Programming
MicroMod mikroBUS™ Carrier Board Hookup Guide
March 4, 2022
This carrier board takes advantage of the MicroMod, Qwiic, and the mikroBUS™ ecosystems and allows users to take advantage of the growing number of 7 MicroMod processor boards, 83 Qwiic (add-on) boards, and +1100 drop-in Click boards™, which equates to +51M different board combinations. Click to learn more.
Getting Started with Necto Studio
March 4, 2022
Necto Studio is a user friendly development environment for users looking to get started with MikroElektronika's MIKROE products.
Sending Sensor Data Over WiFi
January 16, 2022
This tutorial will show you how setup a simple peer-to-peer connection to send and receive sensor data between two ESP32 WiFi boards.
RedBoard Plus Hookup Guide
July 1, 2021
This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the RedBoard Plus. This tutorial also covers how to get started blinking an LED and using the Qwiic system.
Garmin LIDAR-Lite v4 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide
April 15, 2021
Connecting the Garmin LIDAR-Lite v4 to a microcontroller just got easier! Check out our hookup guide to get started.
Configuring the PATH System Variable
March 23, 2021
A simple guide for configuring the PATH variable on Win 10, Mac OSX, and Linux systems.
RP2040 Thing Plus Hookup Guide
January 21, 2021
Want to take a stab at advancing your programming skills? Check out the Thing Plus - RP2040, with the first microcontroller from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This guide will get you started working with the RP2040 and programming in MicroPython and C/C++.
Introduction to the Raspberry Pi GPIO and Physical Computing
January 20, 2021
This tutorial will teach you how to set up your Raspberry Pi as a full desktop computer and read in sensor data through the GPIO using SparkFun hardware.
Artemis Development with the Arduino IDE
September 10, 2020
This is an in-depth guide on developing in the Arduino IDE for the Artemis module and any Artemis microcontroller development board. Inside, users will find setup instructions and simple examples from blinking an LED and taking ADC measurements; to more complex features like BLE and I2C.
Getting Started with the Artemis Development Kit
September 10, 2020
This guide covers the general design of the board, the installation of the recommended software used to program the Artemis DK, and some basic examples. For more advanced functionalities, we have separate software development guides for the AmbiqSDK, Arm® Mbed™ OS, and the Arduino IDE platforms that users can reference.
Artemis Development on Arm® Mbed™ OS (Beta)
September 10, 2020
With the latest Artemis DK, board, we now offer full Bluetooth support within the Arduino IDE and development with Mbed™ OS. While we have worked tirelessly to get the Artemis module supported in the next Mbed™ OS release, the next release isn't slated until after the Artemis DK becomes available to the public. Therefore, this post will provide users with a jump start for developing with Mbed™ Studio, prior to the next release (in a beta of sorts), by utilizing our fork of Mbed™ OS.
Installing Board Definitions in the Arduino IDE
September 9, 2020
How do I install a custom Arduino board/core? It's easy! This tutorial will go over how to install an Arduino board definition using the Arduino Board Manager. We will also go over manually installing third-party cores, such as the board definitions required for many of the SparkFun development boards.
Nintendo Switch Macro Recording on the Raspberry Pi
July 8, 2020
Learn how to record and playback controller 'macros' for your Nintendo Switch using a Raspberry Pi, SparkFun Top pHAT, and Joycontrol.
Raspberry Pi 4 Kit Hookup Guide
March 14, 2020
Guide for hooking up your Raspberry Pi 4 Model B basic, desktop, or hardware starter kit together.
Getting Started with the Autonomous Kit for the Sphero RVR
December 13, 2019
Want to get started in robotics? Look no further than the SparkFun autonomous kit for the Sphero RVR! Whether you purchased the Basic or Advanced kit, this tutorial will get you rolling...
Programming the SparkFun Edge with Arduino
December 9, 2019
Running low-power machine learning examples on the SparkFun Edge can now be done using the familiar Arduino IDE. In this follow-up to the initial Edge tutorial, we'll look at how to get three examples up and running without the need to learn an entirely new SDK.
RED-V Development Guide
November 27, 2019
This guide will help you get the RED-V RedBoard or Thing Plus up and running for the exhaust port. Depending on personal preference, there are a few environments to get started with the boards. All wings report in... we're going in full-throttle.
SparkFun Qwiic Micro (SAMD21E) Hookup Guide
October 24, 2019
An introduction to the Qwiic Micro SAMD21E. Level up your Arduino-skills with the powerful SAMD21 ARM Cortex M0+ processor!
Cryptographic Co-Processor ATECC508A (Qwiic) Hookup Guide
October 17, 2019
Learn how to use some of the standard features of the SparkFun Cryptographic Co-processor.
SparkFun Inventor's Kit Experiment Guide - v4.1
August 8, 2019
The SparkFun Inventor's Kit (SIK) Experiment Guide contains all of the information needed to build all five projects, encompassing 16 circuits, in the latest version of the kit, v4.1.2 and v4.1.
Designing with the SparkFun Artemis
June 20, 2019
Let's chat about layout and design considerations when using the Artemis module.
Artemis Development with Arduino
June 20, 2019
Get our powerful Artemis based boards (Artemis Nano, BlackBoard Artemis, and BlackBoard Artemis ATP) blinking in less than 5 minutes using the SparkFun Artemis Arduino Core!
SAMD51 Thing Plus Hookup Guide
May 24, 2019
This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the SAMD51 Thing Plus and highlights the features of the new ARM Cortex-M4F development board.
How to Create a MakeCode Package for Micro:Bit
April 16, 2019
Learn how to develop code blocks for the Micro:bit in Microsoft MakeCode!
Everything You Should Know About HyperDisplay
February 20, 2019
This is a tutorial to go in-depth about the SparkFun HyperDisplay Arduino Library.
Adding More SERCOM Ports for SAMD Boards
February 4, 2019
How to setup extra SPI, UART, and I2C serial ports on a SAMD-based boards.
RedBoard Turbo Hookup Guide
January 24, 2019
An introduction to the RedBoard Turbo. Level up your Arduino-skills with the powerful SAMD21 ARM Cortex M0+ processor!
RedBoard Qwiic Hookup Guide
January 10, 2019
This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the RedBoard Qwiic. This tutorial also covers how to get started blinking an LED and using the Qwiic system.
Processor Interrupts with Arduino
December 11, 2018
What is an interrupt? In a nutshell, there is a method by which a processor can execute its normal program while continuously monitoring for some kind of event, or interrupt. There are two types of interrupts: hardware and software interrupts. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will focus on hardware interrupts.
Efficient Arduino Programming with Arduino CLI and Visual Studio Code
December 6, 2018
How to eschew the Arduino IDE for a combination of and Arduino command-line tool (Arduino CLI) and a professional code editor (Visual Studio Code).
nRF52840 Advanced Development With the nRF5 SDK
November 29, 2018
Take your nRF52840 development to the next level -- build your applications with the nRF5 C SDK. This tutorial explains how to set up a development environment based around the GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain.
MicroPython Programming Tutorial: Getting Started with the ESP32 Thing
September 26, 2018
MicroPython is an implementation and subset of the Python 3 programming language that can be used on microcontrollers. This guide will walk you through writing MicroPython programs for the ESP32 Thing development board.
How to Run a Raspberry Pi Program on Startup
September 18, 2018
In this tutorial, we look at various methods for running a script or program automatically whenever your Raspberry Pi (or other Linux computer) boots up.
How to Load MicroPython on a Microcontroller Board
September 4, 2018
This tutorial will show you how to load the MicroPython interpreter onto a variety of development boards.
Python GUI Guide: Introduction to Tkinter
August 13, 2018
Tkinter is the standard graphical user interface package that comes with Python. This tutorial will show you how to create basic windowed applications as well as complete full-screen dashboard examples complete with live graph updates from matplotlib.
Pi AVR Programmer HAT Hookup Guide
July 26, 2018
In this tutorial, we will use a Raspberry Pi 3 and the Pi AVR Programmer HAT to program an ATMega328P target. We are going to first program the Arduino bootloader over SPI, and then upload an Arduino sketch over a USB serial COM port.
Graph Sensor Data with Python and Matplotlib
July 23, 2018
Use matplotlib to create a real-time plot of temperature data collected from a TMP102 sensor connected to a Raspberry Pi.
Python Programming Tutorial: Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi
June 27, 2018
This guide will show you how to write programs on your Raspberry Pi using Python to control hardware.
LilyPad USB Plus Hookup Guide
June 7, 2018
The LilyPad USB Plus is a sewable microcontroller that you can use with Arduino.
Adapting LilyPad Development Board Projects to the LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus
May 24, 2018
An overview of the updates made in the redesign of the LilyPad Development Board to the LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus and how to adapt code written for the old board to the new one.
Papa Soundie Audio Player Hookup Guide
April 26, 2018
Add sound effects to your project, prop or costume with Papa Soundie Audio Player.
Getting Started with Chibi Chip and Clip
March 22, 2018
This tutorial goes over the how to assemble the Chibitronics' Chibi Chip programmable microcontroller with the Chibi Clip to add more functionality to your paper circuits! Start programming your Chibi Chip by writing code (block-based and text-based) in a browser-based code editor and then transmit code through sound to your board!
Raspberry Pi Stand-Alone Programmer
March 8, 2018
This tutorial will show you how to use a headless Raspberry Pi to flash hex files onto AVR microcontrollers as a stand-alone programmer. It also tells the story about production programming challenges, how SparkFun came to this solution, and all the lessons learned along the way.
LilyPad Temperature Sensor Hookup Guide
January 23, 2018
How to hook up the LilyPad Temperature Sensor as well as some project ideas and example code.
LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus Activity Guide
December 7, 2017
Learn how to program in Arduino with the LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus. This guide includes 10 example activities that use the pre-wired LilyPad boards on the LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus.
LilyPad Development Board Activity Guide
December 7, 2017
Learn how to program in Arduino with the LilyPad Development Board. This guide includes 11 example activities that use the pre-wired LilyPad boards on the LilyPad Development Board.
Light-Seeking Robot
November 28, 2017
We use parts from the SparkFun Inventor's Kit v4.0 to create a light-seeking robot that mimics the behavior of single-celled organisms.
Endless Runner Game
November 28, 2017
We make a simple side-scrolling endless runner game using parts from the SparkFun Inventor's Kit v4.0.
Clap On Lamp
November 28, 2017
Modify a simple desk lamp to respond to a double clap (or other sharp noise) using parts from the SparkFun Inventor's Kit v4.0.
SparkFun Inventor's Kit Experiment Guide - v4.0
November 15, 2017
The SparkFun Inventor's Kit (SIK) Experiment Guide contains all of the information needed to build all five projects, encompassing 16 circuits, in the latest version of the kit, v4.0a.
LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus Hookup Guide
October 5, 2017
The LilyPad ProtoSnap Plus is a sewable electronics prototyping board that you can use to learn circuits and programming with Arduino, then break apart to make an interactive fabric or wearable project.
How to Install an ATtiny Bootloader With Virtual USB
February 14, 2017
With this, you will be able to upload Arduino sketches directly to the ATtiny84 over USB without needing to use a programming device (such as another Arduino or FTDI chip).
Lessons in Algorithms
December 21, 2016
Learn techniques on how to use Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters and other data-processing tools to turn data into information.
PiRetrocade Assembly Guide
October 28, 2016
Build your very own retro gaming controller with a Raspberry Pi using the SparkFun PiRetrocade Kit!
Experiment Guide for the Johnny-Five Inventor's Kit
June 28, 2016
Use the Tessel 2 and the Johnny Five Inventors kit to explore the world of JavaScript enabled hardware through 14 awesome experiments!
ASCII
June 13, 2016
A brief history of how ASCII came to be, how it's useful to computers, and some helpful tables to convert numbers to characters.
Servo Trigger Programming Guide
May 26, 2016
Looking under the hood of the Servo Trigger -- using the development environment and some finer details of the firmware.
SIK Keyboard Instrument
April 15, 2016
We can use the parts and concepts in the SparkFun Invetor's Kit to make a primitive keyboard instrument.
Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit Hookup Guide
April 11, 2016
Guide for getting going with the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ starter kit.
Blynk Board Arduino Development Guide
March 25, 2016
How to get your computer set up with Arduino and the Blynk Board hardware definitions -- so you can start creating Blynk projects of your own!
BadgerHack: Gaming Add-On Kit
February 16, 2016
Make a Breakout clone with the BadgerHack Gaming Add-On Kit.
BadgerHack: Sensor Add-On Kit
February 16, 2016
Turn your Badger or Redstick into a temperature and soil moisture sensing display with the BadgerHack Sensor Add-On Kit
SAMD21 Mini/Dev Breakout Hookup Guide
November 12, 2015
An introduction to the Atmel ATSAMD21G18 microprocessor and our Mini and Pro R3 breakout boards. Level up your Arduino-skills with the powerful ARM Cortex M0+ processor.
Raspberry gPIo
October 29, 2015
How to use either Python or C++ to drive the I/O lines on a Raspberry Pi.
Raspberry Pi SPI and I2C Tutorial
October 29, 2015
Learn how to use serial I2C and SPI buses on your Raspberry Pi using the wiringPi I/O library for C/C++ and spidev/smbus for Python.
BadgerHack
September 23, 2015
This tutorial shows users how to solder their SparkFun interactive badges as well as put them to use in other projects.
LilyPad Pixel Board Hookup Guide
September 16, 2015
Add changing colors to your wearable projects using LilyPad Pixel Boards.
Photon Development Guide
August 20, 2015
A guide to the online and offline Particle IDE's to help aid you in your Photon development.
Programming the Intel® Edison: Beyond the Arduino IDE
January 7, 2015
Intel's Edison module goes beyond being just another Arduino clone. Check this tutorial for advice on how to get the most out of your Edison by writing code in C++!
Installing libmraa on Ubilinux for Edison
January 5, 2015
libmraa is a tool kit for interacting with various Intel single board computers.
Using the SparkFun PicoBoard and Scratch
November 11, 2014
Here are a few tips in using the PicoBoard with Scratch v1.4. The PicoBoard allows us to write Scratch programs that interact with a variety of sensors on the PicoBoard. These sensors include: sound, light, a slider, a push button, and 4 external sensors (A, B, C, and D).
Cackling Apple Head Witch
October 30, 2014
Make your own cackling apple head witch to scare all of the trick or treaters this Halloween!
Hacking Your Maker Faire Badge
September 18, 2014
How to hook-up, program, and modify your Maker Faire Badge for electronic fun.
Re-Programming the LilyTiny / LilyTwinkle
September 11, 2014
A quick tutorial showing how to reprogram the ATtiny85 IC found on the LilyTiny or LilyTwinkle boards.
Installing a Bootloader on the MicroView
August 22, 2014
Fix your bootloader-less MicroView! This tutorial covers how to: disassemble the MicroView, wire it up to an assortment of programmers, program the bootloader, and test it out.
DigitalSandbox PicoBoard
August 15, 2014
This tutorial walks through how to upload code to your Digital Sandbox to emulate the functionality of the PicoBoard with Scratch.
Digital Sandbox Arduino Companion
July 31, 2014
Let's take the same examples from the ArduBlock-based Digital Sandbox guide, and implement them using Arduino code.
Digital Sandbox Experiment Guide
July 31, 2014
Your guide to the Digital Sandbox! 16+ experiments that, using a graphical programming language, teach you to blink LEDs, monitor microphones, read temperature, and much more.
Alternative Arduino Interfaces
July 29, 2014
We admit the Arduino IDE isn't for everyone. Here are some other options for programming your Arduino boards, including web interfaces and graphical programming languages.
Pocket AVR Programmer Hookup Guide
July 7, 2014
Skip the bootloader and load your program directly onto an AVR with the AVR Pocket Programmer.
Hexadecimal
March 20, 2014
How to interpret hex numbers, and how to convert them to/from decimal and binary.
Binary Blaster Assembly Guide
March 13, 2014
Learn how to assemble and play the Binary Blaster Game from SparkFun Electronics.
Installing an Arduino Bootloader
December 4, 2013
This tutorial will teach you what a bootloader is and why you would need to install or reinstall it. We will also go over the process of burning a bootloader by flashing a hex file to an Arduino microcontroller.
Data Types in Arduino
November 6, 2013
Learn about the common data types and what they signify in the Arduino programming environment.
Tiny AVR Programmer Hookup Guide
October 28, 2013
A how-to on the Tiny AVR Programmer. How to install drivers, hook it up, and program your favorite Tiny AVRs using AVRDUDE!
Connecting Arduino to Processing
April 25, 2013
Send serial data from Arduino to Processing and back - even at the same time!
Installing Arduino IDE
March 26, 2013
A step-by-step guide to installing and testing the Arduino software on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
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?
LilyPad Development Board Hookup Guide
July 28, 2011
The LilyPad Development Board is a sewable electronics prototyping board that you can use to learn circuits and programming with Arduino, then break apart to make an interactive fabric or wearable project.
Simon Says Experiments
October 21, 2010
So you've built up a Simon Says kit? What next? This tutorial will get you up and running with Arduino software, guide you through a few example sketches, and send you on your way to create your own. Careful, this stuff is highly addictive. :)
Old Tutorials
Looking for the old, archived tutorials? Head on over to the
archived tutorials on the main
SparkFun site.
Please be aware that the tutorials you find there are no longer
actively maintained.