Search results for: 'Anki Cozmo'
Effective Ways To Detect People Using Common Sensors
In this guide, we'll look at common methods of detecting people and some of the different sensors you can use to detect people in your next project.Sensors covered in this guide: PIR Sensor RCWL-0516 Microwave Radar SEN0395 mmWave Rad...
DC Motor Control with an Arduino
Electronics is fun, so far we have covered off on communicating between devices, making LEDs flash and LCD screen operation. However using electricity to control some form of movement in your project is a fun and interesting aspect to inves...
Getting Started with YOLO Object and Animal Recognition on the Raspberry Pi
Have you ever wanted to dive into computer vision? How about on a low-power and portable piece of hardware like a Raspberry Pi? Well, in this guide we will be setting up some with the YOLO vision model family, OpenCV and the COCO object l...
Using Relays with Particle
So, you want to control things with your Particle Photon and/or Electron do you? Well, a relay is a perfect way to do that. Whilst there are many ways to control an electrical signal from digital logic such as transistors and optoisolators,...
Getting Started with Arduino Using the Sparkfun RedBoard
Welcome to the Sparkfun Inventors Kit (SIK) Ver 4.0 tutorial page. In this beginner’s tutorial, we will explore the basics of microcontroller programming and circuit electronics through a series of projects that are provided in the&nb...
Servos, Steppers or Solenoids? | Choosing an Actuator to Move Your Project
In this guide, we go over some common ways of adding motion to your project with actuators such as stepper motors, servos and linear actuators, to help you choose which one is most appropriate for your situation. The start of this guide c...
Raspberry Pi 5 Vs Raspberry Pi 4 Model B | Comparison & Benchmarking
The Raspberry Pi 5 is here and one of the biggest questions is, how does it stack up against the previous Pi 4? Well, we already have one to take a look at so let’s run some benchmarks and compare the two.(We also have another articl...
How to Build Internet-Connected Electronics Projects
What do we mean when we talk about the "Internet of Things"? Mostly we're talking about tiny computers that have access to the internet and do some useful work. Unlike the computers we're used to holding in our hands, they don't have a touc...
How to add mmWave Radar to a Pico | Detect and Track Humans
In this guide, we will be learning how to use the RD-03D radar sensor with a Raspberry Pi Pico so you can detect and track humans in your next project. We will be looking at how it operates and what you will get out of it, how to con...
Motor Drivers vs. Motor Controllers
If you’ve ever built a robot with wheels, or any motorised parts really, you’ll have come across the issue of needing to drive it from your microcontroller. Because a standard chip is only able to output a small amount of curren...
Identify Electrical Connectors
There are a ton of electrical wire connectors, too many to elaborate on in a single guide, however there are a couple of connectors that as a maker you will come across. Often when starting your way into the electronics world all you need ...
How to use a Digital Multimeter
A digital multimeter (DMM) is one of the most common tools on a Maker's bench. We use DMMs to take electrical measurements in a fast and relatively accurate way. The reason we call it a multimeter is because they can take multiple types mea...
Effective Ways To Measure Distance In Maker Projects
In this guide, we’re going to explore some of the most effective ways to measure distance in maker projects. Whether you’re working on a robotics project, an automatic door, or just trying to figure out how far away the fridge ...
Raspberry Pi Generations Up To 2020
It is long overdue. Time for a table with all the info comparing every generation and style of Raspberry Pi from the genesis to now! We have come a long way to have our hands on the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 8 GB so it is time we give you the ...
Prototyping a Circuit: Methods and Tools
Ah prototyping, the backbone of maker electronics, well really all electronics. Any successful device, product, or idea doesn’t just appear as a finished concept, it goes through stages of product and one of those is prototyping. In f...
Detect and Track Humans with mmWave Radar on an Arduino
In this guide, we are going to be learning how to use the Rd-03D radar sensor to detect and track humans in your next Arduino project. We will be looking at how it works and what you can expect from it, how to wire up and code your Arduino...
Our Mooshimeter Review
We've been familiar with the Mooshimeter for a while now, we've got tutorials on Getting up and running with a Mooshimeter, how to datalog with your mooshimeter, taking voltage/current measurements with multi-meters and finally a whole arti...
Getting Started With Relays | Examples with Raspberry Pi Pico
In this guide, we'll learn what a Relay is, why we might use one, how to choose a Relay, and finally how to use one with a Raspberry Pi Pico. To follow along you'll need: A 5V SPDT Relay - I'll be using a 5V Single Channel Relay M...
Analog Electronics Crash Course
Welcome to our beginners tutorial on analog electronics. Living in the digital age that we do, it’s easy to disregard the world of discrete analog components, however these concepts form the basis for everything from your mobile phon...
Setting up Your Retroflag NESPi Case with a Heatsink and Cooling Fan
By now, you’ve probably seen the fancy new Raspberry Pi cases we’ve got available; the NESPi case by Retroflag. Designed and styled specifically for retro gaming systems such as RetroPie, it offers everything you need to turn yo...
Getting Started with Servos | Examples with Raspberry Pi Pico
In this guide, we'll learn what a Servo is, when we might use one, how to choose a Servo, and finally how to use one with a Raspberry Pi Pico. To follow along you'll need: A Positional Servo, such as the Feetech FS90 Micro Servo A Con...
Choosing Your Next LiPo Battery
As technology gets smaller and more powerful, wearables and portable devices are becoming more common in our everyday lives. Makers are looking to make projects portable and with that comes the need for high capacity batteries that are reli...
All the Operators in Python! Precedence too
To fully equip ourselves on our Python odyssey we will take a leap into Operators and their Precedence. Python is undoubtedly a Homeric programming language, epic in its possible applications and vast in its potentials. Operators ...
How to use a RTC With an Arduino UNO R3 to Create an Accurate Clock (LCD Screen and Nixie Tubes)
Today we're pulling out the breadboard, getting up and running with an RTC module then finishing up by making ourselves a clock that will keep the correct time even when we pull the plug. To achieve this we will be combining three main com...
Getting Started with Voltage Dividers | A Practical Guide for Makers
In this guide we will be taking a practical look at Voltage dividers - one of the most fundamental circuits in the world of electronics and this guide will hopefully be the only guide a maker ever needs to read. We will be taking a look at...
Getting Hands-on with Sensors
What good is a robot if it can’t interact with the environment around it? Sensors are the backbone of almost every electronics project as they allow your program to make decisions based on external stimuli. We’ve got sensors for...
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Performance vs Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ (I’ll be calling it the Pi 3+ for short) is an update to the existing Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and was released on Wednesday 14th March 2018. It has some very interesting changes: The Broadcom BCM2837 has ...
What is a Logic Analyser
If you’ve ever come across the term ‘logic analyser’ and not been sure exactly what is was, you’re in the right place. Logic analysers are one of the less common pieces of test and measuring equipment, but they&rsquo...
Potentiometers and the Arduino Uno
Variable resistors come in all shapes and sizes, and they all do the same basic job. They allow you precisely control voltage/current flow within a circuit. The most common type of variable resistor we see in DIY electronics is the Potentio...
Our tips for using LiPo Batteries
Lithium Polymer (abbreviated LiPo) batteries are one of the most useful cells we see used in electronics. Typically used in mobile phones, RC models, and other small electrical appliances; their flat, pouch-like package design makes them pe...
How to Use Breadboards
Hello makers, if you love to prototype circuits and create electronic designs, then you’ll be familiar with the humble solderless breadboard. It’s where most electronic projects begin and is a familiar sight for tinkerers and in...
WLED Phone App | Control Addressable LEDs with an ESP32 or ESP8266
Today will be all about controlling Fully Addressable LED Lights using any Espressif ESP32 Development Board and your mobile Phone all through WIFI! All possible by WLED. There are many ways to use your mobile phone to remotely...
Preparing a Computer Model for Resin 3D Printing – Lychee Slicer
So you have a 3D CAD (Computer-Aided Design) file and you want to 3D print it with a resin printer. Then look no further, you have come to the right place. So before you can print your CAD model we are going to need a sliced file of th...
History of Arduino
So, after almost a week of researching, cross-referencing, double checking, and image hunting, I’m excited to show you guys my take on the history of Arduino, and the evolution of the Arduino hardware into what it is today. With so m...
Internet of Things with Pycom and Adafruit IO - From Zero to Hero
Introduction We’re going from zero to hero. Starting from nothing we’ll get a WiPy communicating with Adafruit IO, an IoT service out on the Internet. We’ll be able to send data from the device to the cloud and control th...
DFRobot 8.9 Inch 1920x1200 IPS Touch Display For Raspberry Pi - Set Up Guide
It is time for a high-quality, complete package, 1920x1200 (HD) display set up with a Raspberry Pi Single-Board Computer. In regards to touch screens with Raspberry Pi have looked at Tiny GPIO HAT LCD displays, medium-sized AMOLED maker di...
Zero To Maker Workshop | Fab Academy (Our Experience)
Welcome to 'Zero to Maker,' a workshop that will walk through and introduce a ton of tools and skills to help Makers of all skill levels! In this series, Jaryd and Liam will be completing projects as a part of the 2024 Fab Academy and...
Getting Started with the Grove Vision AI V2 | Power Efficient Object Detection
In this guide, we will be exploring the Grove Vision AI V2 – a microcontroller-based board capable of running YOLO and other computer vision models in real time, all while consuming a relatively tiny amount of power. We’re goin...
PLA 3D Printing Tips
PLA is Poly-Lactic Acid filament, and it's usually the go-to choice for people looking to print larger models or for longer periods of time. The important properties of the material dictate the reasons for using it; it doesn't warp at all a...
All About Electrical Switches
On and Off. It’s the basis for all electronics, from the most sophisticated computer network to a simple circuit. Electronics is all about using one thing, to control another, input and output, on and off. Even the transistors inside ...
Setting up and Using the Adafruit 16-Channel Servo HAT for Raspberry Pi
This guide will teach you how to control up to 992 5V Servos through the GPIO pins on your Raspberry Pi! But more practically, without stacking multiple HATS (Hardware Attached on Top), this guide will teach exactly how to control sixt...
Python Workshop for Beginners
Welcome to the Python Workshop, where you will learn everything you need to hit the ground running with the worlds most popular programming language Python. My name is Tim and am a passionate maker and cherish free exchange of knowledge. I ...
Getting Started With Inertial Measurement Units | Exploring Degrees Of Freedom
In this guide, we'll be learning about sensors that measure inertial movement, how they work, how to choose the right sensor type, and how to get the most out of their readings. Hardware mentioned in this guide: PiicoDev Accelerometer ...
Best Glue for 3D Printed PLA Parts and a 3D Printed Ukulele
Whenever you want to print larger than your 3D printer build space you are going to find yourself wanting to combine 3D printed parts together. Furthermore, as you wrap your head around 3D printing, you learn to save on filament by printing...
Create a Smartphone App for Particle Without Coding
By now you’re probably loving the platform that is Particle and all these crazy ideas of how to create the next big IoT thing (Internet of Things thing…hmm), but for many inventors, the stumbling block is integrating your creat...
Purge Towers and Ooze Shields - Ultimaker Cura
Dual-extrusion printing is an absolute treat and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) as a support structure is truly worth a celebration! You can produce immensely detailed models with a ton of supports and not be concerned about removal. Just immerse ...
Use a ESP32-CAM Module to Stream HD Video Over Local Network
Cameras in combination with artificial intelligence create arguably the most powerful sensor you can ever put on a microcontroller. So that’s exactly what we will do here with an ESP32-CAM Development Board that sports an inbuilt 2MB...
Controlling a Solenoid with Raspberry Pi and a Relay
Here is how to control a 12 Volt Solenoid with a Raspberry Pi using a 5 Volt Relay. Solenoids are an immensely useful way to turn electrical energy into a linear motion. Solenoids come in a variety of different specifications with 5 Volt an...
MOSFETs for Makers: Getting Started with High-Power Control
In this guide, we’ll learn how to harness the power of MOSFET transistors to easily control higher-powered components like solenoids, motors, and Peltiers with a microcontroller. First, we will cover an easy-to-follow example using s...
WiFi GlowBit Matrix Control with WLED and ESP32/ESP8266 Dev Boards – Make Pixel Art with No Code!
Nothing beats bright shiny colourful lights and adding an extra dimension only makes them better. This guide demonstrates the fastest and most customizable way to have WS2812B grids of fully addressable LED Nodes come alive. Exactly ...
Raspberry Pi Pico with LoRaWAN and The Things Network - Makerverse LoRa-E5 Module - Transmit Weather Data into IoT
Feel restricted by your connectivity? Want to send data from a remote node 10km away from civilization? Or ~3km when you are in a built-up civilization. Feel the urge for Liberation? Then I have the solution for you! Using only hardware bu...
Never Have Filament Grinding Again - Ultimaker
Filament grinding is very unlikely to occur if your running an Ultimaker S5 3D Printer with Ultimaker materials or 3rd party supported materials. Filament grinding occurs when the knurled feeder gear slips against the filament instead of sm...
Dual-Coloured 3D Printing
The eternal question of ‘does it print in more colours?’ is often one of the most common community desires. And yes you can! One of the best ways that this need is delivered is through dual-extrusion printing. Dual-extrusion pri...
Controlling Standard Servos with Raspberry Pi
This guide will teach you how to control any small and big servos with a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (worth noting any Raspberry Pi Board with GPIO pins can be able to be used in this scenario. Servos are an immensely useful way to turn ele...
Custom Object Detection Models Without Training | YOLOE & Raspberry Pi
In this guide, we will be exploring YOLOE, a computer vision model that allows you to create custom object detection models through prompts - no training processes required! We are going to be learning how this vision model works and how t...
How to use a PiRelay HAT for Raspberry Pi - Multiple Relay Control with Voice or GUI
This guide will teach you exactly how to use a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer to independently control 4 relays. A Relay is an electrically operated switch. This is all possible thanks to the PiRelay V2 HAT from SB Components. These re...
PiicoDev Servo Driver PCA9685 | Getting Started Guide
This guide will help you get started with a PiicoDev® Servo Driver module. We'll take a tour of the module and walk through some examples to drive common servos. Servo motors are integrated motors that contain their own power circuitr...
MicroPython Board Comparison
Welcome to the benchmarking arena! We are going to put eleven microcontrollers to the test and see how they hold up against a set of fiendish tasks that we devised to push them beyond their limits. We chose most of our candidates based on t...
Getting Started with Raspberry Pi Pico
This guide is a little outdated: Follow our updated guide for a much simpler way to get started! Contents Part 1 - Interacting Coding with the REPL Part 2 - Moving Beyond the REPL (with rshell) Part 1 - Interactive Coding with the...
Unique Ways to Print Anything!
Each and every day it has become easier to print the natural and human-made world around us. So, if you ever worried that you would run out of things to 3D print fear not! There are many ways of producing 3D models and most of these me...
CPE (PETG) - My Trick to 3D Print It Beautifully and More
Co-Polyester is an astounding material in terms of properties, all the best properties of Tough PLA and ABS which are then dialled up just that extra bit in regards to both ruggedness and durability. Ultimaker offers two versions of Co-Poly...
Pycom Pytrack Getting Started
In this getting started guide we’ll use the Pytrack from Pycom to detect our location on Earth using the onboard GPS module and use the accelerometer to control a 3D model on the PC. I put a WiPy onto my Pytrack, connected it to ...
Improving Results with Transparent Filament
Fused filament fabrication and transparent prints! No, surely you mean SLA prints. And true you can get excellent transparent prints effectively using SLA however consumer-grade fused filament fabrication can be mistaken for glass when corr...
Programming with USB-Serial Converters
Thanks to huge advancements in technology over the last decade, the maker community that we know and love has thrived. It’s now easier than ever before to get started with programming and tinkering due to the innovation from brands su...
Getting Started with Rotary Encoders | Examples with Raspberry Pi Pico
In this guide, we'll learn what a Rotary Encoder is, when and why we might use a Rotary Encoder, and how to use a Rotary Encoder with a Raspberry Pi Pico. To follow along all you'll need is: A Rotary Encoder - we recommend using our br...
Optimal Layer Exposure Time for Perfect Resin Prints
Layer Exposure Time is the crucial parameter that when dialed in will change average 3D resin printed components into awesome, crispy, final results that capture every single detail of the CAD model. As a general rule for Normal Layer ...
Real Time Scanning and Storing QR Codes With Raspberry Pi and OpenCV
[Update – Until there is correct compatibility of OPEN-CV with the new Raspberry Pi ‘Bullseye’ OS I highly recommend at this stage flashing and using the previous Raspberry Pi ‘Buster’ OS ...
How to use an ESP8266 in the Arduino IDE
In August of 2014 Shanghai-based chip manufacturer, Espressif, released a ultra-cheap Serial to Wi-Fi chip called the ESP-01. At the heart of the ESP01 was an ESP8266 chip broken out into the 8 pins needed to program it via a microcontrolle...
Multiple Colours on a Single Resin Print
This will likely not become a video but I have just achieved a great result doing this so I thought it best to tell the world before someone else demonstrates it and it becomes common knowledge. It is totally possible to have multiple colou...
Using the Resistor Colour Wheel
AssemblyTo assemble the colour wheel Cut out each disk Carefully poke a hole in the centre of each disk. A pen, paperclip or other safe but pointy instrument ought to work. Create a split-pin by twisting the leads of two resistors tog...
MicroPython for Micro:bit Workshop
Welcome to the MicroPython for micro:bit workshop! This workshop is aimed at makers who want to start programming with MicroPython, we will be using the micro:bit as it is very easy to use so we can cover the important concepts that will ap...
C Programming for Makers
Welcome to the C Programming Workshop for Makers! Here you'll be able to follow along with our series of easily digestible videos that cover everything you'll need to know to on your way with C programming and start making awesome projects...
How To Make and Crimp Custom Connectors
The wires in our circuits are often forgotten when we are planning our next big project, but the right connectors will a make your project look more professional and a lot easier to work with! In this tutorial, we are going to have a quick ...
Raspberry Pi and the IQaudio DAC+ | Volumio and Raspberry Pi OS | Hi-Fi on a Ras-Pi
Flawless high-quality audio output on a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer! All is achieved by the IQaudio DAC+ HAT. This dedicated DAC lets you enjoy high-quality, distortion-free, artifact-free, low noise, and high-bitrate audio playback...
How to Add an SSD To Your Raspberry Pi 5 with the M.2 HAT
SSDs on the Raspberry Pi are not new. For many years now people have been enjoying NVME speeds on Raspberry Pis through the use of NVMe-to-USB adapters. But long gone are the days of annoying adapters flopping around and occupying a precio...
Meshtastic for Makers Workshop
Welcome to the Meshtastic for Makers Workshop, a short course that teaches you everything you need to know about Meshtastic so you can go out and start wirelessly sending information in your projects with the Meshtastic network. This works...
LTE Cat-M1 vs NB-IoT - 4G Connectivity Comparison with IoT Devices
Back at it again with tips for IoT devices when connecting with Mobile networks. Quickly to explain The Internet of things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects (things) that are blessed with sensors, software, and other technolog...
Getting Started with YOLO Pose Estimation Recognition on the Raspberry Pi
Have you ever wanted to dive into computer vision? How about on a low-power and portable piece of hardware like a Raspberry Pi? Well, in this guide we will be setting up some with OpenCV and the YOLO pose estimation model family on the Ra...
Circuit Playground Express Workshop for Educators and Beginners
Welcome to the Circuit Playground Express Workshop! This workshop is geared toward educators and coding beginners, who want to get started programming with this easy to use platform. We will go over everything you need to know to get you st...
Powering Portable Projects: Batteries
Want to make your project portable? We've put together a quick guide to get you up to speed on battery options and help you decide which batteries might be best for your project. Batteries are a whole different game to plug packs and bencht...
Pycom GPy & FiPy Cellular LTE Firmware Update
There are three levels of firmware upgrades that are required on Pycom gear. First, performing an upgrade on the firmware of any of the Pycom microcontrollers is a simple affair. Download the Pycom Firmware Update application as linked in t...
Ohm's Law - Practical Examples for Makers
This tutorial is a guide to the Ohm's Law / Power cheat sheet. You may have arrived here because you received a cheat sheet with your Core Electronics order. If not, no worries! You can still follow along with the examples - we've pro...
FAQ on Lulzbot Support and Warranty
What level of support do I get with my Lulzbot products? For all technical support enquiries for anything Lulzbot related, Aleph Objects have support covered all-day long. Email [email protected] and the team over at AO will get back to ...
Raspberry Pi Pico Workshop for Beginners
Welcome to the Raspberry Pi Pico Workshop, where you will learn everything you need to know to hit the ground running and start making your own projects with the Raspberry Pi Pico and MicroPython. This workshop is designed for complete beg...
Layer Heights when Resin 3D Printing | Accurate 28mm Scale Models or Maximum Printer Output
Speed or Perfection? That choice is what an understanding of Layer Heights whenever Resin 3D printing is going to provide you. Any Traditional Resin 3D Printer worth its salt will let you print with Layer Heights between 10 Micron to 100 Mi...
Object and Animal Recognition With Raspberry Pi and OpenCV
[Update – We have released a new and updated version of this guide that works on newer Raspberry Pis, runs faster, and uses a more powerful model.We are leaving this old guide up for legacy reasons and if you do choose to follow this...
3D Printing Filament Guide
There are a wide range of filaments available in FDM 3D printing; it’s easy to get lost in all the abbreviations, acronyms, and temperatures. We’ve decided to bring together the most relevant information when selecting fila...
Using Teensy with Arduino IDE
If you’ve come looking for how to get your Teensy board up and running using the Arduino IDE, then you’ve come to the right place. Whilst you can use the standard Teensy loader application to flash compiled code directly to yo...
Wings of the Feather
The Feather boards are the brains of your project, we took a closer look at the different models in our Birds of Feather article, check that out first (especially if you have no idea what the difference is between a feather and a wing). You...
How to Use HC-05 Bluetooth Modules
So we’ve taken a look at what Bluetooth is in our Introduction to Bluetooth tutorial, and hopefully, you’ve found our Choosing a Bluetooth Module For Your Project tutorial useful in deciding which Bluetooth module is right ...
Python Quick Reference
Python is one of the fastest growing programming languages in the world! To help you master this language we have made a quick reference guide and are going to cover a few of the basics things to be aware of when starting out with python.&#...
Tips for Installing your Lulzbot TAZ 6 Enclosure
With winter currently in full swing, there's a particularly annoying 3D printing problem that is rearing its ugly head, Warping. For those who don't know, warping is what happens when parts of a printed model shrink due to cold drafts acros...
Temperature Sensing With Raspberry Pi
Is it hot in here, or is it just my Raspberry Pi? A Raspberry Pi sitting on a desk doing nothing is kind of boring. However, a Raspberry Pi that can measure the temperature and make decisions based off that information is awesome! The Rasp...
How to Rotate Raspberry Pi Video Display / Screen
Like many things in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, functions such as rotating the display output can be a little unintuitive at first. Or perhaps you’re not sure how to get rid of that annoying black outline on your screen. So, we’...
How to Control a Water Pump with a Raspberry Pi Pico
In this guide, we will be learning how to control a pump with a Raspberry Pi Pico. Whether you are pumping coolant in a project, making a DIY water fountain, or building a self-watering plant project, this guide will gear you up with every...
GlowBit Orb Snowflake & Bauble Kit - Pico Getting Started Guide
In this guide, we will be looking at how to set up the Glowbit Orb Snowflake and Bauble Kits. We will be looking at how to get going with the default code they ship with, breaking down how the code works, and learning how to modify it to m...
3D Printing Cheat Sheet
Wouldn't it be great to have a single image, that encapsulated a tonne of handy 3D printing tips and information to hang on the wall behind your 3D Printer? Well, we agree so much so that we've gone ahead and created this infographic/cheat ...
An Educators Perspective - Chibitronics
We have tailored guides on series circuits and basic switches, but that’s not even close to the limit of what you can learn and teach with Chibitronics. The Classroom Pack comes with all the components an educator would need to teach...
YOLO Pose Estimation on the Raspberry Pi AI Hat+ | Writing Custom Python Code
In this guide, we will be setting up and using YOLO pose estimation with the Raspberry Pi AI HAT, as well as exploring how to use it alongside your own Python code so you can use pose estimation in your projects. We will be taking a look a...
How to Use Rotary Encoders
Hello and welcome to our tutorial on using rotary encoders. Today we’re going to be taking a look at what is a rotary encoder, how does it work, why we would use it over other sensory inputs and creating code to use them. Rotary encod...
How to Control a Water Pump with an Arduino
In this guide, we will explore how you can use an Arduino to control a pump. Whether you're creating a cooling system, designing a DIY water fountain, or constructing an automatic plant-watering setup, this tutorial will provide all the kn...
Choosing a Soldering Iron
Hello, and welcome to our tutorial where we’ll be looking at two different types of soldering irons and which one is going to be best for your workshop. We’ll be specifically looking at soldering irons, not how to solder, so for...
Printing Perfect First Layers - Ultimaker Cura
If your utilizing a correctly set up Ultimaker S5 3D Printer you should have no issues with first layer printing. So long as there are print profiles available on Cura, which most likely it will, with a correctly set up 3D printer you will ...
Make 3D Prints Perfectly Clear
★ Achievement unlocked - 3D Print "Glass" ★ Your friends will not believe the results but this guide will tell you all the secrets to have a 3D printed component which is beautifully transparent to the point of being able to ...
Powerboost your LiPo Batteries
We're going to pick up where the LiPo Battery tutorial left off and look closer at the Adafruit Powerboost modules for charging your LiPos. We talked about the rules of using these batteries and how to make sure you don't set your project a...
PiicoDev Mounting Guide
This guide is all about mounting PiicoDev® Modules. It covers how to mount modules to PiicoDev Platforms (or any other material up to 3mm thick), and shows the common dimensions and mounting-hole patterns for PiicoDev hardware...
8Bitdo Controller Modes
8Bitdo controllers are the best retro-gaming controllers you can buy. You could pick one up for your RetroPie gaming system so you can relax back on your lounge with your wireless gaming controller. We did a great write up on the process of...
Temperature Sensing with Particle
If you’re looking for a platform to create your ideal data-logger, then look no further than Particle. Whether it be that you want to build a weather station, or a movement detection system, thanks to Particle’s 3G and Wi-Fi boa...
What is a JST Connector?
JST is a standard of electrical connection used widely across a spectrum of electrical applications. It's defined as a Japanese Solderless Terminal and is manufactured by a company of the same name. The JST range includes a variety of fami...
Benchtop Helping Hands
How does your workspace look? Could it be tidier? I know that mine always could be, but with the daily addition of different tools, components, boards and general tech, it can be hard to keep on top of it all. Then when it comes to working ...
Our Guide for Arduino Beginner Kits
Kits are a pretty nifty idea for someone starting out in maker electronics. For this beginner-friendly article, we are just going to take a look at three of our great kits for the Arduino Uno. All three are all solder-free electronics ...
Infrared Sensing, Hardware Interrupts, and the Arduino
Infrared (IR) is a great way of using non-visible light to control electronics, and there are a bunch of modules that we can use with our Arduino. However, what do we mean when we are talking about infrared and electronics? Well, IR remotes...
3D Printing (FFF) Workshop
Welcome to the 3D Printing Workshop! I'm Aidan from Core Electronics and in this workshop we are going to take a hands-on journey into the exciting technology that is 3D printing. I have personally spent the past 12 months immersing mysel...
Face Recognition With Raspberry Pi and OpenCV
In this guide, we are going to be teaching you how to set up your Rasberry Pi to detect and recognise faces using OpenCV and the Facial-Recognition library, two fantastic open-source projects. In this set up all of the data and processing ...
Overview of Resin 3D Printing and Calibrating the Print Platform with the Creality LD-002H
Resin 3D printers are an immensely powerful tool in the hands of a maker and they have never been more accessible. This will be a rundown on this technology, contrasting it to filament 3D printing and an explanation of tools whilst tea...
How to log measurements using a Mooshimeter
The Mooshimeter is one of our favorite multimeters here at Core Electronics! If you haven't heard about them before, then take a quick look at our review. One of the most popular features of the Mooshimeter is the ability to log voltag...
Getting Started with Circuit Scribe
What a glorious time we live in, where, as technology continues to evolve, so too does the ability to learn more about it and get hands on with concepts that would otherwise be out of reach, especially for young minds. Today, we’re go...
Choosing the Right Raspberry Pi Kit
Show of hands, who loves Raspberry Pi? We all do, and one of the most common questions we get asked is which Raspberry Pi kit is going to best suit my project, which one has the right components in it etc. So today we’re going to be l...
DIY 2D and 3D Spatial Tracking with Ultra-Wideband | Arduino & Pico Guide
In this guide, we are going to learn how to use a series of Ultra-Wideband modules to track an object in both 2D and 3D space. By the end of this guide, you will be equipped with the skills and code to use up to nine modules in your maker ...
How to Pair and Map 8Bitdo SF30 Pro Controller with RetroPie
8Bitdo have brought joy to many retro-gaming enthusiasts with their SF30 Pro Bluetooth controller. It’s a fantastic piece of gear, and one of our favourite controllers to use with a RetroPie setup. We’ve covered off on our thoug...
Which Raspberry Pi Case is Best For You?
What’s even better than the world’s most popular microcomputer sitting on your desk? When it’s sitting there in a case which protects it, makes it easier to use, and gives your desk some style. If you buy a Raspberry Pi i...
PiicoDev Community Contributions
In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of open source technology, the PiicoDev community really stands out to me as a curious and humble one. While the project's main repositories on GitHub serve as the heart of our collective endeavor, it...
How to use Solar LiPO Chargers
Every day, Solar energy bombards Earth with about 173,000 terawatts of power. That's close to the yearly electricity bill for Planet Earth. Solar energy is free power from the stars. So the question stands, why aren't we using it more? Pric...
How to Conserve Battery Life with IoT Projects
If you’ve ever created a project that uses batteries, you’ll be well aware how hard it can be to decide on elements in the project which can affect the battery life. You end up ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ for a...
Digital Signage with the Raspberry Pi
A big project request for the Raspberry Pi is the ability to make a digital sign, that loops images/videos/other media fullscreen with no interactivity. This can be a great way to display dashboards, promotional videos and other media. For ...
Fritzing up an Arduino SHIELD
We want to show you how great Fritzing is when it comes to going from your breadboarded prototype to a polished, Etchable PCB design. We are going to utilize a completed circuit we used for our SPI Arduino tutorial that uses a shift registe...
How to use Force Sensitive Resistors with a Raspberry Pi and a ADS1015 ADC
Force-sensitive resistors (FSR) are remarkable electrical components and are proper unsung heroes in the Makers World. Name me a better variable touch input device which has basically no moving parts, all whilst being available in such a t...
Arduino Uno Q Explained | A Hybrid Linux and Microcontroller Dev Board
In this guide, we’re taking a close look at the Arduino Uno Q — Arduino’s new hybrid development board that combines a Linux single board computer with a dedicated microcontroller. A device that feels like not...
Addressable RGB LED Controllers
Addressable RGB LED strips are one maker favourite that can really spruce up any project or even be the star attraction of one. These strips allow you to select the colour, brightness and state of any LED in a long strip and can make for ...
Printing with Rigid and Flexible Filaments
LulzBot have released the Aerostruder for both Mini and Taz Printers now (Mid 2018). It features a Titan Aero Extruder from E3D, which makes it capable of printing in flexible filament and rigid filament, depending on the situation! It's an...
Our tips for using NiMH Batteries
NiMH is an abbreviation for Nickel-Metal Hydride. NiMH batteries are some of the most common rechargeable batteries we see in consumer electronics. Due to their superior chemistry, NiMH batteries have taken over Nickel Cadmium Battery appli...
Controlling Stepper Motors with the Arduino
Stepper Motors are a bit of a halfway mark between DC Motors and Servo motors, but they find a sweet spot that allows them to be perfect for certain applications. There are still a few main differences to be aware of when it comes to workin...
How to make a Raspberry Pi NAS - A NAS-Berry that Runs Open Media Vault
Welcome to the best article on setting up an OpenMediaVault-based NAS on a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer! This guide is the fastest and best way to go about it. Raspberry Pi single-board computers are purpose-built to run 24/7, with a...
Control Multiple Fully-Addressable WS2812B RGB LED Strips with a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer
This is an update to an older guide done so that we can provide you with the fastest, most modern, and best way to set up your system. Nothing beats bright shiny colourful lights and this guide demonstrates the fastest and most customizab...
Loading and Unloading Filament for Ultimaker 3D Printers
Installing filament into your Ultimaker 3D printers will quickly become an intuitive process. But until that happens I'll be here to help run down the process and to teach you exactly how to do it whilst keeping your awesome 3D printer safe...
How 3D Printing Works
3D Printing is one of the ways we can turn virtual 3-dimensional models into real world objects. It is an Additive manufacturing (AM) process, building models layer by layer. AM is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which takes a blo...
Cooling Your Raspberry Pi
Part of the joy that is Raspberry Pi is getting stuck into it at a slightly lower level and finding out exactly what you can do with it if you take a look under the hood. One of the most popular experiments to do with your Raspberry Pi is o...
Our Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 Review
A new day is upon us, and it is glorious. After all, it’s not often that a new Raspberry Pi board is released. As you’re probably aware, the current iteration of the popular Raspberry Pi microcomputer is the Raspberry Pi 3. It h...
Stress Testing Your Raspberry Pi (for Cooling and Overclocking)
We have a more recent guide to Stress testing your Raspberry Pi, this guide has been kept here for reference. Part of the joy that is Raspberry Pi is getting stuck into it at a slightly lower level and finding out exactly what yo...
Arduino Projects with Motion (Using Sparkfun RedBoard)
Arduino Projects with Motion (Using Sparkfun RedBoard) Welcome to the Third Project Set from the Sparkfun Inventors Kit V4.0 Guide! In this tutorial, we will explore the operation of a Servo Motor and an UltraSonic Sensor in combination wi...
Drawing Schematics With Eagle
warning: this guide is dated and kept for legacy reasons. Links may not work. Welcome to part 1 of our Cadsoft Eagle tutorial. Put your hand up if you’ve always wanted to take the clunky, delicate circuit you’ve c...
Set Up a Geophone with a Raspberry Pi and an ADC (ADS1115)
Geophones are devices that generate electric signals proportional to the particle velocity in a sound/compression wave. More simply a Geophone is a super low frequency microphone for the ground. Geophones are used around the world to measu...
Raspberry Pi Imager - How to Use
This will be a quick 101 on how to use the Raspberry Pi Imager so that you can Flash a new Micro-SD Card. Everything you need to use this Software will be found in this article. The contents of this guide can be seen below. - Download Loc...
How to Choose a Bluetooth Module For Your Project
Alright, so we know that Bluetooth is awesome, and if you don’t, take a read of our Introduction to Bluetooth tutorial. But how exactly do we go about implementing Bluetooth communication in our projects? Well, fortunately for us, th...
How GPS Receivers work
GPS is accurate and handy to use, so much so that we rely on it more and more every day. It's not often we take the time to learn how it works. The idea of GPS refers to a Global Positioning System; a collection of satellites in orbit above...
Basics: Writing Your First Script with Raspberry Pi
In this tutorial we'll be writing our first bash script for Raspberry Pi. We'll create a directory to keep this and future scripts, write the actual script, and set it up as something that can be executed from the shell. Scripts are an inc...
How to Run a Python Script Automatically on Bootup / Startup with Onion Omega 2
A common issue many makers face when they move from microcontrollers to Single-Board-Computers is how to get them to run a program automatically when they are powered on. People who have cut their teeth on Arduino, Micro:bit, and other micr...
Data Logging with the Micro:bit and OpenLog
The Micro:bit by BBC is a great data collection tool, it just needs a little help remembering what it has measured! This tutorial is made for those Micro:bit projects where transmitting your sensor data over radio or Bluetooth to a computer...
How To Control A Motor with the Raspberry Pi
In this tutorial, we are going to connect a Motor to the Raspberry Pi and create a hypnotic self-spinner. We are first going to look at how to wire the Raspberry Pi to the motor controller and the motor. We will then look at using the raspb...
Adding to Your EAGLE Component Library
So you’ve got Eagle installed and you’re itching to get creating? If not and you’re wondering what’s going on, check out our Drawing Schematics With Eagle tutorial, otherwise this won’t make much sense. EAGLE ...
ONESIE Family - 3D Printable Cases for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
The ONESIE family of cases come in three distinct models; Stealth, Maker and Hats. This will be a guide introducing the ONESIE family, the 3D printable monocoque stealth cases for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, talk about what makes them di...
Alcohol Inks to Colourise Resin Prints - Three Different Methods
One of the special properties of transparent resin prints created by DLP 3D printers like the Creality LD-002R and SLA printers like the Formlabs Form 3 is how vibrantly you can colourise them with Alcohol Inks. Simply by dabbing on just a ...
How to Use DC Regulators/Converters
So, you might have the best project in the world, an amazing idea and design, but no matter how clever your circuitry or how advanced your prototype is, unless you can power your project correctly, it all counts for nothing. Often you will ...
How to Use Speakers and Amplifiers with Your Project
A popular question that we get all the time is ‘How do I choose a speaker or amplifier to go with my project?’. It’s a good question, and if you’re not familiar with the terminology, it can seem a bit daunting to kno...
Cura 2 LulzBot Edition: Installing or Upgrading
In November of 2017, our friends over at LulzBot released a major software update to their Slicing software, Cura. In this tutorial, we will look at what Cura is and does, the process of installing Cura 2 onto a PC already running Cura 21.x...
Ultimaker Dual-Extrusion 3D Printing Guide
The realm of 3D printers is currently the forefront of new technology. The capabilities of these machines are under relentless progression determined hugely by the technologies available and needs from the community. Reliability, accuracy a...
Pimoroni Blinkt: Setup and first script
Not quite sure how to get started with your Pimoroni Blinkt module? Let's set one up and have a play around! We'll guide you through the installation, open up some examples and try our hand at writing a simple program. You'll need: A Ra...
Slim Case for the Arduino Uno Assembly
Our Slim Case for the Arduino Uno allows you to keep your Arduino safe and protected from damage or shorts, while still allowing access to all the pins! In this guide, we will show you how to assemble your new Slim Case. Every Slim Case for...
What is Raspberry Pi?
Hi there! If you’re wondering what all the hype and interest surrounding Raspberry Pi is about, you’ve come to the right place. The original Raspberry Pi debuted in 2012, and is a credit card sized computer that has ports for U...
How to Build an Arduino Library
Have you ever wanted to simplify or automate a task using an Arduino? Yes? Well, have you ever wanted to simplify the code required for that task into a neat collection of easy-to-use functions? Also yes? Then this tutorial is for you! In t...
Control Structures with Python
Welcome to the next step of comprehension for the fireball programming language of Python. This guide will provide you with tools to help aid conceptualisation of the control flow within your programming scripts. The control flow is th...
Making Your Own Python Functions!
Progressing further into the epic programming language of Python the instinctive next step should be user defined functions. Now as a quick refresher, a function in Python is a block of code which only runs when it is called. It is organise...
Getting Started with the Makera Carvera | Setup & First Cut
Have you just got your hands on a brand new Makera Carvera and want to get it making chips as soon as possible? Well, in this guide we will be taking a look at how to set up your Makera Carvera, as well as the Cyclone Dust Collector if yo...
Send a Downlink from Adafruit.io via The Things Network
Note: With the rollout of TTNv3, the "Setup" section of this guide no longer works - but we're keeping it here for posterity. Let us know on our forums if you need help getting started with the new method. Any good LoRaWAN device can send ...
MicroPython Primer for Makers - What is MicroPython?
This Tutorial is all about the MicroPython Programming Language. We will discuss what MicroPython is, why you will want to use it in your projects and we will share some resources to help you learn further! What is MicroPython? MicroPyt...
E-Textiles / Wearables Compared: LilyPad vs GEMMA vs Microbit
Every good E-Textiles or Wearables project needs to start somewhere, and the natural starting point for any project is choosing the right microcontroller. There are many good choices out there, and we will compare a few of the best and brig...
Ultimaker Print Nozzles Overview and Installation
In your foray into the 3D printing sphere, you will likely just run into moments when using a new extruder nozzle type would be beneficial. An often-overlooked detail, different nozzles give all different kinds of advantages and with the ri...
All About EL Products
Electroluminescent wire, often referred to as EL wire, is a thin copper wire coated in phosphor which will produce light when alternating current is applied to it. The light emits a similar feel as if it were a neon light or ...
DIY Solder Stencils with a Laser-Cutter
When it comes to assembling a prototype Printed Circuit Board (PCB), there are a couple of options for applying solder-paste: Paste each individual pad by hand with a syringe, or; Use a stencil to paste all pads in one pass. The firs...
Pi To All The World With GPIO
So you’ve got your Raspberry Pi. You’ve gotten NOOBS setup on it, explored Raspbian a bit, and you’re feeling like a bit of a pro. Awesome! Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty side of things, what it’s ...
What is LattePanda?
If you’ve been around electronics for a while you’ll have noticed the trend of single board microcomputers targeted at hobbyists through to industrial projects, the most popular platform being the Raspberry Pi. Now the Raspberry...
Ultimaker 3D Printer Material Guide
One of the most critical parts of a successful 3D print is the correct material choice and through its careful consideration you will get the best result for the final component you had in mind. Ultimaker has a wide range of 3D printi...
How to Drive High Power LEDs – 3W Aluminum Backed Star LEDs
High power LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) have different requirements that need to be met when compared to regular LEDs. Current regulation using only resistors is impractical so it is necessary to use a switched-mode voltage and current reg...
Slim Case for the Raspberry Pi 3A+ Assembly
The Slim Case for the Raspberry Pi 3A+ provides protection for your Raspberry Pi without adding unnecessary bulk. Best of all it keeps everything sleek and tidy without hiding the board itself. The Slim Case was designed and manufactur...
Slim Case for the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Assembly
The Slim Case for the Raspberry Pi 3B+ provides protection for your Raspberry Pi without adding unnecessary bulk. Best of all it keeps everything sleek and tidy without hiding the board itself. The Slim Case was designed and manufactur...
Slim Case for the Raspberry Pi Zero Assembly
The Slim Case for the Raspberry Pi Zero, Zero W and Zero WH provides protection for your Raspberry Pi without adding unnecessary bulk. Best of all it keeps everything sleek and tidy without hiding the board itself. The Slim Case was de...
Chibitronics at Home - STEM Starter Kit
Now that we have dipped our toes into the Chibitronics environment, let's take a look at a more in-depth kit and see what kind of projects it offers. The Chibitronics STEM starter kit comes with: 1 Circuit Stic...
DIY 10W Bluetooth Speaker - No Code Needed – How to use a Bluetooth 4.2 Audio Receiver Board with Onboard Amplifier (MH-M38)
Let's turn it up to 11! Today we are getting right into Bluetooth Audio Receivers in particular the MH-M38. The MH-M38 is a stereo audio receiver with loudspeaker outputs (and an inbuilt amplifier) that can play music from a smartphone/com...
Our Overview of Makeblock mBot
Looking for the best way to get into robotics? Checkout Makeblock's mBot. This all in one robot is the perfect introduction to basic robotics, with its simple yet robust design, mBot is built with education in mind. The mBot kits modul...
Raspberry Pi Kodi Media Centre
Media centres are everywhere nowadays, from smart TV’s with built in media apps, to standalone lounge room boxes to watch all your favourite shows on. With the new features found on the Raspberry Pi 3, it makes sense for it to become...
Fritzing for Schematic and PCB Design
Fritzing is a completely free Circuit Design program available across all popular operating systems. The program was designed to support hobbyists, hackers, artists and makers (and all creative minds) in taking the step from concept to prot...
Our Siglent SDG1032X Arbitrary Function Generator Review
Let's take a look at the new Siglent SDG1032X Arbitrary function generator. We're looking at yet another example of the closing gap between hobbyist and pro gear - the growing feature set and capabilities of entry-level equipment continues ...
Visual Thermometer with MakeCode: Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
The Adafruit Circuit Playground Express comes packed with onboard sensors, in this tutorial we will learn about using the temperature sensor in MakeCode. MakeCode is great for a simple project because its block-based interface and pre-built...
Flash MicroPython Onto An ESP32
The ESP32 family of microcontrollers are incredibly powerful (2 Cores on a Microcontroller!) and when combined with the awesome writability of MicroPython can be used for all kinds of projects. The ESP32 generally does not come with MicroP...
Ultrasonic Sensing with Pycom
Note: With the rollout of TTNv3, the "Setup" section of this guide no longer works - but we're keeping it here for posterity. Let us know on our forums if you need help getting started with the new method. One of the most common sensors in...
Ultimaker Cura - An Overview for Makers
This will be a guide giving an overview of Cura, the open-source 3D printing slicing application from the smart cats at Ultimaker. Put simply Ultimaker Cura is a software which allows you to turn the computer file of your design into a reci...
If, Elif and Else Keywords in Python
Continuing our Python journey deeper into this dynamo of a programming language we will immerse into the keywords | if |, | elif | and | else |. Imagine all these keywords as the traffic controllers telling the control flow w...
Tips for Mooshimeter Maitenance
Now that you have picked up your Mooshimeter, there might be a few questions you have on keeping it working well for as long as possible. As the Mooshimeter is a battery powered device, eventually the day will come where you simply cannot c...
YOLO Object Detection on the Raspberry Pi AI Hat+ | How to Write Custom Python Code
In this guide, we will be exploring how to set up YOLO object detection with the Raspberry Pi AI HAT, and more importantly, learning how to apply this in your Python projects. We will be taking a look at how to install the required hardwar...
Using your Arbitrary Waveform Generator
By now you are aware that when it comes to measuring electronic signals, oscilloscopes are what you are going to be using. However, if you were providing a circuit with a particular signal, a function generator is the perfect tool for tha...
Ultimaker 2+ 3D Printer and Ultimaker 2 Extended+ 3D Printer - Overview, Setup and First Print
This will be an overview, initial setup and first print guide for the Ultimaker 2 and Ultimaker 2 Extended . Quick links for the contents of this guide is seen below. Printer Overview Printer Characteristics ...
Solar Powered Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
This is going to be easier than you thought (or at least much easier than I thought)! Today we will create a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B UPS PiJuice System that will be completely powered by a Solar Panel. It's coming up to winter over here so I...
Python Rundown and Main Windows
This guide will be a rundown on Python, the open-source programming language built by the hugely intelligent Guido van Rossum. This guide will also contain external links to Python resources and download links. Programming is...
Makerverse Real Time Clock with Supercapacitor Backup - Raspberry Pi Pico Guide
Introduction This guide covers the basic use of the Makerverse Supercap Real Time clock on the Raspberry Pi Pico using our RV3028 MicroPython module. The MicroPython module implements some commonly used features of the RV3028 RTC but is no...
All About LEDs
Hello and welcome to our tutorial where we a look at all things LED. Now first of all, what is an LED? LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and is an electronic component used to convert electrical energy to light energy. This process is cal...
Circuit Scribe for Educators
Educators everywhere are lining up to have the most recent, high-tech teaching tools to introduce STEM learning in the classroom. With the rate that modern technology is advancing, educators can often feel overwhelmed with the sheer number ...
How To Choose The Right Resistor.
Resistors are the hardworking underdogs of the electrical circuit world. You have probably added a 4.7k or 330-ohm resistor into your circuit without thinking about why we use those values, let alone what the resistor is doing. We are going...
All the Built-in Functions of Python
In the attempt to give the most comprehensive and truly easy to understand reference pages for the programming language of Python it is only natural to talk about built-in functions. A function in Python is a block of code which only runs w...
PiicoDev Motion Sensor MPU-6050 - Raspberry Pi Pico Guide
Introduction This guide will help you read motion data from your PiicoDev® Motion Sensor and a Raspberry Pi Pico To follow along, it's best to have: A Raspberry Pi Pico with pins soldered (pointing down) A PiicoDev Motion Sensor M...
PiicoDev Motion Sensor MPU-6050 - Micro:bit Guide
Introduction This guide will help you read motion data from your PiicoDev® Motion Sensor and a Micro:bit. To follow along, it's best to have: A Micro:bit v2 A PiicoDev Motion Sensor MPU-6050 A PiicoDev adapter for Micro:bit ...
How to use Stepper Motors and DC Motors with a Raspberry Pi - Adafruit DC & Stepper Motor HAT
Note: This guide does not work with the Raspberry Pi 5. The Pi 5 handles its GPIO pins differently so the libraries used in this guide no longer work. A Pi 4 or older will still work just fine with this guide. This guide will demo...
How to set up YOLO Computer Vision on a Raspberry Pi | Conda & Ultralytics
In this guide, we will be learning how to install the Ultralytics YOLO Vision Package on a Raspberry Pi with Conda. This package is going to allow you to run nearly any YOLO model supported by Ultralytics, and we will also give you some de...
Snap Circuits makes Electronics Fun and Educational
From breadboarding to soldering, the way we connect our components is critical to ending up with a working circuit. Before the new-age tech startups like littleBits and innoBits came along with their magnetic clip-together building blocks, ...
Pycom SiPy Overview
If there’s an odd one in the Pycom family of microprocessor boards it’s this one, the SiPy. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just that its sister board the LoPy4 has the same capabilities as SiPy, plus a LoRa ...
Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ Comparison
There is a new Raspberry Pi! The long-awaited upgrade to the Rasberry Pi 1 Model A+ (Rpi1 A+). In this article, we are going to look at how much improvement the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ (Rpi3 A+) is over the Rpi1 A+ as well as how ...
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B - Board Revisions
After the release of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1 GB and 2GB and 4GB generations there was a design revision. Now if you have any other Raspberry Pi board in your hand the impact of this design revision will not affect you. If you happen to...
Setting up 8Bitdo Controllers in RetroPie
Hey there, are you loving the vintage gaming experience that is RetroPie? Wait, you haven’t heard of RetroPie. No! You’d better go and check out our Gaming Kit for RetroPie tutorial ASAP. Oh good, you now know the awesomeness t...
Our recommendation on Breadboard Power Supplies
So, you’re looking for the right way to power your breadboard? You’ve found that your Arduino Uno just doesn’t quite have the juice to power up your circuit. It's likely that the microcontroller can output around 400mA whe...
Pass, Break and Continue Keywords in Python
Hola on your next viaje in Python. Python is an absolutely asombroso programming language and this is the next step on the escalera of understanding. This guide will focus on the | pass |, | continue | and | break | keywords. The...
Automating Test-Equipment with Python
The full example-code is reproduced at the bottom of this article. Performing manual measurements (in bulk) is for suckers and undergraduate students. Thankfully, most lab gear comes with a digital interface like USB or Serial and you can ...
I2C with Raspberry Pi
Hello there, how’s your day been? Good? Fantastic! Not so good? Don’t worry it’s about to get a lot better, because today we’re going to take a look at how to use the I2C interface on our Raspberry Pi to control I2C ...
How to Install and Setup Python on Onion Omega 2
In this installment of our Onion Omega2 tutorial series, we will cover the basic steps necessary to install and run python on the Omega2 or Omega2+. We'll cover how to install python or python3, how to install python modules and finally, w...
Getting Started with Particle Electron
In another tutorial we looked at the Photon board from Particle, and whilst Wi-Fi is awesome for many applications, it restricts you to a localised connection. Particle have once again come to rescue and provided us with a cellular solution...
Our Recommendation for your first Benchtop Oscilloscope
You’ve been working on that project for days, even weeks, and you’ve gone through all the steps of the process; meticulously ensuring everything is above board. And yet, for some unexplainable reason, your circuit is acting out....
Oscilloscope Triggers: A quick what and how
So we have vertical graphing of voltage and horizontal sweep, but our signal is just going to go bananas on our screen if we don't sweep at the same point in the waveform. That's where triggers come in, allowing us multiple ways to fix ou...
Getting Started With Ultra-Wideband & Measuring Distances| Arduino & Pico Guide
In this guide, we will be exploring ultra-wideband modules and how you can use them to add robust distance measurements to your next maker project. We'll be learning how these incredible little boards work, what you can expect from them, a...
Configuring 8Bitdo N64 Controller Mapping
RetroPie is a fantastic system, and once you map your input device, it will take those mappings and apply them to all of the emulators on RetroPie. If you’re new to RetroPie and want to find out a bit more, take a read of our Gaming ...
Our tips for Coin Cell Batteries
Firstly, what are Coin Cell Batteries? A coin cell battery is a flat, cylindrical battery used in a bunch of small electronics applications. You might have seen them in a wristwatch, remote control or any piece of wearable tech. Typically ...
How to 3D Print Your Own Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ Case
So you've got your Raspberry Pi 3 Model A and need a case to house it in. In this short guide we're going to step through the considerations you should take when designing your own case, as well as provide you with all the files you need t...
PiicoDev Motion Sensor MPU-6050 - Raspberry Pi Guide
Introduction This guide will help you read motion data from your PiicoDev® Motion Sensor with a Raspberry Pi single-board computer. To follow along, it's best to have: A Raspberry Pi (model 3, 4, Zero or Zero W) This tutorial ...
Our Lulzbot Taz 6 Review
Lulzbot is constantly building upon their printer's design, incorporating the best modifications and add-ons from the community into their newer models. In May 2016, their newest addition to the TAZ line of printers, the TAZ 6 wa...
Cura: 3D printing software for your Lulzbot Printer
Once you setup your printer and finish printing your first rocktopus, you will inevitably want to move onto more ambitious prints right away. It’s understandable, all the possibilities all at once, I get it. We are going to step you ...
Boards of a Feather
Have you ever used an Arduino board, and wanted to hook it straight up to a JST connected LiPo battery but knew it wouldn’t work? Or maybe you wanted a microcontroller with built-in wireless capabilities? Well, Adafruit has developed...
How to use a NFC Reader with Raspberry Pi
Near Field Communication (NFC) is used all and everywhere. As it stands there are over two billion NFC-enabled devices (many of them smartphones) in use today. This basically means over 20% of the world’s population has access t...
How to set up a PiHole on a Raspberry Pi - Block All Ads and More!
Time to create a Little Red Advertisement Devouring Monster. This will be a self-hosted, network-wide, ad-blocking system running on a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer. It will also stop access to malware sites and phishing websites. Fur...
Fingerprint Scanner with Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer - Unlock with Biometrics!
Let's unlock Biometric Control on our Raspberry Pi Single Board Computers! Biometric Technology uses unique physical or behavioral attributes that are individual to each person and not (easily) replicable. Extraordinarily everyone on Earth...
Virtual Environments on a Raspberry Pi | A Beginners Guide
In this short and sweet guide, we are going to take a look at how to set up and use a virtual environment (or Venv) on a Raspberry Pi - both in the terminal and in Thonny. When using Bookworm OS or later, you may have come across th...
Our littleBits Rule Your Room Kit Review
"Yes, I would recommend this a friend." That's the verdict of 90% of people who pick up the Rule your Room Kit from littleBits. We love it so much, we're most definitely recommending it to you and your family. But you don't need to take ...
Tune your First Layer - Z Offsets
Out of the box, a LulzBot 3D Printer comes tuned to perform exactly as you need it to. But over time we flash new firmwares, take our printers cross country, swap tool heads, perform cold pulls and a whole swathe of other things that could ...
Safe Shut Down Button With Argon ONE Case For Raspberry Pi
All Argon ONE Cases for the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B have formidable feature sets, with my personal favourite feature being a safe On and Off button. Once the Pi has been installed to the case you can obtain full On and Off functionality...
Gaming Kit for RetroPie
Video gaming has evolved tremendously over the last decade, console games produce near real-life graphics, and playing with friends across the globe is easier than sending a text message. This is all well and good, but there are those of us...
Your First Print with a Lulzbot 3D Printer
Once you receive and unbox your Lulzbot machine you might be so eager to print things, you skip a few steps in the setup process and all of a sudden you are having all sorts of difficulties that you can’t understand. It happens, what ...
How to Use a LCD Screen/Display with Raspberry Pi
What fun would a computer be without a screen to see what you’re doing? Well if you own a Raspberry Pi and are curious about the different ways you can connect an external display or monitor up to it, then look no further. Today we&rs...
What is a Kano Computer?
How many young people are able to assemble a computer, from scratch? Sure, adults can do it. There are even IT professionals and avid PC enthusiasts that take it to the next level; customizing everything down to the color of the Power LED a...
Circuit Playground Express TV Remote
Have you ever lost or broken a TV remote before it's time? Have you ever wanted to spice up the way you change channels or inputs on your TV? Have you got a greedy housemate who always steals the remote off you? If any of these are the case...
Import, From and As Keywords in Python
Greetings on your next step in your Python trip. This guide will focus on the | import |, | from | and | as | keywords. These keywords distinctly focus on ways to introduce new functionality to Python. For stoc...
Wood Lacquer and Vanish on 3D Prints
This is the process I go through to make Polymaker Polywood look like actual wood (or at least I had a good go at it)! It will assume you already have a 3D printed components made from Polymaker Polywood Filament. This is a PLA (p...
What Are NeoPixel LEDs?
So in case you haven’t heard yet, digital LEDs are the go-to solution for any project that uses RGB LEDs and you want to avoid the rat's nest that ensures when using multiple RGB LEDs, each colour requiring its own connectio...
Unleash your creativity: 3D Printing with Soluble Supports
Recently, we got a brand new Dual Extruder v3 Tool Head from LulzBot and took a dive into the design of it, mainly, what makes it so great for Dual Extrusion with our 3D Printers. First, a quick recap, Dual Extruding is the process of using...
Making Boxes in Fusion 360 for Laser Cutting
When making a box with a laser cutter, its entirely possible to make your design as a single flat drawing through careful planning and measurement – but who wants to do that!? This is a guide to making a box quickly and easily using F...
Encoding and Decoding Payloads on The Things Network
Note: With the rollout of TTNv3, the "Setup" section of this guide no longer works - but we're keeping it here for posterity. Let us know on our forums if you need help getting started with the new method. Sending data to the cloud is grea...
Choosing a Benchtop Power Supply
If you're looking for a benchtop power supply, but you're unsure of what you should be looking for in a decent supply for your workspace, we have got you covered with this guide. We will look at the specifications to look out for in a power...
Answering Your Pi 5 Questions | Cooling, Overclocking, Power and More
The Raspberry Pi 5 was announced just a few weeks ago and across the internet, we have seen some recurring questions, so in this article, we tried our best to answer some of them. Contents: Overclocking Questions Cooling Quest...
DIY Magnetic Encoder
The PiicoDev Magnetometer unlocks a lot of sensing abilities for your project. In this guide we'll walk through how to sense an angle with a small magnet and print the angle on a PiicoDev OLED. This guide covers what the sensor is r...
Geting Started with CAD for 3D Printing
If you've picked yourself up a 3D printer, you've no doubt printed yourself a heap of models from Thingiverse by now. It's great fun and the best way to learn how to control the options you have available through Cura; scaling, rotating and...
Unconstrained 3D Printing with LulzBot's Dual Extruder v3
Dual Extruding with FDM 3D Printers is typically reserved for the most expert-level makers. By adding the ability to print with 2 materials, you open yourself up to a spread of conditions that simply didn't exist with a single extruder setu...
Graphic OLED Displays with Particle
Note that the digital artifacts on the screenare from the camera used to capture and not the screen itself How many great artworks or photos have you seen that consist of just lines of characters; words and numbers? Very few. It’s ...
Getting Started with Saleae: Tips and Tricks
Well hello there, if you’ve been looking at the amazing line-up of Saleae gear and wondered how to get started with it all, then you’ve come to the right place. Today we’re going to take a look at getting your Saleae setup...
How to add GPS to Your Arduino | Add Real-Time Location to Your Project!
In this guide, we will be learning how to use a GPS module with an Arduino and C++. We will be looking at; how GPS works, how to wire up and code an Arduino to use the GPS module, and as a final step we will be putting it all together in a...
How to Debug MicroPython Code
When you are working on microcontrollers it can be very difficult to know what your code is doing, with MicroPython we can use REPL (Read Evaluate Print Loop) to see the debug output and run python commands in real time. This tutorial ...
Pycom GPy Getting Started
warning: Pycom has updated their libraries and the code listed below may not work. If you discover this and find a fix, please post it on our forum and we'll send you a $25 store credit along with a huge thank you. Go to Forum Thread. ...
Installing Python Packages
So, you want Python to do something very functional but do not feel like writing heaps of code to achieve that functionality? Then look no further, this guide will teach you exactly how to do that by utilising Python Packages. Python P...
Understanding ESP32 Naming Conventions
Espressif is a constantly ground-breaking company that produces lots of really cool development modules which includes the ESP32. ESP32 Boards, ESP32 Dev-Kits, and ESP32 Modules (the part that gets soldered to the Board/PCB) are all about ...
Swell Python Scripts with the Turtle Library
Time to flex some of the coding muscles we have gained. Using the knowledge we have with Python, this guide will go through the creation of interesting and dynamic graphic animations. The first codes in this tutorial are generators for geo...
How to Flash/Write Raspbian OS onto Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4)
While the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4s (CM4s) share a lot with the regular Pi 4 Model B, getting started with the flashing process can be quite different depending on which model you pick! This article aims to demystify that, so without f...
Webhooks with Particle.io
Have you ever heard people talk about how amazing the Internet of Things is and how you can leverage the power of the internet by creating IoT devices, but not really known how to get started? This tutorial is for you! We’re going to ...
Getting Started With EMG Muscle Sensors | Measure Muscle Flexing!
In this guide, we’re going to be exploring muscle sensors, also known as Electromyography (EMG) sensors, and learning how to use them to measure muscle movement in maker projects. These clever little modules can pick up the tiny volt...
Improving 3D Printed Models - Ultimaker Cura
If your 3D printer is an Ultimaker S5 then your prints will almost always come out looking brilliant. Although achieving desirable 3D printed components can sometimes require troubleshooting to resolve print errors. These errors often can ...
Raspberry Pi AI HAT 1 vs AI HAT 2: Which Should You Buy?
From an arm's length away, the new AI HAT+ 2 and the original AI HAT+ 1 look pretty similar, but pop the hood, and you'll find there are quite a few differences to get excited about. In this guide, we are going to take a look at what these...
Exciting Features - Ultimaker Cura
Ultimaker Cura is an excellent slicing software to get the best out of your 3D printers and make the greatest models it possibly can, but it can do so much more! Cura is a brilliant means to inspire and expand your own creativity particular...
Raspberry Pi Pico W | Create a Simple HTTP Server
In this guide we'll create a simple HTTP server using a Raspberry Pi Pico W. This server will be accessible from within a local WiFi network and can be used to read sensors and control hardware - in our case we'll drive an LED and read the...
Our Review of the MOARstruder by Lulzbot
Toolheads for your 3D printer come in all shapes and sizes. The different models available from Lulzbot are all designed with a specific purpose in mind, usually to add a filament type to your 3D printing repertoire. Dual extruders enable y...
How to Build Your Ultimate RetroPie Gaming Console
Amid all the new controllers that 8Bitdo have brought out and the mountain of Raspberry Pi cases and accessories that are available, we’ve bundled everything together to create the ultimate RetroPie gaming console. If you’ve bee...
Python and MicroPython - Compare and Access
Both Python and MicroPython are powerhouse programming languages. Each of them is capable of supporting your programming needs to almost the limits of your imagination. Both languages are transportable, open-source, growing in popularity, c...
Modify G-Code to 3D Print Better
If you hang around 3D printers, X-Y plotters, CNC machines, drawing machines, or people who use any of them G-code is a term that will universally come up no matter where you find yourself in the world. But what is it? And how is it being u...
3D Printing Better Print-in-Place Mechanisms
Print-in-Place mechanism is one of the special things about additive manufacturing that all other manufacturing methods just cannot replicate. They use various hinges, linkages and joints to create moving parts that are printed as a single ...
Make 3D Prints Look Like Chrome and Steel - Metallic Paints and Finishes For 3D Prints
Demonstrated here are two metallic finishes, that you can do to any 3D print, that will astound your friends and family when you tell them 'It was actually 3D printed and these are not metal at all'. These finishes are perfect to use for co...
Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera – First Pictures and Videos
[Note - Terminal Commands talked about here have been superseded with the new 'Bullseye' Raspberry Pi OS. Link here for new 'Bullseye' camera commands. If you want to use the commands found on this page download and flash the old 'Bu...
PiicoDev Ultrasonic Rangefinder | Getting Started Guide
Similar to how bats echo-locate and how submarines use sonar, the PiicoDev® Ultrasonic Rangefinder uses sound waves to measure the distance to an object. It sends out a high-pitched sound wave, which bounces off of the object and comes...
How To Customise Your Pi 500+ RGB Keyboard | Custom Effects & Python Scripts
In this guide, we’re going diving into everything custom RGB on the Pi 500+. If you have one, chances are you have played around with some of the RGB presets that come loaded with it, but we can take things way further. We&rsqu...
Raspberry Pi 500+ Overview and Teardown
The Raspberry Pi 500+ is hot off the press, an all-in-one computer keyboard which is the latest version of Raspberry Pi's hundred series, and the premium version of the Pi 500. This overview will get into the nitty-gritty of what mak...
Cura 2: LulzBot Edition - An Overview for Beginners
Now that we are all on track with our Slicer software, having just installed Cura 2 and upgraded our printer firmware, let's work on turning some 3D Model files into G-Code for our 3D Printer to create. We're going to be using our LulzBot M...
Perfectly 3D Print All Types of Lithophanes and Add Colour
Of the many great objects you can create using any 3D printer lithophanes are definitely up there. Traditionally lithophanes were an etched or moulded artwork created on a very thin translucent porcelain that can been seen clearly only...
GlowBit Matrix 4x4 - Python and MicroPython Guide
Introduction This guide will cover the basic functionality of the GlowBit Python library when driving a GlowBit Matrix 4x4 module. To follow along, it's best to have: A GlowBit Matrix 4x4 A Raspberry Pi Pico ...
5 Things You Can Do With The Raspberry Pi 500+
The Pi 500+ is here, and we see a lot of people wondering what the Pi hundred series is, what its uses are, and what role it can fill. That’s why today we are looking at 5 things you can do with a Raspberry Pi 500+. This guide will ...
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) With Raspberry Pi 4 Model B | PiJuice HAT
Now I'm not talking about a delivery service - I'm talking about an Uninterruptable Power Supply for your Raspberry Pi 4. So if your Raspberry Pi project needs to be powered all the time relying solely on the mains power system may leave y...
Read-Only Raspberry Pi - Never Corrupt your Micro-SD Card
Here is a solution so you can turn your Raspberry Pi handheld computer on and off from the power plug (power cycle it) just like any other appliance in your home! And it can all be done through only one setting. With a normally set-up Rasp...
Control Large GoBILDA DC Motors With a Raspberry Pi - Pololu Motoron HAT
This guide will demonstrate exactly how to control any large DC Motors that we stock with a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer, through code or through a Bluetooth Controller. To clarify (in my mind) a large DC Motors runs at 12+ Volt...
Makerverse Audio Kit Guide | Play Music and Generate Tones
IntroductionWelcome to the guide for the Makerverse Audio Kit. This kit will allow you to build a music player, a musical keyboard, and a sound effect soundboard! To follow along you will need: The Makerverse Audio Kit The Makerverse ...
Cool API Python Scripts
Let us set our codes free into the world wide web and design codes which access real world data! This real-world data will represent the current reality of the world around us. Application Programming Interface requests is the method that a...
Raspberry Pi Pico 2 | Overview, Features and Specs
Three and a half years after the launch of the original Pico, Raspberry Pi has announced a successor to their line of affordable microcontroller boards – the Raspberry Pi Pico 2. It sports the new RP2350 chip which houses a wealth of...
Create Fantastic Finishes on 3D Printed Components
A special part of me enjoys it when people go ‘I cannot believe that was 3D printed’ and one of the best ways to get that reaction is through post-processing. Now not to belittle the beauty of a raw print result you can achieve ...
Arduino Boards, Compared
We're going to compare each of the Arduino Boards available to Maker's and Electronics Enthusiats. We'll discuss the features of each board, provide an informative pinout diagram with tonnes of detail, and toward the end of the article, pro...
Integrated Computer Vision Package - OAK-D Lite With Raspberry Pi Set Up
If you ever needed a performance boost when running Machine Learnt AI Systems (like facial recognition) with a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer then I have a solution for you. The OAK-D Lite. The Oak-D Lite is the Leatherman Multi-tool o...
PiicoDev Potentiometer - Getting Started Guide
This guide will help you get started with a PiicoDev® Potentiometer - an intuitive input device that allows you to easily interact with your project. PiicoDev Potentiometers are available in two flavours: Rotary and Slider. We'll ...
How to Stream Steam Games to Your Raspberry Pi with Steam Link
In this guide, we will be setting up Steam Link on a Raspberry Pi - a small and power-efficient computer that runs Linux. This setup will allow you to stream Steam games from a PC to this Raspberry Pi over your home network's Wi-Fi or ethe...
Pycom Pysense & Pytrack: How to Update Firmware
UPDATE: This documentation now also applies to Pyscan and Expansion Board 3.0 Pysense and Pytrack boards have a “firmware update mode”. Unlike the Pycom microcontrollers you don’t add a jumper to the board to acces...
Arduino with LattePanda
Ah, Arduino and LattePanda coming together at last. What could be better? Well along with the fact that your LattePanda is a fully fledged Windows 10 computer so you can program any Arduino board you want as normal, one of the best things a...
Raspberry Pi 5 | Review, Performance & Benchmarks
The Raspberry Pi 5 is here! Our favourite credit card-sized computer has just gotten an update and we already have one here to take a look at, so let’s power it up, run some tests, and see what’s new! (If you want to s...
Setting Up Your xTool P3 | From Unboxing to First Cut
In this guide, we will be setting up the xTool P3, a powerful CO2 laser cutter that tries to bring industrial level features to a desktop format and price tag, and we are going to walk through the entire assembly process, from putting toge...
Pose Estimation and Face Landmark Tracking with Raspberry Pi and OpenCV
[Update – Until there is correct compatibility of OPEN-CV with the new Raspberry Pi ‘Bullseye’ OS I highly recommend at this stage flashing and using the previous Raspberry Pi ‘Buster’ OS onto yo...
Getting Started with Moondream on the Pi 5 | Human-Like Computer Vision
In this guide, we will be exploring Moondream, a computer vision model that analyses images and applies human reasoning to them, allowing you to ask questions about the image in natural human language. We are going to be learning what Moon...
PiicoDev Air Quality Sensor ENS160 | Getting Started Guide
The PiicoDev® Air Quality Sensor is based on an ENS160 multi-gas sensor that detects Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These measurements are run through some algorithms to produce standardised outputs like Air Quality Index (AQI...
Assemble a goBILDA Outlaw Chassis Kit - Plus Raspberry Pi and 8BitDo Control!
If you want a high-end robotics platform that is easy to expand with it does not get better than goBILDA! GoBILDA is a complete build system designed for makers, students, and educators. From curated kits, to many structural alum...
Lightning Sensor with a Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer - 40 KM RADIUS RANGE!
What if I told you that you could have the power to detect a lightning strike from 40km away? You'd probably think I've gone mad watching too many Marvel movies. But it is true! All thanks to the DFRobot Gravity: Lightning Sensor. Accessib...
Plant_io Sensors Guide | Connect Sensors and Log Data
In the Plant_io Basic Setup Guide we assembled the Plant_io platform to automatically irrigate plants, and sprouted some seeds. As the project runs, a log file is updated with data captured at each interval. This simple log allows us ...
How To Complete Your First Resin 3D Print
So, you have set up your shiny new resin 3D printer and now want to produce beautiful models. Well, this tutorial will tell you exactly what to do from filling the tank, starting a print via USB then the removal, cleaning, and final UV ligh...
Pan-Tilt Hat with Raspberry Pi - Quick Start Guide
Pimironi Picade Pan-Tilt Hat lets you mount and control a pan-tilt module right on top of your Raspberry Pi palm-sized computer. Setting up a Pan and Tilt system has never been easier with absolutely no soldering required! Pe...
Hand Recognition and Finger Identification with Raspberry Pi and OpenCV
[Update – Until there is correct compatibility of OPEN-CV with the new Raspberry Pi ‘Bullseye’ OS I highly recommend at this stage flashing and using the previous Raspberry Pi ‘Buster’ OS onto y...
Waveshare 5.5 Inch AMOLED Screen for Raspberry Pi
Ever wanted a pocket computer with a Full HD screen (1080x1920)? Love tiny GPIO screens like this 3.5 Inch from Waveshare but want one that is a little bigger and higher resolution so that it is easier to read? Or want a really premi...
How to Create a Retro Gaming Console With Recalbox | Raspberry Pi 5 Guide
In this guide, we’re going to build the ultimate retro gaming setup using Recalbox on the Raspberry Pi 5. This setup will let you play almost any console or handheld released before the Nintendo DS or PSP — wi...
Makera Carvera Overview | The Most Approachable Industrial Desktop CNC Mill?
The Makera Carvera touts itself as a beginner-friendly CNC milling machine capable of carving through wood, plastic, brass, and aluminium, all while keeping a compact desktop footprint that still offers a highly capable 360 by 240 millimet...
Arduino Projects with an LCD (Using Sparkfun RedBoard)
Arduino Projects with an LCD (Using Sparkfun RedBoard) Welcome to Project Set 4 in the Sparkfun Inventors Kit Guide! In this tutorial, we will look into using Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD's) to print data. This ability allows us to remotel...
Using mmWave Radar to Detect and Track Humans | Raspberry Pi Guide
In this guide, we will be learning how to add the RD-03D radar sensor to your Raspberry Pi single-board computer so you can detect and track humans in real time. We will be looking at how the sensor works and what you can expect from it, h...
Python Variables and Types
Continuing our Python journey deeper into this dynamo of a programming language we will take a leap into variables and types. Variables are one of the most fundamental concepts and exist in pretty much all programming languages. Variables a...
USB Keyboard-Mouse with Teensy
Hey all! By now you should have heard about all the wonderful Teensy Boards produced by Paul Stoffregen and the PJRC team but, in case you haven't, they're a collection of high-speed, ARM-based microcontrollers that...
WS2812 / NeoPixel Addressable LEDs: Arduino Quickstart Guide
This tutorial is aimed at getting some instant gratification from your WS2812 LEDs (also known as NeoPixels). I'll briefly cover a bare-bones setup for Arduino. If you've never used an Arduino before, we've got you covered with our free, o...
How to Set Up a Raspberry Pi Kiosk - Launch a Fullscreen Webpage on Boot!
In this guide, we will be transforming your Raspberry Pi into a bespoke device to interface humans with the web. This guide will walk you through setting up a Pi as a dedicated kiosk device, meaning it will seamlessly and automatically lau...
Pycom Pysense Getting Started Guide
The Pysense expansion board from Pycom has many sensors. In Pycom Pytrack Getting Started, I showed how with some Processing code we can see the real-time position of the board in 3D. That project works with the Pysense too. How about we sh...
Getting Started With Walter | An ESP32 With 4G/5G and GPS!
In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at Walter, a pretty impressive ESP32‑based board that gives your projects full internet access anywhere there’s mobile coverage - no Wi‑Fi required. With a built‑in 4GR...
How to add GPS to a Raspberry Pi Pico | Get Real-Time Location in Your Project!
In this guide, we will be learning how to use a GPS module with the Raspberry Pi Pico and MicroPython. We will be looking at; how GPS works, how to wire up and code the Pico to use the GPS module, and as a final step we will be putting it ...
safePower
I like working with the Pi Zero W and Pi 4 as they are very compact, very powerful and very cheap for the capability they offer. I want to use them on small projects, stand-alone, and can't always guarantee power. As we know most Pi's don't...
The Euclidean
I'm an amateur musician but a pretty serious classical & jazz pianist, and this project arose out of my interest in exploring the difference between writing music for synthesisers and music for piano. I work as a...
I'm an amateur musician but a pretty serious classical & jazz pianist, and this project arose out of my interest in exploring the difference between writing music for synthesisers and music for piano. I work as a...
Tweeting Pi-Zero-W GIF Camera
I made a Raspberry Pi camera that captures GIF files and optionally tweets them over WiFi! It's built around a Raspberry Pi Zero W and a Pi Camera module. The camera connects to a pre-programmed WiFi network to tweet the gifs, but...
Kid’s Music Box
I want to make a portable music box that my 2 year old kid can operate intuitively on her own. So, Spotify or any other on-demand music platform with tablets and Bluetooth speakers are out of the question. Remember the good old days of putt...
Simulated Parisians: Little Autonomous Pedestrians
Introduction
Parisians is a cute simulation of Paris with autonomous pedestrians. It’s simple to build and easy to personalize, a Single Board Computer "wall piece": on display and looping ...
IoT Soundscape
I had been captivated by the sound levels of trains I could hear passing by Metford throughout the day/night. I wondered if a sound level sensor reporting data back over LoRa would help me understand when a train was noisy. I also like the ...
Concrete Lamp
The concrete body of the lamp (which, to my eye look a bit like a leek) is made is two halves. The 1st and 2nd halves are cast in 2 steps using the same mould twice. I had a few failed attempts at making the mould entirely from sta...
The concrete body of the lamp (which, to my eye look a bit like a leek) is made is two halves. The 1st and 2nd halves are cast in 2 steps using the same mould twice. I had a few failed attempts at making the mould entirely from sta...
Parts List
Autozem
Introduction So now everything is available in this day and age, and all those childhood dreams can now come true as parts, technology and software has come a long way. I had recently taken up the hobby, RC planes. Eventually I learnt ho...
Smart Watering System
Introduction This began as an idea after building a very basic single-channel unit. Commercial smart watering systems use a Wifi connection to the internet and get weather reports to determine the level of watering required. These systems...
Robot Arm Upgrade Project
This project has been a long and tricky one for me, I purchased my robot arm kit from Jaycar many years ago with the intention of controlling it from the start. I used to work with industrial robots, so when I saw this robot kit for sale I...
555 Timer Step Sequencer Synthesiser
If you, like me, have been inhaling so much flux that the bronchioles of your lungs have mutated to convert the zinc chloride into electrolytes supplementing your chronic dehydration, then you will feel a persistent craving for analogue lo...
Nintendo Wii Portable | Project G-Wii
Do you love your Wii and its ability to play all GameCube games perfectly but wish you could take it on the go like a Gameboy?
Well, I definitely did and if you're like me so do you. And here is the right place...
Do you love your Wii and its ability to play all GameCube games perfectly but wish you could take it on the go like a Gameboy?
Well, I definitely did and if you're like me so do you. And here is the right place...
Bill of Materials
KiPad - A custom macro keypad for KiCad
Presenting the KiPad - a custom macro keypad for the popular open-source PCB design software KiCad. KiCad is awesome! But I've found that during PCB layout, my right hand is constantly moving back-and-forth between the keyboard and mouse -...
IoT Mailbox
Getting letters and parcels is awesome, what’s not so awesome though is when you miss the postman and you don’t know if that important bit of mail arrived or not. Such a frustrating, yet mundane problem can be solved by creating...
Water Tank Level Sensor
Update: Community member Chris has had a go at remaking this project after the original project contributor Denver made the original code repository private. GitHub links below will not work but the original project has been kept here for...
Accurate IoT Clock With ESP8266
Being punctual is important. Hence accurate time is required. Clocks tend to miss out when it comes to accuracy especially when they are set by the user. So, why not get accurate time from the internet and use tried and tested hardware to ...
Analogue Quad Oscillator Drone Synth
I have a peer-reviewed study on my desk and it confidently tells me that all the capacitors on planet Earth want to be synthesisers when they grow up. To make the world a better place, let's realise the dream of four fortunate elec...
Retro Hand held Pi Zero
I bought a Pi zero w from Core Electronics for a friend, also bought the official case too but thought I'd fit the Pi into something he can show off! I used an old hand held game case I had laying around, I had to remove the original circu...
SOLARBOI
Since I was young, I've always loved to explore. Over the years, I've tinkered with RC cars and played with planes, which were always plenty of fun. But I always dreamed of going out further - out into the real world, far beyond the confine...
GlowBit Desktop Audio-Visualiser
Introduction
I’ve had this little 8x8 Glowbit matrix for a few weeks now, and for whatever reason, the first thing I thought after running the example programs was “This needs to be synchro...
Hands-free Selfie Camera Control
Ever wanted to record a video and be included in it? My children did. One does parkour, and the other loves to dance, both want to perfect their art by watching their moves during practice. They asked their inventor/tinkerer dad, "can you ...
Cosplay Blaster
Hey guys! First time poster. I've been working on a blaster for my girlfriend's costume, and I thought I would share it with everyone. When triggered, it plays a selected sound effect and flashes the light. Pretty simple :)So, this is my fi...
Spectral Animations with a DIY MSGEQ7 I2C Device
Frequency Reactive LEDs, i2c Protocol, Raspberry Pi, and Other Adventures.Here at Pix Incorporated we take word count very seriously. We believe in short, focused, and enjoyable writing which hints at the horizons of our imagination (...
IOT Shed
The driver behind this project is to allow the remote control of some of the equipment in my shed. I have a CNC router/laser cutter that uses my compressor and dust extractor whilst it is running, and well whats the point in having a comput...
A 3D Printed Ukulele
Here is a project I just could not help myself but build. A 3D printable Ukulele with a body as large as I could fit standing upright on the printers here. The intention was to make it as large as possible, using no supports, and without th...
IoT House
These days we can do just about anything on our phone, we can control so many aspects of our lives using the technology in our pocket, but the most mundane aspects of our lives; opening the garage door, blindly reaching for the light switch...
PowerPlay SSR Control
Introduction
The aim of PowerPlay is to provide an Arduino platform for managing downstream Solid State Relays (SSR) simply and safely. PowerPlay consists of a custom Arduino Shield, ...
Stream Airplay to Your Pi Zero
The Raspberry Pi Zero W is a tiny, yet powerful little device. Coupled with a Pimoroni Speaker pHat, it can be easily turned into a portable Airplay speaker which allows you to stream your music anywhere you want.Parts you'll need: Raspb...
Hyperweb: Interactive Art for Vivid Sydney
Hyperweb is a collaborative interactive sculpture installation at Vivid in Sydney. I designed and built a crowd sensing weather station that is used to control an audio "soundscape" within the piece. It also triggers light show events that ...
Fruit and Veggie Gaming Controller
In preparation for some Maker Faire's we were heading to last year, I wanted to combine the awesomeness of the Makey Makey platform, with the fun that is RetroPie. For those who don't know the Makey Makey, it's a fantastic platform that all...
WiFi Garage Door Controller with Raspberry Pi Pico W
I strapped a Raspberry Pi Pico W to my garage door motor and now I can control my garage door from my phone! The Pico W hosts a simple webpage on my local network with three control buttons - one for Up, Stop and Down. Pressing one of...
ThingSpeak temperature & pressure logger
This project logs temperature and pressure observations to a ThingSpeak channel using an ESP8266 WiFi module.
For this project, I designed my circuit and ordered a PCB using easyEDA. The project gets power from a USB port and uses a...
For this project, I designed my circuit and ordered a PCB using easyEDA. The project gets power from a USB port and uses a...
Borg Cube for Scouts STEM Camp
Introduction
What does one make for a Startrek-themed STEM camp for Scouts? Especially when given the Search and Rescue (SAR) activity base to run. Why this base you ask? Usually I run a radio d...Introduction
What does one make for a Startrek-themed STEM camp for Scouts? Especially when given the Search and Rescue (SAR) activity base to run. Why this base you ask? Usually I run a radio d...
Mailbox Delivery Notification System
Introduction
During the Covid lockdown, I needed something to do. The Postman or woman does not deliver mail every day as most bills come online. So I built this to notify me when the Pos...
GraviTrack Enhancements - Lights and Sound
Introduction Searching for solar panels and related items on the Core Electronics website; I came across the Solarbotics GraviTrack Marble Machine Kit. I thought the kit would be a good educational tool for the grandkids. The kit was a hit...
Quadbeest - A Flying Strandbeest
Introducing to you today, the Quadbeest, the next evolutionary step in the Strandbeest genealogy. It seemed to be about time for Strandbeests to evolve to take over the air, so I made it happen. Able to be controlled over a kilometre in the...
Days2Bin: Pico Powered Bin Reminder
Our recycle bin is collected fortnightly, but I can never remember which week, and the printed calendar changes every year! So I made a Raspberry Pi Pico W and GlowBit Matrix powered model wheelie bin which shows when the bins are due at a...
LuMa 1 - The Neo Disco Ball
It is real and here it is! Including everything you need to make one a Luma 1 for yourself! So allow me to introduce you properly to the Luminator Mark 1. I'm talking all the ins and outs of this inside-out neo disco ball so you can ...
Raspberry Pi Desk Clock with Data Display
This project uses a Raspberry Pi and TFT display panel to provide a desk clock that also monitors our Home Solar and Battery system, and the weather, in one neat unit.
We recently installed a Solar Panel system and a Tesla Powerwall...
We recently installed a Solar Panel system and a Tesla Powerwall...
WLED Hourglass Theatre Prop - DMX Over Wi-Fi!
I’ve been working in theatres for about 5 years. I’m a lighting technician for a few different venues and production companies, but I specialize in the engineering solutions behind our shows; I’m a Mechatronics Engineering student at UoN, ...
10" Home Lab Testing Rack
⚠️ This project features mains power For a lot of project development and testing, I’m always using a combination of testing and verifying power via USB, 12VDC, MIDI inputs and outputs, and other general IO. Havin...
UNITRAC
The UNITRAC (UNIversal TRACtion system) is a simple 3D printable conversion for the Black Gladiator-Tracked chassis, It’s designed to transform the large wheelbase platform into a self-contained propulsion system that has all the torq...
Hydra Bluetooth Speaker
Wow - this is one monstrous sounding and great looking speaker - even if I do say so myself! This is basically a 2.1 (stereo + subwoofer) system made with 3D plastic parts. Both the full range and subwoofer speakers are based on closed (se...
WaveJumper: Music Sample Slicer on a Breadboard
It was a dark and stormy night, and Pix was bumbling around with nonsense again. I was thinking of building a patchbay for simple but configurable home networking (something I may still pursue). I figured that I could use jumper wires to ...
IR Break-Beam Stopwatch
This project is a simple stopwatch with a little bit of a twist! It operates like a conventional stopwatch… you can start and stop it, you can record lap times and you can review the lap times once you hit stop. The twist is th...
Mini Desk Vacuum
Chances are if you are anything like me, being a maker is often an excuse to create as big of a mess as possible during the duration of a project. And after the project is finished? You are left with an enormous mess to clean up, taking awa...
Meet 'Holman' the Ultimate Bluetooth Speaker
Who says you can't have it all? Good looks and a great sound! My name is 'Holman" and I'm a Bluetooth speaker in the form of mans best friend - a dog of course! Why is my name Holman? Well, that's the name of the manufacturer of the PVC pi...
Math Scroller
I was looking for something educational to 3D-Print for my child in Thingiverse and came across the concept of the Math Spinner. I found the models lacked a method of checking the answer so I wanted to automate it. The core design is inspir...
Time lapsing in OctoPrint (Properly!)
Now that we have decked out our Lulzbot Taz 6 3D Printer with a really nice looking acrylic enclosure, I'm just about ready to turn on some serious 3D printing work. But before I dive into that endless pool of fun, it's a good time to take ...
HUGE LED Pixel Panel
I’ve always been fascinated by LED screens and seeing beautiful colours mix and merge to create vibrant displays. I also love games, so what better way to combine the two than a giant LED pixel matrix which can play games, display aud...
Smart Home Makeover with HomeAssistant
IntroductionI wanted to bring ageing, and failing, Home Automation infrastructure into the modern age whilst retaining hardware investments already made. Our house had Universal Power Bus (UPB) dimmers and switches installed at build time...
Wefted Waveforms
This project aims to fuse neopixel strips with papier mache and origami into a free-standing electro-sculpture.
The freestanding structure is formed from wire mesh and papier mache. It is then painted and wired ...
This project aims to fuse neopixel strips with papier mache and origami into a free-standing electro-sculpture.
The freestanding structure is formed from wire mesh and papier mache. It is then painted and wired ...
LoRa P2P Wireless Gate Alarm
Introduction
My front gate is a long way from the house at around 300m. I don’t want people wandering around my property without knowing about it. This project uses two Raspberry Pi P...
Vehicle GPS Logger and Speedometer
Purpose
To display time and speed to a driver while logging timestamped raw latitude, longitude and speed as returned by the GPS satellite network. This allows a driver to double-check th...
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