Tutorials

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.
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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.