Python
Python is a programming language that lets you write code quickly and effectively. With a design philosophy that focuses on code readability, Python is easy to learn and use. Thanks to the advances in single board computers and powerful microcontrollers, Python can now be used to control hardware. Check out some of the tutorials below to get started graphing, charting and GUI design in Python.
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.
Qwiic MUX Hookup Guide
July 19, 2018
Have a bunch of sensors with the same I2C address? Put them on the Qwiic MUX (TCA9548A) to get them all talking on the same bus!
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.
Flexible Grayscale OLED Hookup Guide
May 31, 2018
Figure out how to get images displaying on your new flexible OLED screen.
IoT Weight Logging Scale
May 9, 2018
This tutorial will show you how to make a scale that logs your weight to a custom website on the Internet. The principles can be extrapolated to any type of data.
Raspberry Pi Zero Helmet Impact Force Monitor
March 8, 2018
How much impact can the human body handle? This tutorial will teach you how to build your very own impact force monitor using a helmet, Raspberry Pi Zero, and accelerometer!
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.
Getting Started with Walabot
February 15, 2018
See through walls, track objects, monitor breathing patterns, and more using the power of radio frequency with the Walabot! In this tutorial, we will explore Walabot’s features using the Software Demo Kit (SDK) on Windows and the Application Programming Interface (API) on Linux-based distributions for embedded projects.
Using Flask to Send Data to a Raspberry Pi
November 9, 2017
In this tutorial, we'll show you how to use the Flask framework for Python to send data from ESP8266 WiFi nodes to a Raspberry Pi over an internal WiFi network.
Lumenati Hookup Guide
October 12, 2017
Lumenati is our line of APA102c-based addressable LED boards. We'll show you how to bring the sparkle to your projects!
Setting Up the Pi Zero Wireless Pan-Tilt Camera
September 14, 2017
This tutorial will show you how to assemble, program, and access the Raspberry Pi Zero as a headless wireless pan-tilt camera.
Bark Back Interactive Pet Monitor
March 8, 2017
Monitor and interact with pets through this dog bark detector project based on the 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.
Raspberry gPIo
October 29, 2015
How to use either Python or C++ to drive the I/O lines on a Raspberry Pi.
Building Large LED Installations
July 16, 2015
Learn what it takes to build large LED installations from planning to power requirements to execution.
Raspberry Pi Twitter Monitor
November 19, 2013
How to use a Raspberry Pi to monitor Twitter for hashtags and blink an LED.
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.