Skill

These are the various skills that people may need to know while learning a technology tutorial and could be required to complete a ‘hookup’ tutorial. Skills are most often learned by doing a physical action or using a physical thing.

SparkFun Troubleshooting Tips

October 19, 2017

Not working as expected? In this tutorial, we will be exploring a few general troubleshooting tips and possible solutions that frequently come up with SparkFun's Technical Support.

Arduino Shields v2

April 20, 2020

An update to our classic Arduino Shields Tutorial! All things Arduino shields. What they are and how to assemble them.

Make Your Own Fritzing Parts

March 18, 2014

Learn how to create your own Fritzing part so you can make amazing looking wiring diagrams, learn about schematics and PCB design, and get your design fabbed into a real PCB with Fritzing's PCB manufacturing service.

How to Read a Schematic

July 12, 2013

An overview of component circuit symbols, and tips and tricks for better schematic reading. Click here, and become schematic-literate today!

How to Use a Multimeter

January 9, 2015

Learn the basics of using a multimeter to measure continuity, voltage, resistance and current.

The Great Big Guide to Paper Circuits

May 22, 2015

Let's take a look at different materials we can use to combine paper crafting and electronics.

Using EAGLE: Schematic

September 5, 2013

How to design a PCB in EAGLE using through-hole parts.

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.

Using GitHub

December 30, 2012

How to use repositories and GitHub for version control.

Getting Started with 3D Printing Using Tinkercad

April 30, 2018

Tinkercad is a great, easy-to-use online modeling software that can have you 3D printing quickly. This tutorial will walk you through designing a simple project enclosure.

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.

LilyPad Basics: E-Sewing

December 17, 2016

Learn how to use conductive thread with LilyPad components.

Reducing Arduino Power Consumption

November 10, 2016

A tutorial about different ways to reduce the current draw for your next Arduino project the easy way.

How to Work with Jumper Pads and PCB Traces

April 2, 2018

Handling PCB jumper pads and traces is an essential skill. Learn how to cut a PCB trace, add a solder jumper between pads to reroute connections, and repair a trace with the green wire method if a trace is damaged.

Importing Custom Images into Eagle

December 5, 2016

How to create custom graphics and import them into Eagle for silk, copper, etc.

Planning a Wearable Electronics Project

August 13, 2015

Tips and tricks for brainstorming and creating a wearables project.

Designing PCBs: Advanced SMD

December 10, 2012

Advanced Eagle layout for PCBs with SMD devices.

USB Serial Driver Quick Install

August 31, 2017

How to install USB serial drivers on Windows, MacOS , and Linux.

Using GitHub to Share with SparkFun

August 19, 2013

A simple step-by-step tutorial to help you download files from SparkFun's GitHub site, make changes, and share the changes with SparkFun.

Using EAGLE: Board Layout

September 5, 2013

Part 2 of the Using Eagle tutorials, this one covers how to lay out a board after designing a schematic.

Insulation Techniques for e-Textiles

January 22, 2015

Learn a few different ways to protect your conductive thread and LilyPad components in your next wearables project.

Customizing LilyPad LED Colors

May 19, 2014

A short guide to creating a rainbow of new LilyPad LED colors at home!

Making Custom Footprints in EAGLE

September 27, 2013

This tutorial will show you how to make custom, 1:1 footprint for any IC in EAGLE.
Viewing 48 Skill Tutorials. View All Tutorials.

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.