAX1704X) Hookup Guide

February 23, 2023
Monitor your LiPo battery with the LiPo fuel gauge! In this tutorial, we will be using the MAX17043 and MAX17048 to monitor a single cell, LiPo battery over the Arduino Serial Monitor. We will also connect a display to view the output without the need to connect the microcontroller to a computer.

Hobby Servo Tutorial

May 26, 2016
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.

SparkFun RTK Surveyor Hookup Guide

December 3, 2020
Learn how to use the enclosed RTK Surveyor product to achieve millimeter level geospatial coordinates.

LiPo USB Charger Hookup Guide

May 1, 2014
How to charge your LiPo batteries with the USB LiPo charger. Plus how to modify your charger to set the charge current.

Adjustable LiPo Charger Hookup Guide

September 28, 2017
The SparkFun Adjustable LiPo Charger is a single-cell lithium polymer (LiPo) and lithium ion battery charger. Because it’s adjustable, this charger will be able to safely charge all of our singe-cell batteries.

LTC4150 Coulomb Counter Hookup Guide

September 18, 2014
A "Coulomb Counter" is like a gas gauge for your battery. Here's how to use it.

How Lithium Polymer Batteries are Made

May 28, 2014
We got the opportunity to tour the Great Power Battery factory. Checkout how LiPos are made!

What is a Battery?

May 3, 2016
An overview of the inner workings of a battery and how it was invented.

Battery Babysitter Hookup Guide

June 23, 2016
An introduction and getting started guide for the Battery Babysitter - a flexible LiPo battery charger and monitor.

Photon Battery Shield Hookup Guide

July 2, 2015
The Photon Battery Shield has everything your Photon needs to run off, charge, and monitor a LiPo battery. Read through this hookup guide to get started using it.