Tutorials

SparkFun Arduino UNO R4 WiFi Qwiic Kit Hookup Guide

July 11, 2023

The SparkFun Arduino UNO R4 WiFi Qwiic Kit is a great way to get started with Arduino and the Qwiic-connect system - use this guide to get started!

MicroMod STM32WB5MMG Hookup Guide

June 29, 2023

Add a powerful combination of computing power and wireless communication to your next MicroMod project with the SparkFun MicroMod STM32WB5MMG Processor.

SparkFun RTK Reference Station Hookup Guide

May 23, 2023

Setup the RTK Reference Station in minutes and start sending RTCM NTRIP corrections to your favourite caster.

Sending Sensor Data via Bluetooth

April 14, 2023

In this tutorial, we will show you how to get started on incorporating Bluetooth into your electronics projects. This project uses a SparkFun Thing Plus ESP32 Wroom USB-C to display data from a Triple Axis Accelerometer over Bluetooth.

Connecting Thing Plus Matter to Google Nest Hub

March 30, 2023

Connect your Thing Plus Matter board to a Google Nest Hub, as well as the Google Home app, and set up as a light device!

Displaying Sensor Data with Bluetooth

March 28, 2023

In our previous Bluetooth tutorial called Sending Sensor Data Via Bluetooth, we showed how to display data from a triple axis accelerometer over the Arduino IDE’s serial monitor. Continuing off of the first tutorial, we are going to expand this project to include more capabilities for visualizing and interacting with your accelerometer data.

SparkFun Thing Plus - NINA-B306 Hookup Guide

March 23, 2023

A quick guide to get started using the SparkFun Thing Plus - NINA-B306. This Thing Plus is loaded with the Arm Cortex-M4 processor in the NINA-B306 along with on-board motion and environmental sensors in the ISM330DHCX 6DoF and BME280 pressure and temperature sensor.

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.

Qwiic Dynamic NFC/RFID Tag Hookup Guide

March 9, 2023

Add a configurable NFC/RFID tag to your Qwiic ecosystem by following this guide.

SparkFun Thing Plus Matter - MGM240P Hookup Guide

March 2, 2023

Get started with the SparkFun Thing Plus Matter - MGM240P with this Hookup Guide. This guide covers the hardware on this development board along with a quick intro to using the board with Silicon Labs' Simplicity Studio IDE.

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.

SparkFun NanoBeacon Board - IN100 Hookup Guide

February 16, 2023

A quick guide to show how to configure and use your own 2.4Ghz wireless beacon with the SparkFun NanoBeacon Board - IN100.

Analog MEMS Microphone (VM2020) Hookup Guide

February 9, 2023

Get started with the SparkFun analog MEMS microphone breakout board! In this tutorial, we will be connecting the differential MEMS microphone to an Arduino using the WM8960 audio codec.

Audio Codec Breakout - WM8960 Hookup Guide

January 26, 2023

The SparkFun Audio Codec Breakout - WM8960 is a low power, high quality stereo codec chock full of features. In this tutorial, some of these features by using an Arduino microcontroller to configure the audio codec and pass audio to the headphone or speaker channels.

Getting Started with u-blox Thingstream and PointPerfect

January 23, 2023

Interested in high precision GNSS without setting up a base station?

SparkFun Temperature Sensor - STTS22H (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

January 19, 2023

Get started with the ultralow-power, high-accuracy, qwiic-enabled SparkFun Temperature Sensor - STTS22H!

MicroMod Main Board Hookup Guide V2

January 5, 2023

The MicroMod Main Board - Single and Double are specialized carrier boards that allow you to interface a Processor Board with a Function Board(s). The modular system allows you to add an additional feature(s) to a Processor Board with the help of a Function Board(s). In this tutorial, we will focus on the basic functionality of the Main Board - Single V2.1 and Main Board - Double and V2.2.

Cellular Function Board - Blues Wireless Notecarrier

January 5, 2023

Add a global cellular module to your MicroMod project with the SparkFun Cellular Function Board - Blues Wireless Notecarrier. With this Function board you can not only send data to and from your MicroMod project, you can even update the firmware on the STM32 MicroMod Processor.

Qwiic Kit for Raspberry Pi V2 Hookup Guide

December 29, 2022

Get started with the SGP40, BME280, VCNL4040, and microOLED via I2C using the Qwiic system and Python on a Raspberry Pi! Measure VOC Index, light, temperature, humidity, and pressure from the environment. Then display them on the microOLED, serial terminal, or the cloud with Cayenne!

SparkFun Absolute Digital Barometer - LPS28DFW (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

December 8, 2022

Get started adding water-resistant pressure sensing using the SparkFun Absolute Digital Barometer - LPS28DFW (Qwiic) following this guide.

SparkFun Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - BMA400 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

December 8, 2022

Add low power triple axis motion monitoring to your Qwiic project using the SparkFun Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - BMA400 (Qwiic).

SparkFun Satellite Transceiver Kit - Swarm M138 Hookup Guide

December 1, 2022

A hookup guide for the SparkFun Satellite Transceiver - Swarm M138 (KIT-21287)

SparkFun Indoor Air Quality Sensor - ENS160 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

November 11, 2022

Is your air safe? Check your eCO2, TVOC, and AQI levels with the new SparkFun Indoor Air Quality Sensor - ENS160!

Sending Sensor Data over LoRa

November 4, 2022

This tutorial will show you how setup a simple peer-to-peer connection to send and receive sensor data using LoRa.

GNSS Correction Data Receiver (NEO-D9S) Hookup Guide

October 27, 2022

Add GNSS correction data to your high precision GNSS (HPG) receiver with the u-blox NEO-D9S! This tutorial will get you started with the ZED-F9P, NEO-D9S, and the ESP32 IoT RedBoard.

Getting Started with Machinechat

October 7, 2022

Organize and display your data with SparkFun's Artemis OpenLog and MachineChat's JEDIOne!

Measuring Height with Atmospheric Pressure

September 29, 2022

Measure height using atmospheric pressure with your Qwiic MicroPressure breakout board!

Wireless Timing Project

September 29, 2022

Time for racing, let's make a wireless timing device using ESP32 wireless communication.

MicroMod Qwiic Pro Kit Project Guide

September 29, 2022

The MicroMod Qwiic Pro Kit was designed to allow users to get started with Arduino without the need for soldering or a breadboard. We've included three inputs (a joystick, accelerometer, and proximity sensor) and one display that can be daisy chained to the MicroMod SAMD51 Processor Board.

Qwiic Speaker Amp (TPA2016D2) Hookup Guide

September 29, 2022

The SparkFun Qwiic Speaker Amp includes the Texas Instruments TPA2016D2 stereo, filter-free class-D audio power amplifier. This tutorial will help you get started and configure the amplifer settings using an Arduino microcontroller.

AzureWave Thing Plus (AW-CU488) Hookup Guide

September 22, 2022

The SparkFun AzureWave Thing Plus is a Feather form-factor development board equipped with the AW-CU488. We'll highlight key features of the board and show you to get started with the development board. A few Arduino examples will be highlighted to connect to a WiFi router, calculate the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) from an input microphone, output an analog signal to a speaker, and connect an Qwiic-enabled device.

Getting Started with the DA16200 FreeRTOS SDK

September 15, 2022

Interested in the DA16200 FreeRTOS SDK? This guide covers setting up the SDK in the Eclipse IDE and how to program our boards with the DA16200 module.

DA16200 Thing Plus Hookup Guide

September 15, 2022

A guide to get started with the DA16200 Thing Plus.

GNSS Receiver Breakout - MAX-M10S (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

September 1, 2022

Get started using the SparkFun GNSS Receiver Breakout - MAX-M10S (Qwiic), a ultra-low power, GNSS receiver module for your asset tracking needs!

IoT RedBoard ESP32 Development Board Hookup Guide

August 18, 2022

Delve into the functionality-rich world of the IoT RedBoard ESP32 Development Board!

ESP32 Thing Plus (USB-C) Hookup Guide

August 18, 2022

Meet the updated ESP32 Thing Plus (USB-C) development board. We have included some extra bells and whistles that users will appreciate, so check out out hookup guide for all the details!

MicroMod GNSS Function Board - NEO-M9N Hookup Guide

August 11, 2022

The u-blox NEO-M9N is a powerful GPS unit that now comes populated on a MicroMod Function Board! In this tutorial, we will quickly get you set up using it with the MicroMod ecosystem and Arduino so that you can start reading the output.

MicroMod GNSS Function Board - ZED-F9P Hookup Guide

August 11, 2022

Add millimeter precision location data to your MicroMod project with this guide for the SparkFun MicroMod GNSS Function Board - ZED-F9P.

Monitor Sensor Data from Anywhere

August 10, 2022

Using WiFi to send sensor data from an ESP32 to a WiFi network and be able to read it from an IoT Dashboard from anywhere in the world.

Qwiic 9DoF - ISM330DHCX, MMC5983MA Hookup Guide

July 28, 2022

Find all your degrees of freedom with this little Qwiic breakout board combining the ISM330DHCX 6Dof and the MMC5983MA Magnetometer!

Qwiic Micro Magnetometer - MMC5983MA Hookup Guide

July 21, 2022

Let's figure out where we're going with the SparkFun Qwiic Micro Magnetometer - MMC5983MA!

Qwiic 6DoF - ISM330DHCX Hookup Guide

July 15, 2022

Get started with the Qwiic 6DoF ISM330DHCX Breakout Board!

Qwiic Pressure Sensor (BMP581) Hookup Guide

July 14, 2022

Get started with the SparkFun Pressure Sensor - BMP581 (Qwiic) following this Hookup Guide

Qwiic Digital Desk Sign with MicroMod

June 30, 2022

Make a Qwiic-enabled digital desk sign with a MicroMod SAMD51 Processor Board's USB Host and a USB keyboard!

Thing Plus Dual-Port Logging Shield Hookup Guide

June 16, 2022

This tutorial shows you how to hook up and use the SparkFun Thing Plus Dual-Port Logging Shield.

SparkFun RTK Facet L-Band Hookup Guide

June 9, 2022

Setup the RTK Facet L-Band in minutes to begin gathering millimeter level geospatial coordinates.

Qwiic Pressure Sensor (BMP384) Hookup Guide

June 2, 2022

Get started with the SparkFun Pressure Sensor - BMP384 (Qwiic) following this guide.

Level Shifter - 8 Channel (TXS0108E) Hookup Guide

May 19, 2022

Get started with the SparkFun Level Shifter - 8 Channel (TXS0108E) Breakout to shift between 5V, 3.3V and 1.8V logic level systems.

MicroMod Single Pair Ethernet Function Board - ADIN1110 Hookup Guide

May 12, 2022

With the SparkFun MicroMod Single Pair Ethernet Function Board - ADIN1110 you can prototype and create 10BASE-T1L Ethernet connections that work in noisy environments and over exceptionally long distances of over 1 kilometer! Follow this guide to get started with this Function Board.

Satellite Transceiver Breakout - Swarm M138 - Hookup Guide

April 22, 2022

A hookup guide for the Satellite Transceiver Breakout - Swarm M138 (SPX-19236)

MicroMod Alorium Sno M2 Processor Board Hookup Guide

April 22, 2022

Get started with the MicroMod Alorium Sno M2 Processor Board!

Qwiic dToF Imager (TMF882X) Hookup Guide

April 14, 2022

Getting started with the AMS dToF imagers (TMF8820 and TMF8820).

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.

Analog MEMS Microphone Breakout - SPH8878LR5H-1 Hookup Guide

March 17, 2022

Get started with sound monitoring using the SparkFun analog MEMS microphone breakout board with Arduino!

MicroMod Ethernet Function Board - W5500 Hookup Guide

March 10, 2022

Add Ethernet and PoE capabilities to your MicroMod project using the Ethernet Function Board - W5500.

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.

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.

RP2040 mikroBUS™ Development Board Hookup Guide

March 4, 2022

The RP2040 is the first microcontroller from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Updated with the new mikroBUS™ socket, the RP2040 development board expands its horizons with a growing ecosystem of +1100 drop-in Click boards™. Click to learn more.

Qwiic Distance Sensor (VL53L1X, VL53L4CD) Hookup Guide

February 10, 2022

The Qwiic Distance Sensor - VL53L1X is a time of flight sensor that is capable of several modes, as well as having a range of 4M. It's cousin VL53L4CD is also a time of flight sensor with similar characteristics but it has a range of about 1.3M. Let's hook it up and find out just how far away that thing over there is.

GNSS Timing Breakout - ZED-F9T (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

January 20, 2022

Follow this guide to add up to 5 nanosecond timing accuracy under clear skies with no external GNSS correction with the GNSS Timing Breakout - ZED-F9T (Qwiic).

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.

SparkFun GPS-RTK Dead Reckoning ZED-F9K Hookup Guide

January 6, 2022

The u-blox ZED-F9K is a powerful GPS-RTK unit that uses a fusion of IMU, wheel ticks, a vehicle dynamics model, correction data, and GNSS measurements to provide highly accurate and continuous position for navigation in the difficult conditions. We will quickly get you set up using the Qwiic ecosystem through Arduino so that you can start reading the output!

Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

December 22, 2021

Learn how to setup, configure and use the latest version of the smallest Raspberry Pi out there, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.

SparkFun RTK Facet Hookup Guide

December 16, 2021

Setup the RTK Facet in minutes to begin gathering millimeter level geospatial coordinates.

Artemis Global Tracker Hookup Guide

December 9, 2021

The SparkFun Artemis Global Tracker combines the Artemis processor with an Iridium 9603N satellite transceiver, ZOE-M8Q GNSS transceiver, and MS8607 PHT sensor. With a clear view of the sky, this board allows you to send and receive short data messages from anywhere in the world including remote locations far beyond the reach of WiFi and GSM networks. Follow this guide to get started with the Artemis Global Tracker.

MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board (ZED-F9P) Hookup Guide

December 9, 2021

Easily switch between Processor Boards using the MicroMod ecosystem and get precision down to the diameter of a dime with the ZED-F9P from u-blox using the MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board!

ARGOS (ARTIC R2) Satellite Communication Guide

November 18, 2021

A guide describing the ARGOS satellite network - as used by our ARTIC R2 satellite communication products

IOTA (ARTIC R2) Satellite Communication Module Hookup Guide

November 18, 2021

A hookup guide for the SparkFun IOTA - Satellite Communication Module (ARTIC R2) (SPX-17984)

ARGOS ARTIC R2 Satellite Transceiver Shield Hookup Guide

November 18, 2021

A hookup guide for the ARGOS Satellite Transceiver Shield - ARTIC R2 (SPX-17236)

MicroMod WiFi Function Board - ESP32 Hookup Guide

November 11, 2021

The MicroMod ESP32 Function Board adds additional wireless options to MicroMod Processor Boards that do not have that capability. This special function board acts as a coprocessor that takes advantage of Espressif's ESP32 WROOM to add WiFi and Bluetooth® to your applications.

1W LoRa MicroMod Function Board Hookup Guide

November 11, 2021

Everything you need to get started with the 1W LoRa MicroMod function board; a MicroMod function board that provides LoRa capabilities for your MicroMod project. Must be used in conjunction with a MicroMod main board and processor.

MicroMod Main Board Hookup Guide

November 11, 2021

The MicroMod Main Board - Single and Double are specialized carrier boards that allow you to interface a Processor Board with a Function Board(s). The modular system allows you to add an additional feature(s) to a Processor Board with the help of a Function Board(s). In this tutorial, we will focus on the basic functionality of the Main Board - Single and Main Board - Double.

MicroMod Environmental Function Board Hookup Guide

November 11, 2021

The SparkFun MicroMod Environmental Function Board adds additional sensing options to the MicroMod Processor Boards. This function board includes three sensors to monitor air quality (SGP40), humidity & temperature (SHTC3), and CO2 concentrations (STC31) in your indoor environment. To make it even easier to use, all communication is over the MicroMod's I2C bus! In this tutorial, we will go over how to connect the board and read the sensors.

MicroMod WiFi Function Board - DA16200 Hookup Guide

November 11, 2021

Add IoT functionality to any MicroMod project with the MicroMod WiFi function Board - DA16200!

smôl Power Board AAA Hookup Guide

October 21, 2021

Small in size, small on current draw. It's a smôl world! This guide will get you up and running with the smôl Power Board AAA.

smôl ZOE-M8Q Hookup Guide

October 21, 2021

Small in size, small on current draw. It's a smôl world! This guide will get you up and running with the smôl ZOE-M8Q GNSS Peripheral Board.

smôl Header Hookup Guide

October 21, 2021

Small in size, small on current draw. It's a smôl world! This guide will get you up and running with the smôl Header.

smôl Power Board LiPo Hookup Guide

October 21, 2021

Small in size, small on current draw. It's a smôl world! This guide will get you up and running with the smôl Power Board LiPo.

smôl ARTIC R2 Hookup Guide

October 21, 2021

Small in size, small on current draw. It's a smôl world! This guide will get you up and running with the smôl ARTIC R2 satellite communication Peripheral Board.

SparkFun Qwiic Alphanumeric Display Hookup Guide

October 21, 2021

A Hookup Guide to get you started with the Qwiic Alphanumeric Display.

smôl ESP32 Hookup Guide

October 20, 2021

Small in size, small on current draw. It's a smôl world! This guide will get you up and running with the smôl ESP32 Processor Board.

smôl Hookup Guide

October 19, 2021

Small in size, small on current draw. It's a smôl world! This guide will get you up and running with the smôl ecosystem.

Dialog ULP WiFi DA16200 R3 Shield Hookup Guide

October 7, 2021

Add WiFi to your project with this hookup guide for our Dialog's Ultra Low Power DA16200 R3 shield!

Air Velocity Sensor Breakout - FS3000 Hookup Guide

September 23, 2021

Get started with the Air Velocity Sensor Breakout - FS3000!

Tinker Kit Circuit Guide

September 16, 2021

This guide takes you through the basics of building 11 different circuits with the SparkFun Tinker Kit and how to program them using the Arduino IDE.

Digital Temperature Sensor Breakout - AS6212 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

September 9, 2021

Get started measuring highly accurate temperatures at extremely low power with the AS6212 temperature sensor on the SparkFun Digital Temperature Sensor Breakout - AS6212 (Qwiic).

Getting Started with the micro:bit

September 2, 2021

The BBC micro:bit is a compact, powerful programming tool that requires no software installation. Read on to learn how to use it YOUR way!

Tsunami Super WAV Trigger Hookup Guide

August 25, 2021

This guide will get users started with the Qwiic Tsunami. We'll start by putting *.wav files and a configuration file on a microSD card, pop it into the Qwiic Tsunami, then trigger sounds across multiple outputs.

Buck Regulator Hookup Guide

August 5, 2021

Get started with SparkFun's newest Buck Regulator Boards - the BabyBuck and the Buck!

Qwiic EEPROM Hookup Guide

July 29, 2021

Running out of memory? Don't forget to check out the Qwiic EEPROM!

QuickLogic Thing Plus (EOS S3) Hookup Guide

July 22, 2021

This guide provides users with functional descriptions, configuration options for the QuickLogic Thing Plus EOS S3. It also serves as a “Getting Started” and “How To” guide.

Machine Learning @ Home Kit Hookup Guide

July 16, 2021

A living hookup guide with three different machine learning applications that will help you around the home as well as teach the basics of taking the examples of machine learning you find in the DLI Course and working towards deploying those projects beyond an example in Jupyter Notebooks!

Qwiic LED Stick - APA102C Hookup Guide

July 15, 2021

Add some I2C RGB to your project with the SparkFun Qwiic LED Stick - APA102C

LTE GNSS Breakout - SARA-R5 Hookup Guide

July 8, 2021

A guide to get you started with the SparkFun LTE GNSS Breakout - SARA-R5. This breakout features the SARA-R5 module from u-blox.

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.

MicroMod Teensy Processor Hookup Guide

July 1, 2021

Add the processing power and versatility of the Teensy to your MicroMod project following this guide for the SparkFun MicroMod Teensy Processor.

Air Quality Sensor - SGP40 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

June 24, 2021

Get started measuring indoor air quality with the SparkFun Air Quality Sensor - SGP40 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide.

SparkFun RTK Express Hookup Guide

June 21, 2021

Learn how to use the enclosed RTK Express product to achieve millimeter level geospatial coordinates.

micro:bit Breakout Board Hookup Guide

June 17, 2021

How to get started with the micro:bit breakout board.

2D Barcode Scanner Breakout Hookup Guide

May 27, 2021

A quick Hookup Guide to get you started with the SparkFun 2D Barcode Scanner Breakout.

Qwiic 6DoF (LSM6DSO) Breakout Hookup Guide

May 20, 2021

A hookup guide for the Qwiic 6DoF (LSM6DSO), which features a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, temperature sensor, and FIFO buffer.

MicroMod STM32 Processor Hookup Guide

May 13, 2021

Get started with the MicroMod Ecosystem and the STM32 Processor Board!

Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - KX13x (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

May 6, 2021

Get started measuring acceleration and vibration using the Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - KX134 (Qwiic) & KX132 (Qwiic) following this Hookup Guide.

nRF9160 Thing Plus Hookup Guide

May 6, 2021

Getting started with the nRF9160 from Circuit Dojo and SparkFun!

Qwiic Haptic Driver DA7280 Hookup Guide

April 29, 2021

The Qwiic Haptic Driver includes an itty-bitty, Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA) vibration motor and Dialog Semiconductor's DA7280 motor driver IC for applications that require haptic feedback.

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.

ESP32-S2 Thing Plus Hookup Guide

April 8, 2021

Looking to use the more secure ESP32-S2? Follow this hookup guide to get started.

SparkFun QwiicBus Hookup Guide

April 1, 2021

Build a long-range, noise-isolated I2C bus with the SparkFun QwiicBus Kit featuring the QwiicBus EndPoint and MidPoint following this Hookup Guide.

Qwiic MultiPort Hookup Guide

April 1, 2021

The SparkFun Qwiic MultiPort adds additional ports to boards that have only one Qwiic port on their I2C bus. Once added, you can use it as a hub to add as many I2C devices to the bus as you need! You can also use the board as an alternative to a daisy chained configuration.

How to Upgrade Firmware of a u-blox GNSS Receiver

March 26, 2021

A few steps and you'll upgrade to the latest features on a u-blox GNSS receiver.

Qwiic PIR Hookup Guide

March 25, 2021

Get started passively monitoring motion using the Panasonic EKMC and EKMB sensors with the SparkFun Qwiic PIR.

SparkFun PIR Breakout Hookup Guide

March 25, 2021

Get started with these Panasonic EKM-Series PIR breakouts following this Hookup Guide.

Configuring the PATH System Variable

March 23, 2021

A simple guide for configuring the PATH variable on Win 10, Mac OSX, and Linux systems.

Qwiic Carrier Board Hookup Guide

March 18, 2021

The Qwiic carrier board is the latest way to rapid prototype with the included M.2 socket to swap processor boards and Qwiic connectors to easily connect I2C devices.

MicroMod Update Tool Hookup Guide

February 25, 2021

Follow this guide to learn how to use the MicroMod Update Tool to interact directly with the UART on the MicroMod Asset Tracker's SARA-R5. Using this board you can talk directly to the module using u-blox's m-center software as well as update the firmware using EasyFlash.

MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board Hookup Guide

February 25, 2021

Get started with the SparkFun MicroMod Asset Tracker Carrier Board following this Hookup Guide. The Asset Tracker uses the u-blox SARA-R510M8S LTE-M / NB-IoT module to provide a host of data communication options.

Qwiic SHIM Kit for Raspberry Pi Hookup Guide

February 16, 2021

Get started with the Serial LCD with RGB backlight and 9DoF IMU (ICM-20948) via I2C using the Qwiic system and Python on a Raspberry Pi! Take sensor readings and display them in the serial terminal or SerLCD.

SparkFun expLoRaBLE Hookup Guide

February 4, 2021

Check out our latest LoRaWAN development board with Bluetooth capabilities! With this guide, we'll get you passing data to The Things Network in no time.

Soil Moisture Sensor Hookup Guide

January 29, 2021

A quick hookup guide and project to get you started with the Soil Moisture Sensor from SparkFun.

Pro Micro RP2040 Hookup Guide

January 21, 2021

This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the Pro Micro RP2040 and highlights the features of the dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processors development board. Get started with the first microcontroller from the Raspberry Pi Foundation!

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++.

MicroMod RP2040 Processor Board Hookup Guide

January 21, 2021

This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the MicroMod RP2040 Processor Board and highlights the features of the dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processors development board. Get started with the first microcontroller from the Raspberry Pi Foundation!

Industrial Fiber Optics Hookup Guide

January 20, 2021

Learn how to get started with our fiber optics breakout boards

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.

MicroMod nRF52840 Processor Hookup Guide

January 14, 2021

Get started with the MicroMod nRF52840 Processor following this guide.

MicroMod Weather Carrier Board Hookup Guide

January 14, 2021

A quick guide to help to create your own MicroMod weather station using the MicroMod Weather Carrier Board and Processor of your choice.

Qwiic pHAT Extension for Raspberry Pi 400 Hookup Guide

December 17, 2020

Get started interfacing your Qwiic enabled boards with your Raspberry Pi 400! SparkFun Qwiic pHAT Extension for the Raspberry Pi 400 provides you with a quick and easy solution to access all of the 400's GPIO, stack your favorite HAT right-side up, or connect a Qwiic-enabled device to the I2C bus (GND, 3.3V, SDA, and SCL).

SparkFun RTK Surveyor Hookup Guide

December 3, 2020

Learn how to use the enclosed RTK Surveyor product to achieve millimeter level geospatial coordinates.

Getting Started with the 8BitDo Bluetooth GamePads

December 2, 2020

Getting up and running with the sweet new 8BitDo game controllers!

SparkFun Qwiic 3-Axis Accelerometer (ADXL313) Hookup Guide

November 5, 2020

Let's get moving with the SparkFun Triple Axis Digital Accelerometer Breakout - ADXL313 (Qwiic), a low cost, low power, up to 13-bit resolution, 3-axis accelerometer with a 32-level FIFO stack capable of measuring up to ±4g. This hookup guide will get users started reading measurements from the ADXL313, by Analog Devices, with an Arduino microcontroller, Jetson Nano, or Raspberry Pi.

MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board Hookup Guide

October 21, 2020

Get hacking with this tutorial on our Machine Learning Carrier Board!

MicroMod Data Logging Carrier Board Hookup Guide

October 21, 2020

Get started with some customizable MicroMod data logging with the Data Logging Carrier Board.

Getting Started with MicroMod

October 21, 2020

Dive into the world of MicroMod - a compact interface to connect a microcontroller to various peripherals via the M.2 Connector!

MicroMod Artemis Processor Board Hookup Guide

October 21, 2020

Get started with the Artemis MicroMod Processor Board in this tutorial!

SparkFun MicroMod Input and Display Carrier Board Hookup Guide

October 21, 2020

A short Hookup Guide to get started with the SparkFun MicroMod Input and Display Carrier Board

Designing with MicroMod

October 21, 2020

This tutorial will walk you through the specs of the MicroMod processor and carrier board as well as the basics of incorporating the MicroMod form factor into your own PCB designs!

MicroMod SAMD51 Processor Board Hookup Guide

October 21, 2020

This tutorial covers the basic functionality of the MicroMod SAMD51 and highlights the features of the ARM Cortex-M4F development board.

MicroMod ESP32 Processor Board Hookup Guide

October 21, 2020

A short hookup guide to get started with the SparkFun MicroMod ESP32 Processor Board.

MicroMod All The Pins (ATP) Carrier Board

October 21, 2020

Access All The Pins (ATP) of the MicroMod Processor Board with the Carrier Board!

SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Teensy Hookup Guide

October 15, 2020

A short guide for assembling and using the SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Teensy and Qwiic Shield for Teensy Extended.

How to Build a DIY GNSS Reference Station

October 15, 2020

Learn how to affix a GNSS antenna, use PPP to get its ECEF coordinates and then broadcast your own RTCM data over the internet and cellular using NTRIP to increase rover reception to 10km!

Setting up a Rover Base RTK System

October 14, 2020

Getting GNSS RTCM correction data from a base to a rover is easy with a serial telemetry radio! We'll show you how to get your high precision RTK GNSS system setup and running.

The ClockClock Project

October 8, 2020

Tell the time with this fantastic Alchitry project using clocks to make a clock!

SparkFun Qwiic GPIO Hookup Guide

October 8, 2020

Add up to 8 extra I/O pins to your microcontroller with the SparkFun Qwiic GPIO. Get started with the Qwiic GPIO in this Hookup Guide.

SparkFun Qwiic Dual Solid State Relay Hookup Guide

September 24, 2020

A Hookup Guide to get you started with the SparkFun Qwiic Dual Solid State Relay.

Qwiic GPS Clock

September 14, 2020

What time is it? Time for you to... Qwiic-ly build a GPS clock and output it to a display! This project provides you with the current date and time using GPS satellites. Read the date and time as a digital or analog clock. Or even configure the clock for military, your time zone, or automatically adjust the time for daylight savings time!

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.

SparkFun ProDriver Hookup Guide

September 3, 2020

The SparkFun ProDriver utilizes Toshiba's TC78H670FTG stepper motor driver and with the latch pin connections, this new board is easier to get started with than the "Easy" Drivers. To get started, follow this hookup guide and you will be spinning stepper motors, in no time.

OpenLog Artemis Hookup Guide

August 20, 2020

How to use and re-program the OpenLog Artemis, an open source datalogger. The OLA comes preprogrammed to automatically log data. The OLA can also record serial data, analog voltages, or readings from external Qwiic-enabled I2C devices. Some of these Qwiic-enabled devices include GPS/GNSS modules, pressure, altitude, humidity, temperature, air quality, environment, distance, and weight sensors.

First FPGA Project - Getting Fancy with PWM

July 30, 2020

An initial project using Alchitry's onboard FPGA to manipulate PWM

External IO and Metastability

July 30, 2020

Why external signals can cause metastability and how to use constraint files to manage this

Programming an FPGA

July 30, 2020

Come look at the basics of working with Field Programmable Gate Arrays.

How Does an FPGA Work?

July 30, 2020

The What, How, Why, and When of Field Programmable Gate Arrays, aka FPGAs

Jetson Nano + Sphero RVR Mash-up (PART 2)

July 29, 2020

We took two of our biggest robotics partnerships from the previous year and shazamed them together into one robot to rule them all!

SparkFun Qwiic MicroPressure Hookup Guide

July 23, 2020

Get started using your Qwiic MicroPressure breakout board with this hookup guide.

SparkFun Qwiic Quad Solid State Relay Kit Hookup Guide

July 16, 2020

A Hookup Guide to get you started with the SparkFun Qwiic Quad Solid State Relay Kit (say that five times fast!).

Qwiic Digital Indoor Thermometer

July 15, 2020

Qwiic-ly build a digital indoor thermometer to measure the ambient temperature of the room and display it using an OLED on an I2C bus!

SparkFun GPS-RTK Dead Reckoning ZED-F9R Hookup Guide

July 9, 2020

The u-blox ZED-F9R is a powerful GPS-RTK unit that uses a fusion of IMU, wheel ticks, a vehicle dynamics model, correction data, and GNSS measurements to provide highly accurate and continuous position for navigation in the difficult conditions. We will quickly get you set up using the Qwiic ecosystem through Arduino and Python so that you can start reading the output!

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.

ESP32 OTA Updates over BLE from a React Web Application

July 2, 2020

Learn how to flash firmware Over-the-Air using a BLE React WebApp and ESP32

SparkFun Photodetector (MAX30101) Hookup Guide

June 25, 2020

The SparkFun Photodetector - MAX30101 (Qwiic) is the successor to the MAX30105 particle sensor, a highly sensitive optical sensor. This tutorial will get you started on retrieving the raw data from the MAX30101 sensor.

How to Make a Magic Mirror with Raspberry Pi

June 17, 2020

Need a great project for your Raspberry Pi 4 kit? Use it to create a command center to display the weather, clock, your calendar, or even a news feed!

RFID Beginners Tutorial

June 15, 2020

In this tutorial we'll revisit some RFID basics and practice by making a remote work logger using an RFID reader and a GPS module. You'll scan a card and get ID, location, and time. All the perfect data to punch in and punch out from the middle of Nowhere!

SparkFun Air Quality Sensor - SGP30 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

June 5, 2020

A hookup guide to get started with the SparkFun Air Quality Sensor - SGP30 (Qwiic).

SparkFun Environmental Sensor Breakout - BME68x (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

May 14, 2020

A hookup guide to get started with the BME68x Environmental Sensor from Bosch. Monitor the air quality, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure with this Qwiic sensor!

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.

Wireless Remote Weather Station with micro:bit

May 11, 2020

Monitor the weather without being exposed to it through wireless communication between two micro:bits using the radio blocks! This is useful if your weather station is installed in a location that is difficult to retrieve data from the OpenLog. We will also explore a few different ways to send and receive data.

Spectrum Shield Hookup Guide (v2)

May 4, 2020

Want your project to react to music? Then the SparkFun Spectrum Shield is the product for you! Get going in no time with this Hookup Guide.

SparkFun GPS Dead Reckoning NEO-M8U Hookup Guide

April 30, 2020

The u-blox NEO-M8U is a powerful GPS units that takes advantage of untethered dead reckoning (UDR) technology for navigation. The module provides continuous positioning for vehicles in urban environments and during complete signal loss (e.g. short tunnels and parking garages). We will quickly get you set up using the Qwiic ecosystem and Arduino so that you can start reading the output!

Jetson Nano + Sphero RVR Mash-up (PART 1)

April 23, 2020

We took two of our biggest robotics partnerships from the previous year and shazamed them together into one robot to rule them all!

Working with Qwiic on a Jetson Nano through Jupyter Notebooks

April 23, 2020

We created a few Jupyter Notebooks to make using our Qwiic boards with your Jetson Nano even easier!

Adding WiFi to the NVIDIA Jetson

April 23, 2020

Step by step instructions for setting up and installing the Edimax N150 USB WiFi/BLE adapter on your NVIDIA Jetson Nano

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.

Raspberry Pi Safe Reboot and Shutdown Button

April 20, 2020

Safely reboot or shutdown your Raspberry Pi to avoid corrupting the microSD card using the built-in general purpose button on the Qwiic pHAT v2.0!

SparkFun Top pHAT Hookup Guide

April 16, 2020

The pHAT to sit above your other HATs. Does that make it the "king" of the pHATs? This guide will help you get started using the Top pHAT with the Raspberry Pi.

SparkFun Auto pHAT Hookup Guide

April 16, 2020

The pHAT to get your projects moving. This guide will help you get started using the Auto pHAT.

Real Time Clock Module - RV-8803 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

April 2, 2020

A Hookup Guide for the SparkFun Real Time Clock Module - RV-8803 (Qwiic). Learn how to integrate the RV-8803 into your next time-keeping project.

Assembly Guide for SparkFun JetBot AI Kit V2.0

March 27, 2020

Assembly Guide for the SparkFun JetBot AI Kit v2.0. This tutorial includes photos & comments to assemble the two-layer chassis & additional components unique to the JetBot kit.

SparkFun Qwiic Digital Temperature Sensor - TMP102 Hookup Guide

March 26, 2020

Get started using your SparkFun Digital Temperature Sensor - TMP102 (Qwiic) with this Hookup Guide!

Temperature Sensor Comparison

March 18, 2020

A comparison of analog and digital temperature sensors. Which is better?

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.

SparkFun Qwiic Thermocouple Hookup Guide

March 12, 2020

Learn how to hook up your Qwiic Thermocouple Amplifier.

SparkFun Clock Generator 5P49V60 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

February 28, 2020

The SparkFun Clock Generator 5P49V60 (Qwiic) breakout board offers a wide range of customizable frequencies in a wide range of different signal types using a single reference clock. This hookup guide will go over all of the many available functions and gives the hardware rundown on what exactly is on this board.

Basic Servo Control for Beginners

February 25, 2020

An introductory tutorial demonstrating several ways to use and interact with servo motors!

micro:bot Kit Experiment Guide

February 20, 2020

Get started with the moto:bit, a carrier board for the micro:bit that allows you to control motors, and create your own robot using this experiment guide for the micro:bot kit.

Non-Addressable RGB LED Strip Hookup Guide

February 19, 2020

Add color to your projects with non-addressable LED strips! These are perfect if you want to control and power the entire strip with one color for your props, car, fish tank, room, wall, or perhaps under cabinet lighting in your home.

Power Delivery Board - USB-C (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

February 13, 2020

This guide will go over how to use the USB Type-C Power Delivery Board.

Qwiic Pro Micro USB-C (ATmega32U4) Hookup Guide

February 6, 2020

An overview of the ATmega32U4-based Qwiic Pro Micro USB-C, how to install it, and how to use it with Arduino.

SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Arduino Nano Hookup Guide

January 30, 2020

Hookup Guide for the SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Arduino Nano.

SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Thing Plus Hookup Guide

January 30, 2020

A short guide for assembling and using the SparkFun Qwiic Shield for Thing Plus.

SparkFun Qwiic Button Hookup Guide

January 23, 2020

A Hookup Guide for the SparkFun Qwiic Button (Red) and SparkFun Qwiic Button Breakout. Goes over connecting the Qwiic Button to an Arduino microcontroller and using it with the Qwiic Button Arduino library.

Secure DIY Garage Door Opener

January 16, 2020

Did you know that most garage doors are at risk of a roll jam attack? Here we make a DIY garage door remote-control system that is much more secure than most commercial-ready products using the latest in ECC cryptography.

SparkFun GPS NEO-M9N Hookup Guide

December 19, 2019

The u-blox NEO-M9N is a powerful GPS unit that comes with a chip antenna, SMA connector, and u.FL connector. We will quickly get you set up using the Qwiic ecosystem and Arduino so that you can start reading the output!

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...

Advanced Autonomous Kit for Sphero RVR Assembly Guide

December 12, 2019

Get your Advanced Autonomous Kit for the Sphero RVR built up with this hookup guide!

Basic Autonomous Kit for Sphero RVR Assembly Guide

December 12, 2019

Get your Basic Autonomous Kit for Sphero RVR all hooked up with this guide!

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.

Qwiic SHIM for Raspberry Pi Hookup Guide

December 5, 2019

Ever wanted to prototype I2C components on a Pi? Now you can!

Basic LED Animations for Beginners (Arduino)

December 3, 2019

Let's have some fun with LEDs! We'll explore LEDs once again with the SparkFun RedBoard Qwiic, making cool effects, and putting those effects to work using a sensor.

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.

RED-V Thing Plus Hookup Guide

November 22, 2019

This guide will go over the hardware of the RED-V Thing Plus.

RED-V RedBoard Hookup Guide

November 22, 2019

This guide will go over the hardware of the RED-V RedBoard.

Magnetic Levitation

November 20, 2019

This tutorial will show you how to build a magnetic levitation circuit using common parts.

Qwiic TMP117 High Precision Digital Temperature Sensor Hookup Guide

November 14, 2019

Add a high precision, digital temperature sensor to your projects using the TMP117 over the I2C!

Qwiic Pro Kit Project Guide

November 7, 2019

The Qwiic Pro Kit was designed to allow users to get started with Arduino without the need for soldering or a breadboard. We've included three inputs (a joystick, accelerometer, and proximity sensor) and one display that can be daisy chained to the RedBoard Turbo (SAMD21) Development Board.

Wireless Controlled Wearable EL Wire Dance Suit

October 31, 2019

In this tutorial, we will build an EL wire dance suit that can be controlled by a wireless glove controller!

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.

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!

APA102 Addressable LED Hookup Guide

October 8, 2019

Connect, power, and control your APA102 addressable LED strip!

Fuse Breakout Board Hookup Guide

October 3, 2019

Protect your project by adding a fuse in your circuit to save it from molten destruction.

GPS Geo-Mapping at the Push of a Button

September 27, 2019

Let's ramp up our GPS tracking skills with KML files and Google Earth. We'll make a tracker that logs location and allows us to visualize our steps with Google Earth.

SparkFun Edge Hookup Guide

September 26, 2019

Get to know your Edge board, including both the hardware features for you to utilize as well as how to get talking to it.

Getting Started with the A111 Pulsed Radar Sensor

September 26, 2019

Get started with the Acconeer A111 SDK with a Raspberry Pi! The tiny A111 pulsed coherent radar (PCR) adds high-precision, cutting-edge distance measurement for speed-, material-, motion-, or gesture-sensing projects! We’re not talking about simple ultrasonic, or even infrared sensors here, but 60GHz radar!

Hookup Guide for the SparkFun Artemis Thing Plus

September 19, 2019

Get started with our SparkFun Artemis Thing Plus - our popular Thing Plus footprint with the powerful Artemis module for ultimate functionality.

Hookup Guide for the Qwiic Motor Driver

September 19, 2019

Drive things "qwiic"-ly with the SparkFun Qwiic Motor Driver!

SparkFun Pulse Oximeter and Heart Rate Monitor Hookup Guide

September 12, 2019

Find out your oxygen saturation level or check out your heart rate using the MAX30101 biometric sensor and MAX32664 Biometric Hub via I2C!

ESP32 Relay Web Server

September 10, 2019

The goal of this project is to have a website hosted on an ESP32 that controls any relay controlled device connected to a local network and keeps a dynamically updated state of those devices.

SparkFun gator:log Hookup Guide

September 5, 2019

The gator:log is a serial communication based data logger. This tutorial will get you started using the gator:log with the micro:bit platform.

SparkFun gator:UV Hookup Guide

September 5, 2019

The gator:UV is an I2C based UV sensor. This tutorial will get you started using the gator:UV with the micro:bit platform.

SparkFun gator:RTC Hookup Guide

September 5, 2019

The gator:RTC is an I2C based, real-time clock (RTC) for keeping time while your micro:bit isn't powered. This tutorial will get you started using the gator:RTC with the micro:bit platform.

Hookup Guide for the SparkFun RedBoard Artemis

August 28, 2019

Get started with the RedBoard Artemis - all the functionality of the SparkFun Artemis module wrapped in the familiar Uno R3 footprint

Hookup Guide for the SparkFun RedBoard Artemis ATP

August 28, 2019

Get started with the RedBoard Artemis ATP - all the functionality of the SparkFun Artemis module wrapped in the Mega Arduino Footprint

XBee3 Thing Plus Hookup Guide

August 22, 2019

Get started with SparkFun's XBee3 Thing Plus - both the u.FL as well as the PCB antenna versions.

Qwiic Atmospheric Sensor (BME280) Hookup Guide

August 21, 2019

Measure temperature, humidity, barometric pressure with the SparkFun Atmospheric Sensor Breakout BME280 (Qwiic).

Assembly Guide for SparkFun JetBot AI Kit

August 13, 2019

Assembly Guide for the SparkFun JetBot AI Kit. This tutorial includes photos & comments to assemble the two-layer chassis & additional components unique to the JetBot kit.

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.

How to Install CH340 Drivers

August 6, 2019

How to install CH340 drivers (if you need them) on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

PCA9306 Logic Level Translator Hookup Guide (v2)

July 25, 2019

A quick primer to get you going with the PCA9306 Logic Level Converter - a dedicated I2C translator.

SparkFun AS3935 Lightning Detector Hookup Guide (v20)

July 25, 2019

Are you worried about the looming clouds in the distance, how far away is that storm exactly? Add lightning detection with the AS3935 to your next weather station or your next bike ride!

Modifying Your EL Wire Inverter

July 18, 2019

In this tutorial, we will modify the 12V EL wire inverter to power the EL Sequencer/EL Escudo Dos off a single power supply.

EL Wire Pants

July 18, 2019

In this tutorial, we will sew standard electroluminescent (EL) wire to a pair of pants.

LilyPad RGB LED Hookup Guide

July 18, 2019

Learn how to hook up the LilyPad RGB LED and use a common cathode RGB LED in e-textile projects.

Qwiic Ambient Light Sensor (VEML6030) Hookup Guide

July 18, 2019

The VEML6030 is a high accuracy ambient light sensor with 16-bit resolution. This I2C sensor can detect light similar to the human eye response. Start detecting light levels in your environment!

Pi Servo pHAT (v2) Hookup Guide

July 11, 2019

This hookup guide will get you started with connecting and using the Pi Servo pHAT on a Raspberry Pi.

SparkFun 9DoF IMU (ICM-20948) Breakout Hookup Guide

June 27, 2019

How to use the SparkFun 9DoF ICM-20948 breakout board for your motion sensing projects. This breakout is ideal for wearable sensors and IoT applications.

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!

SparkFun gator:environment Hookup Guide

June 13, 2019

The gator:environment combines two I2C sensors for temperature, humidity, pressure, eCO2, and eTVOC values. This tutorial will get you started using the gator:environment with the micro:bit platform.

SparkFun gator:microphone Hookup Guide

June 13, 2019

The gator:microphone is an I2C sensor for detecting sound with an electret microphone. This tutorial will get you started using the gator:microphone with the micro:bit platform.

SparkFun gator:soil Hookup Guide

June 13, 2019

The gator:soil is analog soil moisture sensor. This tutorial will get you started using the gator:soil with the micro:bit platform.

SparkFun gator:particle Hookup Guide

June 13, 2019

The gator:particle is an I2C heart-rate monitor and pulse oximeter that can be used as a particle sensor. This tutorial will get you started using the gator:particle with the micro:bit platform.

TPL5110 Nano Power Timer Hookup Guide

June 6, 2019

The TPL5110 Nano Power Timer is ideal for applications that require low power, and especially those projects that are running off of a LiPo battery. The Nano Power Timer will turn on your project after the set amount of time, continuously.

Capacitive Touch Slider (CAP1203) Hookup Guide

May 30, 2019

An easy and Qwiic way to add capacitive touch to any of your projects using the CAP1203! In this guide, we go over how to connect and set up your Capacitive Touch Slider so you can start playing with it right away.

LiPo Charger Plus Hookup Guide

May 30, 2019

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

Basic Character LCD Hookup Guide

May 28, 2019

Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are a great way to output a string of words or sensor data to a display for visual feedback. In this tutorial, we'll learn about LCDs, how to print a string of words to a 16x2 basic character LCD and create custom characters.

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.

ARM Programming

May 23, 2019

How to program SAMD21 or SAMD51 boards (or other ARM processors).

Qwiic 12-Bit ADC Hookup Guide

May 23, 2019

Need to add more analog inputs for your project? Check out the Qwiic 12-bit ADC.

Qwiic pHAT for Raspberry Pi Hookup Guide

May 23, 2019

Get started interfacing your Qwiic enabled boards with your Raspberry Pi. The Qwiic pHAT connects the I2C bus (GND, 3.3V, SDA, and SCL) on your Raspberry Pi to an array of Qwiic connectors.

Buck-Boost Hookup Guide

May 10, 2019

This tutorial shows you how to hook up and use the SparkFun Buck-Boost board.

Using Home Assistant to Expand Your Home Automations

May 9, 2019

An introduction to Home Assistant, an open source home automation hub.

Displaying Your Coordinates with a GPS Module

April 30, 2019

This Arduino tutorial will teach you how to pinpoint and display your GPS coordinates with a press of a button using hardware from our Qwiic Connect System (I2C).

Wireless Gesture Controlled Robot

April 25, 2019

Control the RedBot wirelessly based on the movement of your hand using an accelerometer, Arduino, and XBees!

Qwiic Keypad Hookup Guide

April 25, 2019

If you are tired of taking up GPIO pins, wiring a bunch of pull up resistors, and using firmware that scans the keys taking up valuable processing time... check out the new Qwiic Keypad.

Keyboard Shortcut, Qwiic Keypad

April 25, 2019

A simple project using the Qwiic Keypad and the RedBoard Turbo to create your own custom hotkey-pad.

LED Gumball Machine

April 24, 2019

Hacking gumball machines to make the world a happier, blinkier place.

Wireless Glove Controller

April 24, 2019

Build a wireless glove controller with Arduinos to trigger an LED using XBees!

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!

Qwiic Scale Hookup Guide

April 11, 2019

Create your own digital scale quickly and easily using the Qwiic Scale!

How to Use a Ruler

April 11, 2019

Showing off some of the features of the SparkFun Ruler.

TFT LCD Breakout 1.8in 128x160 Hookup Guide

April 11, 2019

This TFT LCD Breakout is a versatile, colorful, and easy way to experiment with graphics or create a user interface for your project.

SparkFun GPS Breakout (ZOE-M8Q and SAM-M8Q) Hookup Guide

April 4, 2019

The SparkFun ZOE-M8Q and SAM-M8Q are two similarly powerful GPS units but with different project applications. We'll compare both chips before getting each up and running.

GNSS Chip Antenna Hookup Guide

April 4, 2019

You've always wanted to experiment with those tiny GPS antennas. Now you can!

Build a Qwiic Jukebox that is Toddler Approved!

March 29, 2019

Follow this tutorial to build your own custom jukebox. Note, this is designed simple and tough for use primarily with toddlers. It's also a great introduction to SparkFun's Qwiic products!

Using SparkFun Edge Board with Ambiq Apollo3 SDK

March 28, 2019

We will demonstrate how to get started with your SparkFun Edge Board by setting up the toolchain on your computer, examining an example program, and using the serial uploader tool to flash the chip.

SparkFun ESP32 DMX to LED Shield

March 28, 2019

Learn how to utilize your DMX to LED Shield in a variety of different ways.

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!

SparkFun Qwiic RFID-IDXXLA Hookup Guide

March 14, 2019

The Qwiic RFID ID-XXLA is an I2C solution that pairs with the ID-LA modules: ID-3LA, the ID-12LA, or the ID-20LA, and utilizes 125kHz RFID chips. Let's take a look at the hardware used for this tutorial.

RHT03 (DHT22) Humidity and Temperature Sensor Hookup Guide

March 12, 2019

Measure relative humidity and temperature or your environment with the RHT03 (a.k.a DHT22) low cost sensor on a single wire digital interface connected to an Arduino!

Wireless RC Robot with Arduino and XBees

March 12, 2019

In this tutorial, we will expand on the SIK for RedBot to control the robot wirelessly with XBee radios! We'll explore a different microcontroller and wirelessly control the RedBot at a distance.

ESP32 Thing Plus Hookup Guide

March 7, 2019

Hookup guide for the ESP32 Thing Plus (Micro-B) using the ESP32 WROOM's WiFi/Bluetooth system-on-chip in Arduino.

Transparent Graphical OLED Breakout Hookup Guide

March 7, 2019

The future is here! Our Qwiic Transparent Graphical OLED Breakout allows you to display custom images on a transparent screen using either I2C or SPI connections.

Qwiic Proximity Sensor (VCNL4040) Hookup Guide

February 28, 2019

The SparkFun Qwiic Proximity Sensor is a great, qualitative proximity (up to 20 cm) and light sensor. This hookup guide covers a few examples to retrieve basic sensor readings.

Qwiic Joystick Hookup Guide

February 21, 2019

Looking for an easy way to implement a joystick to your next Arduino or Raspberry Pi project? This hookup guide will walk you through using the Qwiic Joystick with the Arduino IDE on a RedBoard Qwiic and in Python on a Raspberry Pi.

Thumb Joystick Hookup Guide

February 20, 2019

Whether you're blasting aliens, driving a robot, or write your awesome classic Arcade Game for your Arduino, you'll find the analog thumb joystick a very useful addition to your projects!

Everything You Should Know About HyperDisplay

February 20, 2019

This is a tutorial to go in-depth about the SparkFun HyperDisplay Arduino Library.

AST-CAN485 I/O Shield (24V) Hookup Guide

February 14, 2019

The AST-CAN485 I/O Shield is an Arduino shield that will allow the user to interface the AST-CAN485 Dev Board with 24V inputs and outputs, which expands its usefulness into industrial systems.

Qwiic OpenLog Hookup Guide

February 7, 2019

The updated Qwiic version of the OpenLog Hookup Guide

Computer Vision and Projection Mapping in Python

February 6, 2019

Use computer vision to detect faces and project images on top of them.

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.

SparkFun gator:bit v2 Hookup Guide

January 31, 2019

The gator:bit v2 is a breakout board for the BBC micro:bit. The gator:bit exposes almost every pin on the micro:bit to clippable pad with circuit protection. It also has as built-in addressable LEDs and a built-in buzzer.

Motion Controlled Wearable LED Dance Harness

January 30, 2019

Control LEDs based on your movement using an accelerometer! Make your LEDs breathe by fading in and out when laying on the floor, turn off the LEDs when moving to your side, or make the LEDs blink in a headstand!

LuMini 8x8 Matrix Hookup Guide

January 24, 2019

The LuMini 8x8 Matrix (APA102-2020) are the highest resolution LED matrix available.

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!

Live Spotify Album Art Display

January 23, 2019

Learn how to turn our 64x64 RGB LED Matrix Panel into a display for your current Spotify album art using an ESP32.

Wireless Remote Control with micro:bit

January 21, 2019

In this tutorial, we will utilize the MakeCode radio blocks to have the one micro:bit transmit a signal to a receiving micro:bit on the same channel. Eventually, we will control a micro:bot wirelessly using parts from the arcade:kit!

LuMini Ring Hookup Guide

January 17, 2019

The LuMini Rings (APA102-2020) are the highest resolution LED rings available.

LumiDrive Hookup Guide

January 17, 2019

The LumiDrive LED Driver is SparkFun’s foray into all things Python on micro-controllers. With the SparkFun LumiDrive you will be able to control and personalize a whole strand of APA102s directly from the board itself.

LilyPad Vibe Board Hookup Guide

January 16, 2019

The LilyPad Vibe Board is a small vibration motor that can be sewn into projects with conductive thread and controlled by a LilyPad Arduino. The board can be used as a physical indicator on clothing and costumes for haptic feedback.

GPS-RTK2 Hookup Guide

January 14, 2019

Get precision down to the diameter of a dime with the new ZED-F9P from u-blox.

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.

Qwiic Quad Relay Hookup Guide

January 3, 2019

SparkFun’s Qwiic Quad Relay is a product designed for switching not one but four high powered devices from your Arduino or other low powered microcontroller using I2C.

Qwiic Single Relay Hookup Guide

January 3, 2019

Get started switching those higher power loads around with the Qwiic Single Relay.

Three Quick Tips About Using U.FL

December 28, 2018

Quick tips regarding how to connect, protect, and disconnect U.FL connectors.

Qwiic UV Sensor (VEML6075) Hookup Guide

December 20, 2018

Learn how to connect your VEML6075 UV Sensor and figure out just when you should put some sunscreen on.

LS20031 5Hz (66 Channel) GPS Receiver Hookup Guide

December 13, 2018

In this tutorial, we will solder headers to the surface mount pads of the LS20031 GPS receiver and read the output using an Arduino!

SparkFun Serial Basic CH340C Hookup Guide

December 13, 2018

SparkFun Serial Basic Breakout takes advantage of USB-C and is an easy-to-use USB-to-Serial adapter based on the CH340C IC from WCH. With USB-C you can get up to three times the power delivery over the previous USB generation and has the convenient feature of being reversable.

Qwiic Twist Hookup Guide

December 13, 2018

Take your volume knob beyond 11 with the Qwiic Twist digital RGB LED encoder via I2C!

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).

SparkFun WiFi IR Blaster Hookup Guide

December 6, 2018

How to assemble the WiFi IR Blaster and program it using Arduino. You'll be controlling IR devices from the web in no time!

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.

3D Printed Illuminated Wand Prop

November 29, 2018

In this tutorial, we will learn about how to create a theatrical prop for a performance by 3D printing a wand and adding an LED.

nRF52840 Development with Arduino and CircuitPython

November 29, 2018

How to use Arduino or CircuitPython to develop applications for the nRF52840 Cortex-M4 Bluetooth SoC.

SparkFun Pro nRF52840 Mini Hookup Guide

November 29, 2018

A hardware overview and hookup guide for the SparkFun Pro nRF52840 Mini -- a breakout for Nordic's impossibly cool Bluetooth/ARM Cortex M4 SoC.

LTE Cat M1/NB-IoT Shield Hookup Guide

November 20, 2018

The SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield equips your Arduino or Arduino-compatible microcontroller with access to data networks across the globe. This shield adds wireless, high-bandwidth cellular functionality to your IoT project!

SparkFun LoRa Gateway 1-Channel Hookup Guide

November 15, 2018

How to setup and use the LoRa Gateway 1-Channel in Arduino.

Introduction to DMX

November 14, 2018

DMX512 is an industry standard in lighting and stage design, whether it be controlling lights, motors, or lasers, DMX512 has many uses. In this tutorial we’ll cover DMX512 (Digital Multiplex with 512 pieces of information).

Getting Started with the SmartLED Shield for Teensy

November 9, 2018

In this tutorial, we will connect different RGB LED matrix panels to PixelMatix's SmartLED shield and Teensy.

Spectral Triad (AS7265x) Hookup Guide

November 8, 2018

Learn how to wield the power of 18 channels of UV to NIR spectroscopy with AS72651 (UV), AS72652 (VIS), and AS72653 (NIR) sensors!

TFMini - Micro LiDAR Module (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

November 8, 2018

The TFMini is a ToF (Time of Flight) LiDAR sensor capable of measuring the distance to an object as close as 30 cm and as far as 12 meters! The TFMini allows you to easily integrate LiDAR into applications traditionally reserved for smaller sensors such as the SHARP GP-series infrared rangefinders. With the added Qwiic feature, you can quickly connect to the sensor via I2C!

Introduction to MQTT

November 7, 2018

An introduction to MQTT, one of the main communication protocols used with the Internet of Things (IoT).

TSH82 Configurable OpAmp Hookup Guide

November 2, 2018

The TSH82 Configurable OpAmp board offers the designer a great balance of performance and flexibility. We'll show you how to get the very best out of your board!

How to Make a Custom EL Wire Extension Cable

October 24, 2018

In this tutorial, we will make a custom EL Wire extension cable as an alternative to splicing wire.

EL Wire Hoodie

October 24, 2018

In this tutorial, we will sew standard electroluminescent (EL) wire to a hoodie.

Gator:color ProtoSnap Hookup Guide

October 18, 2018

Clip some LED's onto your gator:bit with the gator:color.

Gator:starter ProtoSnap Hookup Guide

October 18, 2018

Get started clipping sensors and lights to the micro:bit with the gator:starter gator:board from SparkFun!

Gator:control ProtoSnap Hookup Guide

October 17, 2018

Buttons and switches and inputs oh my! Start adding more control to your gator:bit with the SparkFun gator:control.

Flashlight Kit

October 11, 2018

This is an assembly guide for the SparkFun Flashlight Kit, a basic learn to solder kit.

SparkFun SAMD21 Pro RF Hookup Guide

October 4, 2018

Using the super blazing, nay blinding, fast SAMD21 whipping clock cycles at 48MHz and the RFM96 module to connect to the Things Network (and other Radio woodles).

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.

LilyPad Basics: Powering Your Project

September 24, 2018

Learn the options for powering your LilyPad projects, LiPo battery safety and care, and how to calculate and consider power constraints on your projects.

Qwiic IR Array (MLX90640) Hookup Guide

September 20, 2018

The Melexis MLX90640 contains a 32x24 array of thermopile sensors creating, in essence, a low resolution thermal imaging camera. In this guide, we’ll go over how to connect your Qwiic Infrared Array with MLX90640 and get it communicating with Processing to produce a nice thermal image.

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.

What is GPS RTK?

September 14, 2018

Learn about the latest generation of GPS and GNSS receivers to get 14mm positional accuracy!

GPS-RTK Hookup Guide

September 13, 2018

Find out where you are! Use this easy hook-up guide to get up and running with the SparkFun high precision GPS-RTK NEO-M8P-2 breakout board.

Getting Started with U-Center for u-blox

September 13, 2018

Learn the tips and tricks to use the u-blox software tool to configure your GPS receiver.

I2S Audio Breakout Hookup Guide

September 6, 2018

Hookup guide for the MAX98357A I2S audio breakout board.

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.

DIY Light Sculpture

August 23, 2018

In this digital fabrication project featuring 3D printing, laser cutting, and DIY electronics, you will build a beautiful design object for your desktop or night stand.

ESP32 LoRa 1-CH Gateway, LoRaWAN, and the Things Network

August 14, 2018

Using the ESP32 LoRa 1-CH Gateway as a gateway and device, and pushing data to The Things Network.

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.

Single Supply Logic Level Converter Hookup Guide

August 9, 2018

The Single Supply Logic Converter allows you to bi-directionally translate signals from a 5V or 3.3V microcontroller without the need for a second power supply! The board provides an output for both 5V and 3.3V to power your sensors. It is equipped with a PTH resistor footprint for the option to adjust the voltage regulator on the low side of the TXB0104 for 2.5V or 1.8V devices.

AVR-Based Serial Enabled LCDs Hookup Guide

August 2, 2018

The AVR-based Qwiic Serial Enabled LCDs are a simple and cost effective solution to include in your project. These screens are based on the HD44780 controller, and include ATmega328P with an Arduino compatible bootloader. They accept control commands via Serial, SPI and I2C (via PTH headers or Qwiic connector). In this tutorial, we will show examples of a simple setup and go through each communication option.

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.

LilyPad Buttons and Switches

July 23, 2018

Learn about the button and switch offerings in the LilyPad line and how to use them.

Qwiic Flex Glove Controller Hookup Guide

July 19, 2018

Is your finger bent? Is your finger straight? The Qwiic Flex Glove controller board will answer this age old question for you with the flex sensor!

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!

Getting Started with Electroluminescent (EL) Wire

July 13, 2018

This guide will help you get started with electroluminescent (EL) wire, tape, panel, chasing wire, and bendable wire to let your project glow!

How to Use Remote Desktop on the Raspberry Pi with VNC

July 9, 2018

Use RealVNC to connect to your Raspberry Pi to control the graphical desktop remotely across the network.

SparkFun Paper Circuit Kits

July 5, 2018

Learn how to build a simple paper circuit using copper tape, a 5mm LED, and a 3V coin cell battery.

LoRaWAN with ProRF and The Things Network

July 3, 2018

Learn how to make a LoRaWAN node for your next long range IoT project and connect it to the internet with The Things Network!

Mean Well LED Switching Power Supply Hookup Guide

June 28, 2018

In this tutorial, we will be connecting a Mean Well LED switching power supply to an addressable LED strip controlled by an Arduino.

Light Up Your 3D Printer's Bed

June 27, 2018

Having issues viewing your print in a dark lit room? In this tutorial, we will be using LED strips to light up a print bed's area on a LulzBot 3D printer!

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.

Atto84 Hookup Guide

June 26, 2018

A bare minimum Arduino compatible breakout using a ATtiny84 for integration into your small projects!

Using the USB Logic Analyzer with sigrok PulseView

June 25, 2018

A quick primer on using the sigrok signal analysis software with our 8-channel, 24MHz USB logic analyzer.

Rotary Dial Kit Assembly Guide

June 22, 2018

Put together your Rotary Dial Kit and light it up with our Arduino example code!

Current Sensor Breakout (ACS723) Hookup Guide

June 21, 2018

Learn how to measure the current consumption of your project using the ACS723 Current Sensor.

Nuclear Battery Assembly Guide

June 8, 2018

How to put together your BYOT (Bring Your Own Tritium) Nuclear Battery Kit!

HX1 APRS Transmitter Hookup Guide

June 7, 2018

The HX1 is a low-power amateur radio transmitter that can be used to send data to the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) network.

LilyPad Light Sensor V2 Hookup Guide

June 7, 2018

How to hook up the LilyPad Light Sensor as well as some project ideas and example code.

LilyPad USB Plus Hookup Guide

June 7, 2018

The LilyPad USB Plus is a sewable microcontroller that you can use with Arduino.

RedBoard Edge Hookup Guide

June 1, 2018

The RedBoard Edge is a RedBoard that's been rebuilt around the idea that projects are eventually put into an enclosure to help clean up their look.

Qwiic Differential I2C Bus Extender (PCA9615) Hookup Guide

May 31, 2018

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

Qwiic Real Time Clock Module (RV-1805) Hookup Guide

May 31, 2018

Find out what time it is, even after the power's been out on your project for a while with the Qwiic Real Time Clock (RTC) module.

Flexible Grayscale OLED Hookup Guide

May 31, 2018

Figure out how to get images displaying on your new flexible OLED screen.

PIC-Based Serial Enabled Character LCD Hookup Guide

May 29, 2018

The PIC-based serial enabled character LCD backpack is a simple and cost effective solution for interfacing to character Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) based on the HD44780 controller. The backpack simplifies the number of wires needed and allows your project to display all kinds of text and numbers.

Variable Load Hookup Guide - Revised

May 25, 2018

This tutorial will show you how to assemble and use SparkFun's Variable Load board. It can be used to test stability of the power supply under various loads, battery lifetime, safety cutoffs, and other design elements of power supplies under test.

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.

IoT Power Relay

May 21, 2018

Using the ESP32 to make a web-configured timed relay.

SparkFun Arduino ProtoShield Hookup Guide

May 17, 2018

The SparkFun Arduino ProtoShield PCB and ProtoShield kit lets you customize your own Arduino shield using whatever custom circuit you can come up with! This tutorial will go over its features, hardware assembly, and how to use the shield with an Arduino R3 footprint.

LIDAR-Lite v3 Hookup Guide

May 16, 2018

A tutorial for connecting the Garmin LIDAR-Lite v3 or the LIDAR-Lite v3HP to an Arduino to measure distance.

12V/5V Power Supply Hookup Guide

May 10, 2018

In this tutorial, we will replace the 12V/5V (2A) power supply's molex connector with two male barrel jacks adapters.

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.

micro:bit Educator Lab Pack Experiment Guide

May 8, 2018

A quickstart guide for the micro:bit educator lab pack.

Qwiic GRID-Eye Infrared Array (AMG88xx) Hookup Guide

May 3, 2018

The Panasonic GRID-Eye (AMG88xx) 8x8 thermopile array serves as a functional low-resolution infrared camera. This means you have a square array of 64 pixels each capable of independent temperature detection. It’s like having thermal camera (or Predator’s vision), just in really low resolution.

Qwiic Magnetometer (MLX90393) Hookup Guide

May 3, 2018

Figure out how magnetic fields are oriented, all without having to solder a thing.

WiFi Controlled Robot

May 2, 2018

This tutorial will show you how to make a robot that streams a webcam to a custom website that can be remotely controlled.

Qwiic VR IMU (BNO080) Hookup Guide

April 30, 2018

Figure out how things are oriented with the robust 9 degrees of freedom (DOF) BNO080 IMU. Maybe even make your own virtual reality (VR) applications if you're feeling savvy.

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.

Papa Soundie Audio Player Hookup Guide

April 26, 2018

Add sound effects to your project, prop or costume with Papa Soundie Audio Player.

Noisy Cricket Stereo Amplifier - 1.5W Hookup Guide

April 26, 2018

A hookup guide for the Noisy Cricket Stereo Amplifier - 1.5W.

Little Soundie Audio Player Hookup Guide

April 26, 2018

Add sound effects to your project, prop or costume with Little Soundie Audio Player.

Headless Raspberry Pi Setup

April 23, 2018

Configure a Raspberry Pi without a keyboard, mouse, or monitor.

Setting up a Raspberry Pi 3 as an Access Point

April 23, 2018

This guide will show you how to configure a Raspberry Pi as an access point and connect it to your local Ethernet network to share Internet to other WiFi devices.

LilyPad Tri-Color LED Hookup Guide

April 20, 2018

Learn how to hook up the LilyPad Tri-Color LED and use a common anode RGB LED in e-textile projects.

Addressable LED Neon Flex Rope Hookup Guide

April 19, 2018

The addressable (UCS1903) LED neon flex rope adds cool lighting effects for outdoor and indoor uses including in hallways and stairs, holiday lighting, and more! In this hookup guide, you will learn how to connect, power, and control the LED segments with an Arduino and the FastLED library.

Interactive 3D Printed LED Diamond Prop

April 19, 2018

In this tutorial, we will learn about how to create an interactive theatrical prop for a performance by 3D printing a translucent diamond prop using a non-addressable RGB LED strip and AT42QT1011 capacitive touch sensing.

TFMini - Micro LiDAR Module Hookup Guide

April 13, 2018

The TFMini is a ToF (Time of Flight) LiDAR sensor capable of measuring the distance to an object as close as 30 cm and as far as 12 meters! The TFMini allows you to integrate LiDAR into applications traditionally reserved for smaller sensors such as the SHARP GP-series infrared rangefinders.

How to Use a Hot Air Rework Station

April 10, 2018

Hot-air stations or heat guns are very useful tools and are essential for any electronics workbench. When working with or building printed circuit boards, there is a lot of room for errors to be made. Have no fear though, there are ways to remedy this with a hot air rework station!

Qwiic Distance Sensor (RFD77402) Hookup Guide

April 5, 2018

The RFD77402 uses an infrared VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) TOF (Time of Flight) module capable of millimeter precision distance readings up to 2 meters. It’s also part of SparkFun’s Qwiic system, so you won’t have to do any soldering to figure out how far away things are.

Qwiic Accelerometer (MMA8452Q) Hookup Guide

April 5, 2018

Freescale’s MMA8452Q is a smart, low-power, three-axis, capacitive micro-machined accelerometer with 12-bits of resolution. It’s perfect for any project that needs to sense orientation or motion. We’ve taken that accelerometer and stuck it on a Qwiic-Enabled breakout board to make interfacing with the tiny, QFN package a bit easier.

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.

Using Artnet DMX and the ESP32 to Drive Pixels

March 29, 2018

In this tutorial, we'll find out how to use Resolume Arena, a popular video jockey software, to control custom-made ArtNet DMX fixtures.

Craft a Holiday Greeting with Love to Code

March 23, 2018

Craft your own paper circuit holiday greeting using the LEDs, a Chibi Chip, Love to Code!

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!

Tech Prank: Hardware Mouse Jiggler

March 12, 2018

Create an innocuous-looking USB stick with an Arduino Pro Micro and a 3D printed case that moves your mouse pointer randomly every few seconds. Sure to anger your coworkers and friends!

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.

Fingerprint Scanner (GT-521Fxx) Hookup Guide

March 1, 2018

This tutorial provides information about how to connect to ADH-Tech's fingerprint scanner (GT-521F32) and how to use it with Hawley's FPS_GT511C3 library for Arduino.

AST-CAN485 Hookup Guide

March 1, 2018

The AST CAN485 is a miniature Arduino in the compact form factor of the ProMini. In addition to all the usual features it has on-board CAN and RS485 ports enabling quick and easy interfacing to a multitude of industrial devices.

MIDI BLE Tutorial

February 22, 2018

Developing a bidirectional MIDI-BLE link with the nRF52832 Breakout.

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.

Prototype Wearable LED Dance Harness

February 8, 2018

A project tutorial to add an extra effect for dancers performing a choreographed piece. The harness can be added quickly under a costume.

FreeSoC2 Hookup Guide V14

February 8, 2018

The FreeSoC2 is an Arduino-compatible PSoC5LP-based development board, produced by SparkFun in collaboration with Jon Moeller (developer of the original FreeSoC) and Cypress Semiconductor.

Using the PSoC 6 Pioneer Board with the Pioneer IoT Add-on Shield

February 1, 2018

Cypress's PSoC 6 Pioneer Board is a development tool for the powerful PSoC 6 processor. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to use the PSoC 6 Pioneer Board along with the SparkFun/Digi-Key Pioneer IoT Add-on Shield to send data to a Raspberry Pi via BLE or WiFi.

DIY Heated Earmuffs

January 31, 2018

Embedded with heating pads and four Neopixel rings, these earmuffs do more than your average winter accessory to keep you warm while still looking good.

AT42QT101X Capacitive Touch Breakout Hookup Guide

January 25, 2018

Learn how to use the simple SparkFun AT42QT1010 and AT42QT1011 capacitive touch breakout boards.

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.

Qwiic Micro OLED Hookup Guide

January 18, 2018

Get started displaying things with the Qwiic Micro OLED.

Qwiic Human Presence Sensor (AK9753) Hookup Guide

January 18, 2018

How to get started with your Qwiic enabled AK9753 Human Presence Sensor.

Makey Makey Classic Hookup Guide

January 11, 2018

Be stoked! The world is your construction kit. How to turn everyday objects into computer inputs with the Makey Makey Classic from JoyLabz.

H3LIS331DL Accelerometer Breakout Hookup Guide

December 21, 2017

Hookup guide and library usage details for the triple axis accelerometer H3LIS331DL high-g accelerometer.

Wireless Audio Bluetooth Adapter w/ BC127

December 14, 2017

Build a custom wireless audio Bluetooth adapter using BlueCreation's BC127 and add it to your old speaker system!

Getting Started with TJBot

December 14, 2017

This post will walk you through setting up your TJBot and getting started with the first three recipe examples provided by IBM.

Choosing an Arduino for Your Project

December 11, 2017

Examining the diverse world of Arduino boards and understanding the differences between them before choosing one for a project.

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.

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 E-Sewing ProtoSnap Hookup Guide

December 7, 2017

Explore the LilyPad E-Sewing ProtoSnap and learn how to build it into a project.

Qwiic HAT for Raspberry Pi Hookup Guide

November 30, 2017

Get started interfacing your Qwiic enabled boards with your Raspberry Pi. This Qwiic connects the I2C bus (GND, 3.3V, SDA, and SCL) on your Raspberry Pi to an array of Qwiic connectors.

Qwiic Adapter Hookup Guide

November 30, 2017

Get started with your Qwiic adapter board. This adapter breaks out the I2C pins from the Qwiic connectors to pins that you can easily solder with your favorite I2C enabled device.

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.

Vibe-O-Matic 3000

November 28, 2017

We attempt to emulate a car seat to ease a baby to sleep.

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.

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.

LilyPad Safety Scarf

November 21, 2017

This scarf is embedded with a ribbon of LEDs that illuminate when it gets dark out, making yourself more visible to vehicle and other pedestrians.

ESP32 Thing Motion Shield Hookup Guide

November 16, 2017

Getting started with the ESP32 Thing Motion Shield to detect movements using the on-board LSM9DS1 IMU and adding a GPS receiver. Data can be easily logged by adding an microSD card to the slot.

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.

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 Alien Garden

November 3, 2017

Use Lumenati LED boards to add glow to your own alien garden.

Getting Started with LilyPad

October 27, 2017

An introduction to the LilyPad ecosystem - a set of sewable electronic pieces designed to help you build soft, sewable, interactive e-textile projects.

Night Sky Halloween Costume

October 25, 2017

Make a beautiful night sky costume using the LilyPad LEDs and the LilyTiny.

AS726X NIR/VIS Spectral Sensor Hookup Guide

October 19, 2017

It's now easier than ever to measure and characterize how different materials absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. The AS726X spectral sensors allow you to detect wavelengths in the visible range (VIS) and near infrared range (NIR)!

SparkFun GPS Breakout - XA1110 (Qwiic) Hookup Guide

October 19, 2017

Figure out where in the world you are with the Qwiic SparkFun GPS Breakout - XA1110.

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.

Qwiic Shield for Arduino & Photon Hookup Guide

October 19, 2017

Get started with our Qwiic ecosystem with the Qwiic shield for Arduino or Photon.

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!

Beginner's Guide to KiCad

October 12, 2017

An in-depth tutorial covering schematic capture, PCB layout, library editing, and gerber generation using this amazing open source PCB creation tool.

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.

SparkFun 5V/1A LiPo Charger/Booster Hookup Guide

September 28, 2017

This tutorial shows you how to hook up and use the SparkFun 5V/1A LiPo Charger/Booster circuit.

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.

DIY Light-Up Shoes

September 28, 2017

This tutorial provides everything you need to know to make your own light up high top sneakers!

LED Crystal Goddess Crown

September 27, 2017

Follow this tutorial to make your own Crystal Goddess Crown with LEDs!

Pi Servo Hat Hookup Guide

September 14, 2017

This hookup guide will show you how to connect and use the Pi Servo Hat in a project.

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.

APDS-9301 Sensor Hookup Guide

September 14, 2017

The APDS-9301 sensor is an I2C connected luminosity sensor which returns measurements in lux.

CCS811/BME280 (Qwiic) Environmental Combo Breakout Hookup Guide

September 8, 2017

Sense various environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, eCO2 and tVOCs with the CCS811 and BME280 combo breakout board.

Pyboard Hookup Guide

September 7, 2017

Getting started with the Pyboard using MicroPython.

Gas Pump Skimmers

September 6, 2017

Teardown of gas pump skimmers along with how to detect and block them.

USB Serial Driver Quick Install

August 31, 2017

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

GPS Mouse - GP-808G Hookup Guide

August 24, 2017

Get started with the GP-808G GPS Mouse. This GPS module is great for advanced projects such as autonomous vehicles.

Wireless Motor Driver Shield Hookup Guide

August 17, 2017

Get started with the SparkFun Wireless Motor Driver Shield!

Twinkle Zodiac Constellation

August 15, 2017

Create a quick and easy piece of e-textile art based on a Zodiac sign using a LilyTiny, LilyPad LEDs, battery holder, conductive thread, and coin cell battery.

Reading and Writing Serial EEPROMs

August 11, 2017

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

Fairy LED Bracelet

August 8, 2017

Light up the world - and your wrist - with this quick and easy rechargeable firefly LED bracelet.

Getting Started with the GeoFence

August 1, 2017

How to get started using the GeoFence GPS Boundary Widget and GeoFence Software.

micro:arcade Kit Experiment Guide

July 21, 2017

We love games! We love writing games, building games and yes, even building game consoles. So we want to introduce to you the micro:arcade kit for the micro:bit!

micro:climate Kit Experiment Guide

July 21, 2017

A weather station kit that is built on top of the inexpensive, easy-to-use micro:bit and Microsoft MakeCode.

SparkFun Inventor's Kit for micro:bit Experiment Guide

July 21, 2017

This guide contains all the information you will need to explore the twelve circuits of the SparkFun Inventors Kit for micro:bit.

Weather Meter Hookup Guide

July 20, 2017

How to assemble your very own weather meter!

Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless

July 13, 2017

Learn how to setup, configure and use the smallest Raspberry Pi yet, the Raspberry Pi Zero - Wireless.

SCiO Pocket Molecular Scanner Teardown

July 12, 2017

A teardown of the SCiO, a pocket molecular scanner.

ESP32 Environment Sensor Shield Hookup Guide

July 6, 2017

SparkFun's ESP32 Environment Sensor Shield provides sensors and hookups for monitoring environmental conditions. This tutorial will show you how to connect your sensor suite to the Internet and post weather data online.

LED PomPom Headbands

June 14, 2017

Follow this tutorial to make your own light up PomPom headband! Try the beginner version if you are new to electronics or the advanced version if you have some more experience!

ESP32 Thing Power Control Shield Hookup Guide

June 9, 2017

This tutorial shows you how to get started with the ESP32 Thing Power Control Shield.

Marquee Party Bag

June 2, 2017

This tutorial provides everything you need to know to make your own Marquee Party Bag!

ZX Distance and Gesture Sensor SMD Hookup Guide

June 1, 2017

How to connect and use the SparkFun ZX Distance and Gesture Sensor with an Arduino.

Spectacle Inertia Board Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

Everything you need to know about using the Spectacle Inertia Board in one place.

Spectacle Light Board Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Light Board in one place.

Spectacle Example: Super Mario Bros. Diorama

May 4, 2017

A study in building an animated diorama (with sound!) using Spectacle electronics.

Spectacle User's Guide

May 4, 2017

The Spectacle system is designed to help those without electronics or programming experience integrate electronics into projects.

Spectacle Audio Board Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Audio Board in one place.

Spectacle Sound Kit Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Sound Kit in one place.

Spectacle Button Board Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Button Board in one place.

Spectacle Motion Kit Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Motion Kit in one place.

Spectacle Light and Sound Kit Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Light and Sound Kit in one place.

Spectacle Light Kit Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Light Kit in one place.

Spectacle Motion Board Hookup Guide

May 4, 2017

All the information you need to use the Spectacle Motion Kit in one place.

CCS811 Air Quality Breakout Hookup Guide

April 27, 2017

This tutorial shows you how to get data from a CCS811 breakout board with the I2C interface.

OpenPIR Hookup Guide

April 27, 2017

How to use and customize the SparkFun OpenPIR motion sensor.

Introduction to Operational Amplifiers with LTSpice

April 18, 2017

Picking up where we left off in "Getting Started with LTSpice," we delve a little deeper into LTSpice through an introduction of Operational Amplifiers (OpAmps).

Ardumoto Kit Hookup Guide

April 14, 2017

Learn how to assemble and drive DC motors using the v2.0 Ardumoto Shield.

THAT InGenius and OutSmarts Breakout Hookup Guide

March 30, 2017

Learn about the benefits of balanced signal transmission, and how to apply the THAT InGenius and OutSmarts breakouts.

Building a Safe Cracking Robot

March 29, 2017

How to crack an unknown safe in under an hour.

TeensyView Hookup Guide

March 16, 2017

A guide to using the TeensyView OLED board to display text and graphics.

Roshamglo Hookup Guide

March 13, 2017

This tutorial provides everything you need to know to get started with the Roshamglo badge.

Roshamglo Project: TV-B-Gone

March 12, 2017

Turn your Roshamglo board into a (nearly) universal TV power button.

Hack Your Roshamglo Badge

March 12, 2017

Learn how to customize and program your Roshamglo badge.

Bark Back Interactive Pet Monitor

March 8, 2017

Monitor and interact with pets through this dog bark detector project based on the Raspberry Pi!

Arduino Weather Shield Hookup Guide V12

March 2, 2017

Read humidity, pressure and luminosity quickly and easily. Add wind speed, direction and rain gauge for full weather station capabilities.

Getting Started with LTspice

March 1, 2017

LTspice is a high performance SPICE simulator, schematic capture and waveform viewer with an impressive library of passive devices. Over 1000 models are included in the download but you can also add third party models.

Simultaneous RFID Tag Reader Hookup Guide

February 23, 2017

A basic guide to getting started with the RFID Tag Reader breakout and how to read and write multiple RFID tags over multiple feet!

RFID Basics

February 23, 2017

Dive into the basics of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

Tsunami Hookup Guide

February 16, 2017

Hit the ground running with Tsunami, the Super Wav Trigger.

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).

Serial Basic Hookup Guide

February 9, 2017

Get connected quickly with this Serial to USB adapter.

SparkFun USB UART Breakout (CY7C65213) Hookup Guide

February 2, 2017

How to use SparkFun's advanced USB UART breakout, based on the Cypress CY7C65213.

TMP102 Digital Temperature Sensor Hookup Guide

February 2, 2017

How to connect and use the SparkFun Digital Temperature Sensor Breakout - TMP102 with an Arduino.

MEMS Microphone Hookup Guide

January 27, 2017

Get started with the SparkFun analog MEMS microphone breakout board with Arduino! Create a volume unit meter with the ADMP401 or ICS-40180 to react to sound before building your sound visualizer!

Haptic Motor Driver Hook-Up Guide

January 19, 2017

Good vibes only. Getting started with the Haptic Motor Driver.

Wireless Joystick Hookup Guide

January 5, 2017

A hookup guide for the SparkFun Wireless Joystick Kit.

LIS3DH Hookup Guide

December 29, 2016

A guide to connecting the LIS3DH to a microcontroller and using the Arduino library.

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.

LilyPad Basics: E-Sewing

December 17, 2016

Learn how to use conductive thread with LilyPad components.

LilyMini ProtoSnap Hookup Guide

December 17, 2016

Explore the LilyPad LilyMini ProtoSnap and learn how to use it.

Powering LilyPad LED Projects

December 17, 2016

Learn how to calculate how many LEDs your LilyPad project can power and how long it will last.

Night-Light Pennant with LilyMini ProtoSnap

December 16, 2016

Use the pre-programmed LilyMini ProtoSnap to make an interactive pennant that reacts to ambient light levels.

Light-Up Plush

December 16, 2016

Craft a light-up plush with LilyPad LEDs controlled by pressing a button and sliding a switch in the creature's hands.

Illuminated Mask

December 16, 2016

Use LilyPad LEDs, a switched battery holder, and coin cell battery to make a fun light up mask for your next costume party.

Glowing Pin

December 16, 2016

Create a quick and easy piece of e-textile art using a LilyPad LED, battery holder, conductive thread, and coin cell battery.

MicroView Hookup Guide

December 15, 2016

A quick tutorial to get you up and running with your MicroView Development Board.

Mini GPS Shield Hookup Guide

December 15, 2016

A hookup guide for the SparkFun Mini GPS Shield.

Logging Data to Google Sheets with the Tessel 2

December 12, 2016

This project covers how to log data to Google Sheets two ways: using IFTTT with a web connection or a USB pen drive and "sneakernet" without.

Building an Autonomous Vehicle: The Batmobile

December 6, 2016

Documenting a six-month project to race autonomous Power Wheels at the SparkFun Autonomous Vehicle Competition (AVC) in 2016.

HIH-4030 Humidity Sensor Hookup Guide

December 6, 2016

Measure relative humidity with SparkFun's HIH-4030 Humidity Sensor Breakout.

Importing Custom Images into Eagle

December 5, 2016

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

9DoF Razor IMU M0 Hookup Guide

December 1, 2016

How to use and re-program the 9DoF Razor IMU M0, a combination of ATSAMD21 ARM Cortex-M0 microprocessor and MPU-9250 9DoF-in-a-chip.

MAX30105 Particle and Pulse Ox Sensor Hookup Guide

December 1, 2016

The SparkFun MAX30105 Particle Sensor is a flexible and powerful sensor enabling sensing of distance, heart rate, particle detection, even the blinking of an eye. Get ready. Set. Shine!

Red Box Robot Hookup Guide

November 23, 2016

Turn an iconic SparkFun red box into an obstacle-avoiding robot.

Internet of Things Experiment Guide

November 23, 2016

The SparkFun ESP8266 Thing Dev Board is a powerful development platform that lets you connect your hardware projects to the Internet. In this guide, we show you how to combine some simple components to remotely log temperature data, send yourself texts and control lights from afar.

Addressable LED Strip Hookup Guide

November 23, 2016

Add blinking lights to any holiday decoration with our Holiday Lights Kit using WS2812-based addressable LEDs!

nRF52832 Breakout Board Hookup Guide

November 17, 2016

How to hookup and program (in Arduino!) the nRF52832 Breakout -- a development board for Nordic's BLE/ANT/2.4GHz system on chip.

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.

LP55231 Breakout Board Hookup Guide

November 3, 2016

Get to know the LP55231 9-channel LED driver., and learn how to configure and program this surprisingly flexible IC.

PiRetrocade Assembly Guide

October 28, 2016

Build your very own retro gaming controller with a Raspberry Pi using the SparkFun PiRetrocade Kit!

ESP32 Thing Hookup Guide

October 27, 2016

An introduction to the ESP32 Thing's hardware features, and a primer on using the WiFi system-on-chip in Arduino.

TEMT6000 Ambient Light Sensor Hookup Guide

October 26, 2016

Bring the ability to detect light levels to any project with the SparkFun TEMT6000 Ambient Light Sensor Breakout.

Vox Imperium: Stormtrooper Voice Changer

October 25, 2016

Add some flair to your Imperial uniform by changing your voice using a Teensy 3.2 and Prop Shield.

MAG3110 Magnetometer Hookup Guide

October 24, 2016

Get started with the MAG3110 3-Axis Magnetometer and learn how to make your own digital compass that senses the Earth's magnetic fields.

MicroView Digital Compass

October 24, 2016

Build a portable digital compass using the SparkFun MicroView and the MAG3110 Magnetometer Breakout.

Sunrise Machine with the Tessel 2

October 13, 2016

Are you to sleepy to enjoy a sunrise on a brisk morning? Yeah...us too! No worries, with a Webcam, a Tessel 2 and a bit of code you can sleep in and catch the sunrise at your leisure with the Sunrise Machine.

Environmental Monitoring with the Tessel 2

October 13, 2016

Build an air-conditioner monitoring device to collect environment information and store it in the cloud.

ReconBot with the Tessel 2

October 13, 2016

Build a robot with the Tessel 2 that you can control from a browser on your phone or laptop.

Getting Started with the Tessel 2

October 12, 2016

Get your Tessel 2 up and running by blinking and LED, the Hello World of embedded electronics.

IoT Industrial Scale

October 10, 2016

What does a baby elephant weigh? How much impact force does a jump have? Answer these questions and more by building your very own IoT industrial scale using the SparkFun OpenScale.

DeadOn RTC Breakout Hookup Guide

October 6, 2016

An introduction to the DS3234 real-time clock (RTC), example wiring diagrams, and an Arduino library!

Real Time Clock Module Hookup Guide

October 6, 2016

A quick introduction to the DS1307 RTC module and a hookup guide for the SparkFun Breakout.

TB6612FNG Hookup Guide

September 29, 2016

Basic hookup guide for the TB6612FNG H-bridge motor driver to get your robot to start moving!

Proto Pedal Example: Analog Equalizer Project

September 22, 2016

Building a gyrator-based analog equalizer using the Proto Pedal.

Proto Pedal Example: Programmable Digital Pedal

September 22, 2016

Building a pedal around the Teensy 3.2 and Teensy Audio shield. Changing the effect in the pedal is as easy as uploading a new sketch!

Proto Pedal Chassis Hookup Guide

September 22, 2016

Prepare the Proto Pedal Chassis by drilling holes for controls and painting it.

Proto Pedal Assembly and Theory Guide

September 22, 2016

Getting started with the SparkFun Proto Pedal. We'll assemble the board, then discuss some of the details of the circuit.

Getting Started with the AutoDriver - v13

September 15, 2016

SparkFun's AutoDriver is a powerful tool for controlling stepper motors. Here's how to use it.

ADXL345 Hookup Guide

September 13, 2016

Get started with the ADXL345 Accelerometer.

9DoF Sensor Stick Hookup Guide

August 25, 2016

How to connect and use the SparkFun 9 Degrees of Freedom Sensor Stick with an Arduino

Multiplexer Breakout Hookup Guide

August 18, 2016

How to use the 74HC4051 multiplexer breakout to drive eight LEDs, read eight button inputs, or monitor eight potentiometers.

Pokémon Go Patches with EL Panels

August 3, 2016

Add a cloth stencil over EL panels to create glowing logos and designs.

MPU-9250 Hookup Guide

July 28, 2016

Get up and running with the MPU-9250 9-axis MEMS sensor.

Connectivity of the Internet of Things

July 27, 2016

An overview of the different protocols that can be used for the development of Internet of Things (IoT)-based projects.

Load Cell Amplifier HX711 Breakout Hookup Guide

July 22, 2016

A hookup guide for the HX711 load cell amplifier breakout board

OpenScale Applications and Hookup Guide

July 22, 2016

OpenScale allows you to have a permanent scale for industrial and biological applications. Learn how to use the OpenScale board to read and configure load cells.

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!

Electret Mic Breakout Board Hookup Guide

June 23, 2016

An introduction to working with the Electret Mic Breakout Board.

Battery Babysitter Hookup Guide

June 23, 2016

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

Hazardous Gas Monitor

June 17, 2016

Build a portable gas monitor to check for dangerous levels of hazardous gases.

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.

Beefcake Relay Control Hookup Guide

June 2, 2016

This is a guide for assembling and basic use of the Beefcake Relay Control board

Photon Remote Water Level Sensor

June 2, 2016

Learn how to build a remote water level sensor for a water storage tank and how to automate a pump based off the readings!

How to Build a Remote Kill Switch

May 31, 2016

Learn how to build a wireless controller to kill power when things go... sentient.

GPS Differential Vector Pointer

May 31, 2016

Use GPS to have two objects, a base and a target, point towards one another. This can be used to aim a directional antenna (or in the case of this project, a laser) from one object to the other object at a distance that is only limited by your ability to provide the base station with the target's GPS location.

Interactive LED Music Visualizer

May 31, 2016

Use an Arduino and the SparkFun Sound Detector to create visualizations on Addressable RGB LED strips.

Continuous Rotation Servo Trigger Hookup Guide

May 26, 2016

How to use the SparkFun Continuous Rotation Servo Trigger with continuous rotation servos, without any programming!

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.

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.

Getting Started with the SparkFun Inventor's Kit for Google's Science Journal App

May 24, 2016

This is a quick guide to using the Google Science Journal app with the Arduino 101 that's included and pre-programmed in the SIK for Google's Science Journal App.

Sparcade: Edison as a Web Server for Browser Games

May 19, 2016

Turn the Intel® Edison into an access point that serves a simple browser-based game. High scores from the game are displayed on a character LCD.

IOIO-OTG Hookup Guide

May 18, 2016

Get started using the IOIO-OTG with your Android device or PC.

Si7021 Humidity and Temperature Sensor Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

The Si7021 humidity and temperature sensor is an easy to use, digital, low-cost sensor to aid you in all your environment sensing needs.

PIR Motion Sensor Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

An overview of passive infrared (PIR) motion detecting sensors, and how to hook them up to an Arduino.

Flex Sensor Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

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

QRD1114 Optical Detector Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

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

Sensor Kit Resource Hub

May 5, 2016

An overview of each component in the SparkFun Sensor Kit, plus links to tutorials and other resources you'll need to hook them up.

Reed Switch Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

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

Force Sensitive Resistor Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

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

Photocell Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

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

Piezo Vibration Sensor Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

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

SoftPot Hookup Guide

May 5, 2016

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

Measuring Internal Resistance of Batteries

May 5, 2016

Classroom STEM activity that has students build a battery from a lemon, measure the open and closed circuit voltages, and determine the battery's internal resistance.

What is a Battery?

May 3, 2016

An overview of the inner workings of a battery and how it was invented.

RFM69HCW Hookup Guide

April 29, 2016

The RFM69HCW is an inexpensive transceiver that you can use to create all kinds of wireless projects. This tutorial will help you get started.

SIK Experiment Guide for the Arduino 101/Genuino 101 Board

April 28, 2016

This guide contains all the information you will need to explore the 21 circuits of the SparkFun Inventor's Kit for the Arduino 101/Genuino 101 Board.

Shapeoko Assembly Guide

April 21, 2016

A guide for attaching the Stepoko Add-on kit to a Shapeoko Mechanical kit.

Cherry MX Switch Breakout Hookup Guide

April 21, 2016

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

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.

Paper Circuit Pin

April 11, 2016

This quick craft project shows you how to create a circuit using copper tape instead of wire to light up an LED and make a wearable piece of e-craft art.

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.

OpenLog Hookup Guide

April 7, 2016

An introduction to working with the OpenLog data logger.

Blynk Board Washer/Dryer Alarm

March 31, 2016

How to configure the Blynk Board and app to notify you when your washer or dryer is done shaking.

Boss Alarm

March 30, 2016

Build a Boss Alarm that alerts you of anyone walking into your office and automatically changes your computer screen.

Getting Started with the SparkFun Blynk Board

March 25, 2016

How to provision a Blynk Board - get it connected to Wi-Fi and Blynk, so you can start Blynking!

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!

Blynk Board Bridge Widget Demo

March 25, 2016

A Blynk project that demonstrates how to use the Bridge widget to get two (or more) Blynk Boards to communicate.

Blynk Board Project Guide

March 25, 2016

A series of Blynk projects you can set up on the Blynk Board without ever re-programming it.

MyoWare Muscle Sensor Kit

March 17, 2016

Line of products to work with the MyoWare muscle sensor from Advancer Technologies.

ESP8266 Powered Propane Poofer

March 15, 2016

Learn how Nick Poole built a WiFi controlled fire-cannon using the ESP8266 Thing Dev Board!

SparkFun LED Array (8x7) Hookup Guide

March 10, 2016

Getting started with the Charlieplexed 8x7 LED array.

Photon Remote Temperature Sensor

March 1, 2016

Learn how to build your own Internet-connect, solar-powered temperature collection station using the Photon from Particle.

LED Cloud-Connected Cloud

February 22, 2016

Make an RGB colored cloud light! You can also control it from your phone, or hook up to the weather!

SparkFun USB to Serial UART Boards Hookup Guide

February 18, 2016

How to use the SparkFun FTDI based boards to program an Arduino and access another serial device over the hardware serial port, without unplugging anything!

PicoBuck Hookup Guide v12

February 18, 2016

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

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

BadgerHack: Gaming Add-On Kit

February 16, 2016

Make a Breakout clone with the BadgerHack Gaming Add-On Kit.

GPS Logger Shield Hookup Guide

February 11, 2016

How to assemble and hookup the SparkFun GPS Logger Shield. Never lose track of your Arduino again!

Using an LCD on the Edison

February 8, 2016

How to connect an LCD controlled by an ILI9341 driver to the Intel® Edison.

Interactive Smart Mirror

February 8, 2016

Build a smart mirror that displays weather data using the Intel® Edison.

RedStick Hookup Guide

January 28, 2016

Learn about the SparkFun RedStick, a USB thumb drive-sized Arduino-compatible development platform.

Electronic E-craft Terrarium

January 21, 2016

A guest tutorial on an Electronic Terrarium from the Performative Sculpture class of Parsons DT.

MP3 Trigger Hookup Guide V24

January 21, 2016

Incorporate sound into your next project easily with the MP3 Trigger.

Button Pad Hookup Guide

January 7, 2016

An introduction to matrix scanning, using the SparkFun 4x4 Button Pad.

Sound Reactive EL Wire Costume

December 31, 2015

Learn how to make your EL wire costumes sound reactive in this project tutorial.

SparkFun Inventor's Kit for Edison Experiment Guide

December 17, 2015

Learn how to harness the power of the Intel® Edison using JavaScript to post data to the cloud, control electronics from smartphones, and host web pages that interact with circuits.

FemtoBuck Constant Current LED Driver Hookup Guide v13

December 10, 2015

The FemtoBuck board is a high-efficiency, single-channel constant-current LED driver.

EL Sequencer/Escudo Dos Hookup Guide

December 3, 2015

A basic guide to getting started with the SparkFun EL Sequencer and Escudo Dos to control electroluminescence (EL) wire, panels, and strips.

Shapeoko Coaster Project

November 20, 2015

A step-by-step guide to cutting and engraving a coaster with the Shapeoko.

LilyPad Buzzer Hookup Guide

November 19, 2015

How to hook up the LilyPad Buzzer and make sound with code.

LilyPad Light Sensor Hookup Guide

November 19, 2015

How to hook up the LilyPad Light Sensor as well as some project ideas and example code.

Discrete Semiconductor Kit Identification Guide

November 19, 2015

Get to know the contents of the SparkFun Discrete Semiconductor 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.

MAX31855K Thermocouple Breakout Hookup Guide

November 5, 2015

Learn how to take readings with a k-type thermocouple using the MAX31855K cold-junction-compensated k-type thermocouple-to-digital converter.

ESP8266 Thing Development Board Hookup Guide

November 5, 2015

An overview of SparkFun's ESP8266 Thing Development Board - a development board for the Internet of Things.

LilyPad Reed Switch Hookup Guide

November 5, 2015

A guide to using the LilyPad Reed Switch breakout in your projects.

EL Wire Light-Up Dog Harness

October 30, 2015

Learn how to create a light-up dog harness using EL wire for when you need to take your four-legged friend for a walk in the dark.

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.

MLX90614 IR Thermometer Hookup Guide

October 29, 2015

How to use the MLX90614 or our SparkFun IR Thermometer Evaluation Board to take temperatures remotely, over short distances.

Preassembled 40-pin Pi Wedge Hookup Guide

October 29, 2015

Using the Preassembled Pi Wedge to prototype with the Raspberry Pi B+.

Raspberry gPIo

October 29, 2015

How to use either Python or C++ to drive the I/O lines on a Raspberry Pi.

Choosing a LilyPad Arduino for Your Project

October 27, 2015

Not sure which LilyPad Arduino is right for you? We'll discuss the features of each and help you decide.

Touch Potentiometer Hookup Guide

October 22, 2015

Learn how to use the SparkFun Touch Potentiometer to control lighting, volume or other inputs in your daily life.

SparkFun BME280 Breakout Hookup Guide

October 22, 2015

A guide for connecting the BME280 sensor to a microcontroller, and for using the SparkFun Arduino library.

SparkFun Line Follower Array Hookup Guide

October 15, 2015

Learn how to connect the RedBot Line-Following Sensor Bar to an Arduino-type microcontroller. Use the example sketches to read data from the bar, and try out a simple line-following algorithm.

LSM303C 6DoF Hookup Guide

October 8, 2015

A basic guide to get started with the LSM303C 6 Degrees of Freedom Breakout.

CAN-BUS Shield Hookup Guide

October 8, 2015

A basic introduction to working with the CAN-Bus shield.

MIDI Tutorial

October 8, 2015

Understanding the Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

Getting Started with OBD-II

October 8, 2015

A general guide to the OBD-II protocols used for communication in automotive and industrial applications.

MIDI Shield Hookup Guide

October 8, 2015

How to assemble the SparkFun MIDI Shield, plus several example projects.

Capacitor Kit Identification Guide

October 1, 2015

Learn how to identify and use a variety of capacitors using the SparkFun Capacitor Kit.

SX1509 I/O Expander Breakout Hookup Guide

September 24, 2015

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

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.

Light Up Pennant with E-Textiles

September 17, 2015

Show your school spirit, geek pride, or fandom with a light up pennant using the LilyTwinkle or LilyPad Arduino.

LilyPad Pixel Board Hookup Guide

September 16, 2015

Add changing colors to your wearable projects using LilyPad Pixel Boards.

SparkFun Inventor's Kit for Photon Experiment Guide

September 3, 2015

Dive into the world of the Internet of Things with the SparkFun Inventor's Kit for Photon.

Photon RedBoard Hookup Guide

August 27, 2015

Your guide to commissioning, tinkering, and programming the SparkFun Photon RedBoard.

Photon Development Guide

August 20, 2015

A guide to the online and offline Particle IDE's to help aid you in your Photon development.

LED Robot Pop Up Card

August 19, 2015

Craft a paper circuit pop up card with a cycling RGB LED, battery, and copper tape.

SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison - 9 Degrees of Freedom Block

August 19, 2015

A quick overview of the features of the 9 Degrees of Freedom Block.

LED Butterfly Pop Up Card

August 19, 2015

Craft an illuminated butterfly pop up card with copper tape, two LEDs, and a battery.

Making Music with the FreeSoC2

August 14, 2015

Create a synth keyboard with the FreeSoC2 from SparkFun.

LSM9DS1 Breakout Hookup Guide

August 13, 2015

A hookup guide for the LSM9DS1, which features a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, and 3-axis magnetometer. It's an IMU-in-a-chip!

8-Pin SOIC to DIP Adapter Hookup Guide

August 13, 2015

Assembly and application of the 8-pin SOIC-to-DIP adapter.

LSM6DS3 Breakout Hookup Guide

August 13, 2015

A hookup guide for the LSM6DS3, which features a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, and FIFO buffer.

MPU-9150 Hookup Guide

August 13, 2015

A basic guide to get started with the MPU-9150 9 Degrees of Freedom Breakout.

Si4703 FM Radio Receiver Hookup Guide

August 13, 2015

Add some tunes to your project with the Si4703 FM Radio Receiver Breakout.

Planning a Wearable Electronics Project

August 13, 2015

Tips and tricks for brainstorming and creating a wearables project.

microSD Sniffer Hookup Guide

August 4, 2015

A basic introduction to working with the microSD Sniffer.

Single Board Computer Benchmarks

July 31, 2015

How to set up different benchmarking programs on single board computers or computing modules and run them. The results for various generations are shown on the subsequent pages.

nRF24L01+ Transceiver Hookup Guide

July 30, 2015

A basic getting started guided to the SparkFun Transceiver Breakout - nRF24L01+

Adding a Timed Button to a Project

July 29, 2015

This tutorial will walk you through making a timed power controller for interactive projects. You will learn how to add an on button that will provide power to your project for an amount of time and then turn off again.

SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison - Pi Block

July 28, 2015

Tutorial on setting up and using the Pi Block for Intel Edison.

SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison - Dual H-Bridge

July 17, 2015

A quick overview of the features of the Dual H-bridge Block.

ESP8266 WiFi Shield Hookup Guide

July 16, 2015

Interface your Arduino with an ESP8266 to give it inexpensive access to your WiFi network and the Internet!

Building Large LED Installations

July 16, 2015

Learn what it takes to build large LED installations from planning to power requirements to execution.

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.

Photon OLED Shield Hookup Guide

July 2, 2015

The Photon OLED Shield has everything you need to add a small yet crisp OLED screen to your Photon projects. This hookup guide will show you how to get started.

Photon IMU Shield Hookup Guide

July 2, 2015

Learn how to use the SparkFun Photon IMU Shield for your Photon device which houses an on-board LSM9DS1 system-in-a-chip that houses a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, and 3-axis magnetometer.

Large Digit Driver Hookup Guide

June 25, 2015

Getting started guide for the Large Digit display driver board. This tutorial explains how to solder the module (backpack) onto the back of the large 7-segment LED display and run example code from an Arduino.

Electric Imp Breakout Hookup Guide

June 25, 2015

An electric imp HUG! Provides an overview of the imp card and breakout. Both hardware and firmware subjects are covered.

SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison - PWM

June 22, 2015

A quick overview of the features of the PWM Block.

Teensy XBee Adapter Hookup Guide

June 18, 2015

Getting started with the Teensy 3.1 / Teensy 3.2 and XBee. Establishing a serial link.

Teensy Arduino Shield Adapter Hookup Guide

June 18, 2015

A basic introduction and assembly guide for the SparkFun Teensy Arduino Shield Adapter.

Getting Started with the Teensy

June 18, 2015

Basic intro to the Teensy line of products, with soldering and programming suggestions.

Getting Started with Load Cells

June 11, 2015

A tutorial defining what a load cell is and how to use one.

How to Sell Your Widget on SparkFun

June 10, 2015

Have an awesome electronic widget that you want to get to market? We can help resell, or maybe even manufacture it! Find out how.

SD Cards and Writing Images

June 4, 2015

How to upload images to an SD card for Raspberry Pi, PCDuino, or your favorite SBC.

Assembly Guide for RedBot with Shadow Chassis

May 28, 2015

Assembly Guide for the RedBot Kit. This tutorial includes extra parts to follow to go along with the RedBot Inventor's Kit tutorial.

Experiment Guide for RedBot with Shadow Chassis

May 28, 2015

This Experiment Guide offers nine experiments to get you started with the SparkFun RedBot. This guide is designed for those who are familiar with our SparkFun Inventor's Kit and want to take their robotics knowledge to the next level.

Origami Paper Circuits

May 26, 2015

A quick tutorial to get you started in the world of light up origami flowers.

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.

Sound Page Guide

May 22, 2015

How to use the Lilypad MP3 Player and some Bare Conductive Paint to make a fandom silhouette sound trigger page.

ESP8266 Thing Hookup Guide

May 21, 2015

An overview of SparkFun's ESP8266 Thing - a development board for the Internet of...Things. This tutorial explains the circuitry driving the board, and how to get it up and running in an Arduino environment.

How to Solder: Castellated Mounting Holes

May 12, 2015

Tutorial showing how to solder castellated holes (or castellations). This might come in handy if you need to solder a module or PCB to another PCB. These castellations are becoming popular with integrated WiFi and Bluetooth modules.

Hackers in Residence: The Sound Visualizer Pt. 2

May 7, 2015

An addition to a previous project, this time using a PC and a custom Java app to create your own music visualizer using a RGB LED matrix.

SparkFun RFID Starter Kit Hookup Guide

May 5, 2015

Learn the basics of how to get started with the SparkFun RFID Starter Kit.

Easy Driver Hook-up Guide

May 5, 2015

Get started using the SparkFun Easy Driver for those project that need a little motion.

Bare Conductive Musical Painting

May 5, 2015

Learn how to make a musical painting using the Bare Conductive Touch Board and Conductive Paint.

Rotary Switch Potentiometer Hookup Guide

April 30, 2015

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

Light Up Silk Flower Corsage

April 20, 2015

Combine a silk flower with a built-in RGB LED and some LilyPad Switches to create a customizable accessory.

MP3 Player Shield Hookup Guide V15

April 6, 2015

How to get your Arduino groovin' using the MP3 Player Shield.

FLIR Lepton Hookup Guide

March 26, 2015

See the invisible world of infrared radiation using the FLIR Dev Kit and Raspberry Pi.

Servo Trigger Hookup Guide

March 26, 2015

How to use the SparkFun Servo Trigger to control a vast array of Servo Motors, without any programming!

MicroSD Shield and SD Breakout Hookup Guide

March 25, 2015

Adding external storage in the form of an SD or microSD card can be a great addition to any project. Learn how in this hookup guide for the microSD shield and SD breakout boards.

Hackers in Residence: The Sound Visualizer

March 23, 2015

A fun project that uses a Raspberry Pi and a custom Java app to create your own sound visualizer using a RGB LED matrix.

Wake-on-Shake Hookup Guide

March 13, 2015

A basic hookup guide for getting started with the SparkFun Wake-on-Shake. The board gives you the ability to put your project into hibernation until bumped or shaken awake using the ADXL362 accelerometer. This means you can design projects meant to stay inert for long periods of time, possibly even several years, depending on the battery type used to power the project.

Exploring XBees and XCTU

March 12, 2015

How to set up an XBee using your computer, the X-CTU software, and an XBee Explorer interface board.

GPS Shield Hookup Guide

March 9, 2015

This tutorial shows how to get started with the SparkFun GPS Shield and read and parse NMEA data with a common GPS receiver.

SparkFun Inventor's Kit for MicroView

February 27, 2015

The SparkFun Inventor's Kit for MicroView follows our tried and true inventor's kit model, bringing you 11 simple yet fun experiments to introduce you to the SparkFun MicroView.

Big Easy Driver Hookup Guide

February 13, 2015

How to get started with the SparkFun Big Easy Driver.

SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison - OLED Block

February 13, 2015

A quick overview of the features of the OLED Block for the Edison.

VL6180 Hookup Guide

February 12, 2015

Get started with your VL6180 based sensor or the VL6180 breakout board.

Light-Up Valentine Cards

January 27, 2015

Light up your love with paper circuits - no soldering required!

Hacker in Residence: The Harmonic Skew Zoetrope

January 27, 2015

Check out Hacker in Residence, Jesse's awesome Harmonic Skew Zoetrope in this project tutorial.

LilyTiny Plush Monster

January 27, 2015

Craft a stuffed monster while exploring the LilyTiny preprogrammed microcontroller. This is a project based on the Plush Monster Activity created at MIT's High-Low Tech Lab by Emily Lovell, Jie Qi, and Natalie Freed.

Alphanumeric GPS Wall Clock

January 26, 2015

This is a GPS controlled clock - a clock you truly never have to set! Using GPS and some formulas, we figure out what day of the week and if we are in or out of daylight savings time.

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.

LilyPad Simple Power Hookup Guide

January 15, 2015

A basic guide for getting started using the LilyPad Simple Power with LiPo batteries.

BC118 BLE Mate 2 Hookup Guide

January 15, 2015

Hooking up and using the BLE Mate 2, which uses the BC118 BLE module from BlueCreations.

How to Use a Multimeter

January 9, 2015

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

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++!

General Guide to SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison

January 5, 2015

A general guide for using SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison in your next project!

Installing libmraa on Ubilinux for Edison

January 5, 2015

libmraa is a tool kit for interacting with various Intel single board computers.

RedBoard Santa Trap

December 25, 2014

A fun holiday project to try for anyone looking to catch Santa on Christmas!

Actobotics Basic Differential Platform

December 22, 2014

Get started with Actobotics with this simple vehicle. Then expand and customize it for your own evil robot empire.

21st Century Fashion Kit: Inflation

December 10, 2014

Learn how to use a blower and thin sheet plastic to create designs that change shape and volume!

Edison Getting Started Guide

December 5, 2014

An introduction to the Intel® Edison. Then a quick walk through on interacting with the console, connecting to WiFi, and doing...stuff.

Loading Debian (Ubilinux) on the Edison

December 5, 2014

How to load a Debian distribution (specifically Ubilinux) onto the Edison.

Decade Resistance Box Hookup Guide

December 4, 2014

How to assemble the decade resistance box, then use it as a design and measurement tool.

Let It Glow Holiday Cards

November 20, 2014

Craft a glowing card for friends and family this holiday season with paper circuits - no soldering required!

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).

APDS-9960 RGB and Gesture Sensor Hookup Guide

November 6, 2014

Getting started guide for the Avago APDS-9960 color, proximity, and gesture sensor.

21st Century Fashion Kit: Electrochromatic Circuits

November 5, 2014

Diana Eng walks you through a magically appearing design made with an thermochromatic pigment.

Benchtop Power Board Kit Hookup Guide

November 3, 2014

Need more power? This Benchtop ATX Power Supply Kit should help give you the boost you need to power those energy hungry projects.

Micro OLED Breakout Hookup Guide

October 30, 2014

Learn how to hook up the Micro OLED breakout to an Arduino. Then draw pixels, shapes, text and bitmaps all over it!

Cackling Apple Head Witch

October 30, 2014

Make your own cackling apple head witch to scare all of the trick or treaters this Halloween!

Humidity-sensing LED Flower

October 28, 2014

How about that humidity? This tutorial shows how to add sensing capability to the 21st Century Fashion Kit's RGB flower project.

Sunny Buddy Solar Charger V13 Hookup Guide

October 13, 2014

How to hookup the Sunny Buddy: a solar-powered, MPPT (peak-power tracking), LiPo battery charger.

Hackers in Residence - Sound and Motion Reactivity for Wearables

October 3, 2014

How to consciously wear light-up and and sound reactive clothing.

FTDI SmartBasic Hookup Guide

October 3, 2014

How to use an FTDI SmartBasic Board to program an Arduino and access another serial device over the hardware serial port, without unplugging anything!

Twinkling Trick or Treat Bag

October 2, 2014

Make a light up goodie bag with conductive thread, LEDs, and the LilyTwinkle!

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.

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.

MCP4725 Digital to Analog Converter Hookup Guide

September 11, 2014

This is a quick hookup to help you get started with the MCP4725 DAC breakout board. This device allows you to send analog signal from a digital source, like the I2C interface on the Arduino microcontroller.

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.

SparkPunk Sequencer Theory and Applications Guide

August 14, 2014

Examine the inner workings of the SparkPunk Sequencer, then explore some modifications and alternate applications.

SparkPunk Sequencer Hookup Guide

August 14, 2014

How to assemble and use the SparkPunk Sequencer kit.

Hackers in Residence - Cosmic Ray Detector

August 11, 2014

Learn how to detect cosmic rays with this simple and cheap detector, built by Hacker in Residence Pete Marchetto.

HMC6343 3-axis Compass Hookup Guide

August 7, 2014

How to hook the HMC6343 -- a high-end, tilt-compensated compass module -- up to an Arduino. Never get lost again!

RGB Panel Jumbotron

August 5, 2014

This tutorial will show you how to combine a webcam, a 32x32 RGB LED panel, and a Teensy 3.1 to stream video from the webcam, pixelate it, and display it on the LED panel - LIVE.

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.

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.

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.

MS5803-14BA Pressure Sensor Hookup Guide

July 24, 2014

Breakout of MS5803-14BA Pressure Sensor to measure the absolute pressure of the fluid around them to determine altitude, water depth, or any other tasks that require an accurate pressure reading. This includes air, water, and anything else that acts like a viscous fluid.

ADXL337 and ADXL377 Accelerometer Hookup Guide

July 17, 2014

How to get started using both the ADXL337 and ADXL377 3-axis accelerometers with analog outputs.

AD8232 Heart Rate Monitor Hookup Guide

July 17, 2014

Learn how to create your very own heart rate monitor.

Pocket AVR Programmer Hookup Guide

July 7, 2014

Skip the bootloader and load your program directly onto an AVR with the AVR Pocket Programmer.

Transistors

July 1, 2014

A crash course in bi-polar junction transistors. Learn how transistors work and in which circuits we use them.

Hackers in Residence - The ElectricBone

June 25, 2014

Drum machines and keyboards have been the standard for making digital music, but how do you make electronic music if you're trained to play the trombone? One of our Hackers in Residence, Carlos Mello, took it upon himself to find a solution to that very question.

Soil moisture-sensing by hacking a solar light

June 19, 2014

How to take a solar powered pathway light from a hardware store and make it into a crude soil moisture sensor.

SparkPunk Hookup Guide

June 12, 2014

How to assemble and modify the SparkPunk Sound Generator kit.

ISL29125 RGB Light Sensor Hookup Guide

June 12, 2014

A guide to help you integrate the ISL29125 RGB light sensor breakout board into your electronic projects.

MMA8452Q Accelerometer Breakout Hookup Guide

June 11, 2014

How to get started using the MMA8452Q 3-axis accelerometer -- a solid, digital, easy-to-use acceleration sensor.

Light-Up Father's Day Card

June 9, 2014

Light up your dad's day with this electronic pop-up card!

XBee Shield Hookup Guide

June 5, 2014

How to get started with an XBee Shield and Explorer. Create a remote-control Arduino!

Teardown: DDC Mobile X900

June 3, 2014

Nate picked up a bricktastic phone in China. Let's take it apart!!!

WAV Trigger Hookup Guide V11

May 30, 2014

An introduction to being able to trigger music and sound effects based on buttons, sensors, or switches using the WAV Trigger board.

Logomatic Hookup Guide

May 29, 2014

Basic introduction and hook-up guide for the SparkFun Logomatic.

How LEDs are Made

May 28, 2014

We take a tour of a LED manufacturer and learn how PTH 5mm LEDs are made for SparkFun.

How Chip-On-Boards are Made

May 28, 2014

COB or chip-on-board is a low cost way of soldering an IC to a PCB. Checkout this tutorial to see how it is done!

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!

Are You Okay? Widget

May 23, 2014

Use an Electric Imp and accelerometer to create an "Are You OK" widget. A cozy piece of technology your friend or loved one can nudge to let you know they're OK from half-a-world away.

BeagleBone Black Proto Cape Hookup Guide

May 22, 2014

Learn how to get started making your own capes for the BeaglBone Black using the BeagleBone Proto Cape.

MiniGen Hookup Guide

May 22, 2014

Using the MiniGen, SparkFun's Arduino Pro Mini signal generator shield

Customizing LilyPad LED Colors

May 19, 2014

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

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.

ELasto-Nightlight

April 24, 2014

Fear the dark no longer with this ELastoLite nightlight.

Interactive Hanging LED Array

April 10, 2014

Learn how we converted 72 lightbulbs into an interactive LED array for our conference room.

Uh-Oh Battery Level Indicator Hookup Guide

April 9, 2014

Learn how to assemble and use the TL431 in the Uh-Oh Battery Level Indicator Kit.

Arduino Wireless Communication via the Electric Imp

April 8, 2014

How to communicate between an Electric Imp and Arduino using serial.

Teardown: Misfit Shine Activity Tracker

April 3, 2014

A quick tear down of the popular fitness tracking device, the Misfit Shine.

LogicBlocks Experiment Guide

March 31, 2014

Experiments guide for the LogicBlocks kit. Build oscillators, latches, multiplexers and more with the LogicBlocks.

LogicBlocks & Digital Logic Introduction

March 31, 2014

Introducing fundamental digital logic concepts and LogicBlocks

Hexadecimal

March 20, 2014

How to interpret hex numbers, and how to convert them to/from decimal and binary.

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.

MYST Linking Book

March 18, 2014

Create your own Linking Book from the classic computer game, MYST

Binary Blaster Assembly Guide

March 13, 2014

Learn how to assemble and play the Binary Blaster Game from SparkFun Electronics.

ML8511 UV Sensor Hookup Guide

March 13, 2014

Get up and running quickly with this simple to use UV sensor.

HID Control of a Web Page

March 12, 2014

Learn how to move a slider on a webpage and make a motor spin. We connect HTML and HID to read sensors and interface with the physical world.

Build an Auduino Step Sequencer

March 6, 2014

Make a Step Sequencer using an Arduino, the Auduino firmware, and a handful of hardware.

OBD II UART Hookup Guide

March 4, 2014

How to start working with the OBD-II Uart board.

LSM9DS0 Hookup Guide

February 27, 2014

How to assemble, connect to, and use the LSM9DS0 -- an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer all-in-one.

Large Solderable Breadboard Hookup Guide

February 27, 2014

This breadboard has a couple of tricks up it's sleeve!

Sound Detector Hookup Guide

February 27, 2014

The Sound Detector is a microphone with a binary output. This guide explains how it works and how you can use it in your projects.

Hackers in Residence - Hacking MindWave Mobile

February 26, 2014

Review, teardown, and hacking tutorial for the MindWave Mobile, a $99 commercial grade EEG sensor.

How to Use an Oscilloscope

February 25, 2014

How to work the dials and buttons on an oscilloscope, and a glossary of the o-scope lexicon.

Wireless Arduino Programming with Electric Imp

February 24, 2014

Reprogram your Arduino from anywhere in the world using the Tomatoless Boots wireless bootloader with the Electric Imp.

USB Type A Female Breakout Hookup Guide

February 13, 2014

An above-and-beyond example using the USB Type A Female Breakout board.

Simon Splosion Wireless

February 13, 2014

This is a tutorial demonstrating one of many techniques to "hack" the Simon Says. We will highlight the technique to take your Simon Says Wireless.

WiFly Shield Hookup Guide

February 4, 2014

How to get the WiFly Shield up and running.

Understanding the BC127 Bluetooth Module

January 31, 2014

SparkFun has two boards using the BC127; here's what you need to know to use them.

Das Blinken Top Hat

January 22, 2014

A top hat decked out with LED strips makes for a heck of a wedding gift.

Dot/Bar Display Driver Hookup Guide

January 16, 2014

How to hook up the LM3914 or LM3916 to drive a 10-LED display with a lone analog signal.

Reaction Timer

January 16, 2014

Demonstrate mental chronometry with this simple reaction timer!

Nest Protect Teardown

January 15, 2014

See the inner-workings of the new Nest Protect in this SparkFun Teardown.

Recreating Classic Electronics Kits

January 13, 2014

100-in-1? 500-in-1? It's up to you when you build your own Science Fair style experiment board!

pcDuino Crowdsource Kiosk

January 9, 2014

Getting People to do your job for you (badly) with some chocolate and a pcDuino!

RedBoard Hookup Guide

January 7, 2014

How to get your RedBoard up-and-blinking!

Vernier Photogate

January 7, 2014

Vernier Photogate Timer -- using the Serial Enabled LCD Kit.

Setting up Raspbian (and DOOM!)

December 19, 2013

How to load a Raspberry Pi up with Raspbian -- the most popular Pi Linux distribution. Then download, compile, install and run the classic: Doom.

Copernicus II Hookup Guide

December 18, 2013

A guide for how to get started with the Copernicus II GPS module.

Quick Illuminated Boxes

December 16, 2013

A quick tutorial to show you how to add LEDs to gift or holiday bags or boxes.

Motors and Selecting the Right One

December 12, 2013

Learn all about different kinds of motors and how they operate.

RGB Panel Hookup Guide

December 12, 2013

Make bright, colorful displays using the 32x16, 32x32, and 32x64 RGB LED matrix panels. This hookup guide shows how to hook up these panels and control them with an Arduino.

Constant Innovation in Quality Control

December 11, 2013

In this article, we share our recent advancements in quality control. Along with making our tests more thorough, we have also made them more efficient and robust.

MPL3115A2 Pressure Sensor Hookup Guide

December 5, 2013

Getting started with the MPL3115A2 Pressure Sensor.

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.

Simon Tilts Assembly Guide

December 3, 2013

This tutorial will guide you through assembling your Simon Tilts PTH Kit.

Serial Graphic LCD Hookup

December 3, 2013

Learn how to use the Serial Graphic LCD.

XBee WiFi Hookup Guide

November 21, 2013

An overview of Digi's WiFi XBees, and a quick how-to on getting them connected and interfacing with the cloud.

INA169 Breakout Board Hookup Guide

November 20, 2013

How to interface with the INA169 Breakout Board to measure current.

Raspberry Pi Twitter Monitor

November 19, 2013

How to use a Raspberry Pi to monitor Twitter for hashtags and blink an LED.

Graphic LCD Hookup Guide

November 18, 2013

How to add some flashy graphics to your project with a 84x48 monochrome graphic LCD.

ELastoLite Hookup Guide

November 14, 2013

Everything you need to setup a circuit using ELastoLite super flexible EL Panels from Oryon Technologies.

Pro Micro & Fio V3 Hookup Guide

November 8, 2013

An overview of the Atmega32U4-based Pro Micro and FioV3, how to install it, and how to use it with Arduino.

Data Types in Arduino

November 6, 2013

Learn about the common data types and what they signify in the Arduino programming environment.

PCA9306 Level Translator Hookup Guide

October 31, 2013

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

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!

Bi-Directional Logic Level Converter Hookup Guide

October 25, 2013

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

ITG-3200 Hookup Guide

October 22, 2013

Learn how to interact with the ITG-3200 Triple Axis Gyroscope.

Digital Logic

October 3, 2013

A primer on digital logic concepts in hardware and software.

LDK Experiment 6: Microcontroller Circuits

October 2, 2013

Learn how to build a simple microcontroller circuit using the pre-programmed LilyTiny Board

IR Control Kit Hookup Guide

October 2, 2013

How to get the most out of the infrared receivers and transmitters included in the IR Control Kit.

LDK Experiment 2: Multiple LED Circuits

October 2, 2013

Design both parallel and series e-textile circuits with multiple LEDs!

LDK Experiment 5: Make Your Own Switch

October 2, 2013

Learn to create and integrate your own handmade switch into an e-textile circuit.

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.

LED Light Bar Hookup

September 24, 2013

A quick overview of SparkFun's LED light bars, and some examples to show how to hook them up.

How to Solder: Through-Hole Soldering

September 19, 2013

This tutorial covers everything you need to know about through-hole soldering.

Hackers In Residence - The Tethered Quad

September 18, 2013

Our first-ever "Hackers in Residence" Tara Tiger Brown and Sean Bonner created a quadcopter that stays tethered to the ground. Here's how they did it!

Using the BlueSMiRF

September 16, 2013

How to get started using the BlueSMiRF and Bluetooth Mate Silvers.

Serial Terminal Basics

September 9, 2013

This tutorial will show you how to communicate with your serial devices using a variety of terminal emulator applications.

How to Install and Setup EAGLE

September 5, 2013

Not just how to download and install EAGLE, but how to install the SparkFun EAGLE Libraries and scripts.

Using EAGLE: Schematic

September 5, 2013

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

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.

Alternating Current (AC) vs. Direct Current (DC)

September 5, 2013

Learn the differences between AC and DC, the history, different ways to generate AC and DC, and examples of applications.

ProtoSnap LilyPad Development Simple Hookup Guide

September 5, 2013

Interested in getting into LilyPad? Or maybe it's Arduino that tickles your fancy? Just want to add a little white-blinky-LED zest to your vest? All of the above? The ProtoSnap LilyPad Simple is a great tool to explore any of these subjects.

My Drunk Kitchen Apron

September 5, 2013

A fun project that uses the LilyPad MP3 trigger. This apron will dispense helpful kitchen advice and humor from the host of My Drunk Kitchen, Hannah Harto!

Using the Arduino Pro Mini 3.3V

September 5, 2013

This tutorial is your guide to all things Arduino Pro Mini. It explains what it is, what it's not, and how to get started using it.

RN-52 Bluetooth Hookup Guide

August 29, 2013

A hookup guide to get you started with the RN-52 Audio Bluetooth Module Breakout Board.

Bluetooth Basics

August 26, 2013

An overview of the Bluetooth wireless technology.

Shift Registers

August 23, 2013

An introduction to shift registers and potential uses.

Series and Parallel Circuits

August 20, 2013

An introduction into series and parallel circuits.

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.

Dungeons and Dragons Dice Gauntlet

August 13, 2013

A playful, geeky tutorial for a leather bracer that uses a LilyPad Arduino, LilyPad accelerometer, and seven segment display to roll virtual 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, and 100 side dice for gaming.

MetaWatch Teardown and Arduino Hookup

August 13, 2013

Tearing down the nifty Bluetooth-enabled MetaWatch. Then building an Arduino sketch to control it.

Using the Serial 7-Segment Display

August 13, 2013

How to quickly and easily set up the Serial 7-Segment Display and the Serial 7-Segment Display Shield.

Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

August 12, 2013

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

RedBoard vs. Uno

August 6, 2013

In this tutorial we discuss the differences and similarities between the RedBoard and the Arduino Uno (SMD and PTH). The development platforms

WS2812 Breakout Hookup Guide

July 24, 2013

How to create a pixel string with the WS2812 and WS2812B addressable LEDs!

Analog vs. Digital

July 18, 2013

This tutorial covers the concept of analog and digital signals, as they relate to electronics.

Integrated Circuits

July 15, 2013

An introduction to integrated circuits (ICs). Electronics' ubiquitous black chips. Includes a focus on the variety of IC packages.

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!

Metric Prefixes and SI Units

July 11, 2013

This tutorial will explain how to use and convert between the standard metric prefixes.

I2C

July 8, 2013

An introduction to I2C, one of the main embedded communications protocols in use today.

Leap Motion Teardown

June 27, 2013

Let's see what's inside the amazing new Leap Motion input device!

Electric Power

June 26, 2013

An overview of electric power, the rate of energy transfer. We'll talk definition of power, watts, equations, and power ratings. 1.21 gigawatts of tutorial fun!

Capacitors

June 19, 2013

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

Polarity

June 14, 2013

An introduction to polarity in electronic components. Discover what polarity is, which parts have it, and how to identify it.

What is Electricity?

June 13, 2013

We can see electricity in action on our computers, lighting our houses, as lightning strikes in thunderstorms, but what is it? This is not an easy question, but this tutorial will shed some light on it!

How to Install FTDI Drivers

June 4, 2013

How to install drivers for the FTDI Basic on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Logic Levels

June 3, 2013

Learn the difference between 3.3V and 5V devices and logic levels.

Si4707 Hookup Guide

May 29, 2013

Instructions on hooking up to and communicating with the Si4707 Weather Band Radio Breakout using an Arduino.

Mario the Magician's Magical Lapel Flower

May 23, 2013

A guest tutorial from the astonishingly talented Mario the Magician showing how to put together your own servo-controlled lapel flower.

How to Use a Breadboard

May 14, 2013

Welcome to the wonderful world of breadboards. Here we will learn what a breadboard is and how to use one to build your very first circuit.

Firefly Jar Assembly Guide

May 14, 2013

Make a soft circuit firefly jar with conductive thread, LEDs, and the LilyTwinkle!

Diodes

May 9, 2013

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

Getting Started with the LilyPad MP3 Player

May 8, 2013

The LilyPad MP3 Player is an amazing little board that contains almost everything you need to play audio files. You can use it to create all kinds of noisy projects, from MP3 hoodies to talking teddy bears. Your imagination is the only limit! This tutorial will help you get started.

Button and Switch Basics

May 7, 2013

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.

Connecting Arduino to Processing

April 25, 2013

Send serial data from Arduino to Processing and back - even at the same time!

Resistors

April 1, 2013

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.

Using OpenSegment

April 1, 2013

How to hook up and use the OpenSegment display shield. The OpenSegment is the big brother to the Serial 7-Segment Display. They run on the same firmware, however the OpenSegment is about twice as big.

Accelerometer Basics

March 28, 2013

A quick introduction to accelerometers, how they work, and why they're used.

Installing Arduino IDE

March 26, 2013

A step-by-step guide to installing and testing the Arduino software on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Creating a Humidor Control Box

March 13, 2013

Because some of our boards need to be re-humidified after reflow, we decided to make our own humidor. This tutorial will focus on how to model a project in 3D and then fabricate it using a CNC routing machine.

The Uncertain 7-Cube

March 8, 2013

The Uncertain 7-Cube is a non-committal, less-than-helpful, but also entirely honest fortune teller. Simply ask it a yes or no question, give it a nudge, and the 7-Cube will dutifully inform you that it doesn’t have all the facts and doesn’t feel comfortable making a guess.

Electronics Assembly

March 1, 2013

How SparkFun assembles SMD electronics.

Pulse Width Modulation

February 27, 2013

An introduction to the concept of Pulse Width Modulation.

What is an Arduino?

February 26, 2013

What is this 'Arduino' thing anyway? This tutorials dives into what an Arduino is and along with Arduino projects and widgets.

Soft Circuits: LED Feelings Pizza

February 13, 2013

Here we will learn how to say how you feel with pizza. Electric pizza.

Voltage Dividers

February 8, 2013

Turn a large voltage into a smaller one with voltage dividers. This tutorial covers: what a voltage divider circuit looks like and how it is used in the real world.

Working with Wire

February 8, 2013

How to strip, crimp, and work with wire.

Light

February 7, 2013

Light is a useful tool for the electrical engineer. Understanding how light relates to electronics is a fundamental skill for many projects.

LDK Experiment 1: Lighting Up a Basic Circuit

February 7, 2013

The first experiment in the LilyPad Design Kit series. In this exercise, you will learn how a basic e-textiles circuit works, and light up a sewable LED using a coin cell battery holder and conductive thread.

Analog to Digital Conversion

February 7, 2013

The world is analog. Use analog to digital conversion to help digital devices interpret the world.

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?

IR Communication

February 7, 2013

This tutorial explains how common infrared (IR) communication works, as well as shows you how to set up a simple IR transmitter and receiver with an Arduino.

How to Power a Project

February 7, 2013

A tutorial to help figure out the power requirements of your project.

Battery Technologies

February 6, 2013

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

Voltage, Current, Resistance, and Ohm's Law

February 6, 2013

Learn about Ohm's Law, one of the most fundamental equations in all electrical engineering.

What is a Circuit?

February 6, 2013

Every electrical project starts with a circuit. Don't know what a circuit is? We're here to help.

Gyroscope

February 1, 2013

Gyroscopes measure the speed of rotation around an axis and are an essential part in determines ones orientation in space.

Pull-up Resistors

February 1, 2013

A quick introduction to pull-up resistors - whey they're important, and how/when to use them.

Heating Pad Hand Warmer Blanket

January 21, 2013

DIY Project Idea: Create a custom hand warmer blanket using heating pads.

MP3 Player Shield Music Box

January 21, 2013

Music Box Project based on the Dr. Who TARDIS.

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.

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

January 14, 2013

SPI is commonly used to connect microcontrollers to peripherals such as sensors, shift registers, and SD cards.

Installing an Arduino Library

January 11, 2013

How do I install a custom Arduino library? It's easy! This tutorial will go over how to install an Arduino library using the Arduino Library Manager. For libraries not linked with the Arduino IDE, we will also go over manually installing an Arduino library.

Using GitHub

December 30, 2012

How to use repositories and GitHub for version control.

Serial Communication

December 18, 2012

Asynchronous serial communication concepts: packets, signal levels, baud rates, UARTs and more!

GPS Basics

December 14, 2012

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is an engineering marvel that we all have access to for a relatively low cost and no subscription fee. With the correct hardware and minimal effort, you can determine your position and time almost anywhere on the globe.

PCB Basics

December 14, 2012

What exactly IS a PCB? This tutorial will breakdown what makes up a PCB and some of the common terms used in the PCB world.

Designing PCBs: Advanced SMD

December 10, 2012

Advanced Eagle layout for PCBs with SMD devices.

Nest Thermostat Teardown

November 29, 2011

See the inner-workings of the most advanced thermostat to hit the market, the Nest.

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 Assembly Guide

January 20, 2011

No matter what flavor of the Simon Says Through-hole Soldering Kit you've purchased, this tutorial is here to guide you through the entire build process.

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. :)

Heartbeat Straight Jacket

June 4, 2009

An EL project that displays one person's heartbeat on another person's costume.
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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.