A 10k Potentiometer perfect for adding and visualising an input to your projects
Makeblock is a company with education at the forefront of its priorities. They introduce mechanical design, and software development to robotics in a way analogous to Lego, that is to say, they aim to educate the student by encouraging crea...
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...
The aptly named Ultimate Kit 2.0 is the final kit in the line-up of educational robots from Makeblock. With over 160 independent mechanical parts and modules, the Ultimate Kit 2.0 answers the call for almost limitless creative freedom. Matc...
Now that we've taken a look at MakeBlock's beginner kit, the mBot (take a look at the previous article here), let's take our skills to the next level with the Ranger. The Ranger adds much more modularity and customisation to the kit. From e...
[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 your Mi...
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...
If you put a shield on top of an Arduino Uno there aren’t very many options available to protect it all inside a case. You can always make one yourself though, so that’s exactly what we did! This “High Rise” case for...
We had a lot of fun making this speed build video for the Paris Flyer CarouSol Kit by Solarbotics. If you aren't already familiar, Solarbotics makes a great line of DIY electronics kits made from laser cut materials. They range from quite s...
[Note - Terminal Commands talked about here have been superseded with the new 'Bullseye' Raspberry Pi OS.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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
In case you haven’t noticed, when dealing with electronics, you’ll be picking lots of small things up, and it only gets harder when dealing with tiny SMD components. But whatever you’re working on, be it a breadboard proto...
This guide will demonstrate exactly how to control Standard Stepper Motors and DC Motors with a Raspberry Pi Single-Board Computer. To do this as seamlessly as possible we will utilise a HAT. HAT stands for Hardware Attached on Top. HAT bo...
Introduction This guide covers how to connect the Makerverse Micro SD Card Adapter to a Raspberry Pi Pico and program a basic data logging script in MicroPython. To follow along, it's best to have: A Makerverse Micr...
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...
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 ...
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...
In case you haven’t noticed, Internet of Things is the phrase on everyone’s lips right now; why make a device, when you can make an IoT device? And the good folks at Particle.io have made it easier than ever to create your own...
Want to setup a wireless XBee network between some Arduinos and your PC? We're going to show you how. We will be using Series 1 XBee modules alongside some XBee Explorer USB modules from Sparkfun to set up our own Personal Area Network (PAN...
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...
Logic analysers are an incredibly valuable piece of test and measuring equipment, but sometimes it can be hard to work out exactly what you need, and what model is going to best suit your needs. If you’re not sure what a logic analyse...
Often the last consideration in a maker project, the DC power supply is the heartbeat of many electrical projects and the correct selection requires some consideration. Power supplies go by a lot of different names, you can call them Wall ...
When we boil it down, everyday interactions with electronics are usually limited to controlling stuff with switches. Whether it be turning on the lights, switching on your laptop or turning on the kettle, all examples of how a physical sw...
Introduction The Makerverse Motor Driver has been updated to a v20 design which now features a 5V output pin instead of the VM pin. Some images and in-video descriptions in this guide may be outdated This guide covers the use of the Maker...
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...
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...
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...
Welcome to the final Project Set of the Sparkfun Inventors Kit! This Project Set focuses on Robotics with the final Circuit being an Autonomously Driving Vehicle! New components introduced in this tutorial are: DC Motor/Gearbox Mo...
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...
One of the swell things about 3D printers is being able to lay fabric onto a build plate and create components directly on top of or embedded with fabric material through them. This lets you easily sew designs onto clothes or create interes...
Ah, what a glorious time we live in, where we have to compare which micro-computer is going to best suit our needs. If you’ve been in the maker sphere for just a short time, you’ll be sure to have heard of Raspberry Pi the mirac...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
Hello everyone, how awesome are the Teensy boards from PJRC? Super awesome. And as with any product that has been around for a few years, and gone through various iterations, there’s now a few different boards to choose from, which ...
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...
The Micro:bit is a feature-packed development board that’s perfect for the classroom or the beginner programmer. Each Micro:bit has a built-in radio that can transmit and receive signals sent from other Micro:bits. The radio has a ran...
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 Raspber...
This guide will help you get started with a PiicoDev 3-Axis Accelerometer. We'll walk through some examples to read acceleration, infer tilt angle (from gravity), and detect tapping and shaking. An accelerometer is a device that mea...
Ever thought it would be cool if your Raspberry Pi could see the world like you do? You’re in luck, camera support is an integral part of the Raspberry Pi hardware, it comes with a built in CSI connector for connecting camera ...
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...
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...
When making a webcam mount for your 3D Printer, there are physical limitations for where you can have the camera sitting safely throughout the whole print. A while back, we remixed a really nicely designed bed mount for the Raspi Camera so ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The multimeter is one of the essential tools in your electronics toolkit. These battery operated devices combine several measurement functions into one easy to use device. You can get Analog or Digital multimeters, each displaying your meas...
So you’ve got your Particle Photon or Electron, you’ve got your sensors and external components and you’re ready to build an IoT device to make the world your slave. But hang on a minute, the sensor you have only operate...
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...
I²C stands for the inter-integrated circuit and refers to a communication protocol we are going to use to communicate between our Arduino devices. In the past we have investigated the SPI and Asynchronous Serial Communications protocol...
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...
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...
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...
So you've got your brand new RetroPie gaming kit setup, but you've got no idea how to save your games. No one wants to be starting afresh each and every time they jump onto their Pi for some light gaming. I've put together this handy guide ...
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...
SPI stands for Serial Peripheral Interface and it is a way to send data between microcontrollers and other small devices. It is a synchronous data bus, meaning it uses a clock to regulate the data transfer. SPI is also Full-Duplex com...
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...
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...
There are so many types of cameras modules and lenses that are plug-and-play for Raspberry Pi Single Board Computers and that number is steadily increasing. From day to night, you can keep track, photograph, and record your surrou...
There is a whole range of Sub-4 Inch Displays that attach directly to the GPIO pins of Raspberry Pi Palm-Sized Computers. Many of them are touch devices and increase the usability of your Raspberry Pi whilst making almost no size sacrifices...
[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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Serial communication is the process of communicating between electronic devices one bit at a time. Serial means one after the other, so we think of serial communications as transferring data one bit at a time, one bit after the other. ...
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...
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...
Hailing from Aleph Objects in Loveland, Colorado, the Lulzbot range of 3D printers are world renown for their quality, reliability and ease of use. The reason they're so popular? Apart from the gilded Lulzbot technical support (practically ...
So you’ve got your Raspberry Pi, you’ve got your sensors and external components and you’re ready to build a world-conquering robot beyond compare. But hang on a minute, the sensor you have only operates on 5V and you vagu...
So you’ve got your microcontroller/development board ready to go, you’ve got your sensors and external components and you’re ready to build an IoT device to make the world your slave. But hang on a minute, the sensor you h...
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...
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...
Getting into the Arduino environment is a lot of fun but with so many acronyms and slang terms its easy to get confused. Knowing this first hand, I have put together a glossary of sorts for terms relating to Arduino, if you are new to the A...
When Teensy was first released, it was a revelation to the maker community. It brought together the power of ARM processors and the simplicity that is the Arduino IDE. Building upon that platform, Paul Stoffregen, the man behind PJRC contin...
The OLED Featherwing by Adafruit is a particularly interesting Wing; it gives you a 128x32 monochrome OLED display right on top of your feather board. There's also three buttons to use that are internally connected to your MCU and accessibl...
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 ...
First of all, why subject your Raspberry Pi to this level of stress? In the case of Raspberry Pi 4, the A72 CPU is so powerful that it can overheat if it doesn't have enough cooling. This results with the CPU being governed (slowed do...
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...
I SPI with my Raspberry Pi, something beginning with…S! Serial-Peripheral-Interface (SPI)! Welcome to our Raspberry Pi SPI communication tutorial. Today we’re going to look at how to use the SPI bus on our Raspberry Pi ...
The latest Circuit Playground board, the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express comes equipped with an onboard IR transmitter and receiver! This can be used to communicate with TVs and other household devices. You can also use infrared remote ...
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...
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to identify and communicate with tags. Each RFID module emits radio waves that energise the passive tag, which then responds with its own identifying number or data, as reque...
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to identify and communicate with tags. Each RFID module emits radio waves that energise the passive tag, which then responds with its own identifying number or data, as reque...
Introduction Let's read colour data from a PiicoDev® Colour Sensor with a Raspberry Pi and create a colour sorting machine. This guide will cover connecting the hardware, downloading some example code and remixing it. To follow along,...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
ECHO…echo…echo…echo… We’ve all had fun shouting into a cave or large space and hearing our voice coming back to us at some point during our childhood. And if you’re like me, a fully grown adult who...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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...
Introduction Let's read colour data from a PiicoDev® Colour Sensor with a Raspberry Pi Pico, and create a colour sorting machine. This guide will cover connecting the hardware, downloading some example code and remixing it. ...
Introduction Let's read colour data from a PiicoDev® Colour Sensor with a Micro:bit V2, and create a colour sorting machine. This guide will cover connecting the hardware, downloading some example code and remixing it. To f...
Pulling the power to your Raspberry Pi can cause image corruptions & other issues that can damage your Pi! In this article, we will create a small push button that will work as a ‘Safe-Shutdown’ option. We’ll connect i...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The ESP8266 is the Serial to Wi-Fi SOC gaining steam back in August of 2014, no doubt you've heard of it; if not used one yourself. Since then, hundreds of IoT devices were built on this originally-undocumented device. With those projects a...
It’s always a fun day when you get hands-on with a device as cool as the 8Bitdo Zero Bluetooth gamepad. 8Bitdo are known are for their re-creations of classic gaming controllers such as the SFC30 and NES30 which bring the magic of NES...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
You’ve made yourself a great project for your Circuit Playground Express, now all you need is a box to put it in. How do you keep your Circuit Playground safe in a housing while still being able to press the buttons and use the sensor...
With the newest update to Raspberry Pi OS (Debian Version 11 - nicknamed ‘Bullseye’) there have been some changes to the terminal commands which control attached cameras. This is one of the biggest changes with the new up...
You have your shiny new MicroPython or Circuit Python board and you have Installed the Firmware and connected to REPL, but now you want to put your code onto the board. To do this we need to send the files over serial. Luckily Adafruit has ...
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...
The Pimoroni Unicorn HAT lets you add 64 dazzling RGB LEDs to your Raspberry Pi, and makes for a sickeningly colourful display. I'll show you how to get yours set up, and we'll have a go at modifying an example script. This tutorial i...
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...
Welcome to Counting with Computer 101. Have you ever looked at a colour on a computer and seen something like this #28FE9A? Or perhaps the T-shirt stating ‘There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary, and t...
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...
Let's get set up with scripting in Thonny for the Micro:bit. We'll install Thonny, configure for Micro:bit, and write our first script. All you'll need to follow along is a Micro:bit v2 GO kit Contents Install Thonny Set u...
"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 ...
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...
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...
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to identify and communicate with tags. Each RFID module emits radio waves that energise the passive tag, which then responds with its own identifying number or data, as reque...
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...
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...
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 ...
The Raspberry Pi is an amazing piece of technology, and it’s the platform of choice for all kinds of projects. Something that makes it great is the integration of complex hardware that is taken care of for you. For example, if you wan...
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 ...
Introduction This guide will help you read weather data (Temperature, Air Pressure and Humidity) from your PiicoDev Atmospheric Sensor and a Micro:bit. To follow along, it's best to have: A Micro:bit v2 (v1 does not...
Have you heard about the Circuit Playground? It's the new all-in-one electronics platform from Adafruit. It was created to bring all the fun features of electronics and physical computing to makers, but It's dead-simple to use, solde...
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...
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...
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...
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...
It is time for an Airplane Tracking Raspberry Pi! The final setup here will let you personally collect data on the exact whereabouts of airplanes over 400km away. It will update one to four times each minute. Be passenger planes, cargo air...
Introduction This guide will help you read weather data from your PiicoDev® Atmospheric Sensor and a Raspberry Pi single-board computer To follow along, it's best to have: A Raspberry Pi (model 3, 4, Zero ...
Introduction This guide will help you read atmospheric data from your PiicoDev® Atmospheric Sensor and a Raspberry Pi Pico To follow along, it's best to have: A Raspberry Pi Pico with pins soldered (pointing do...
Cura is constantly being improved upon and half the fun is keeping on top of all the new changes and new offerings it gives. For completely free software, they are doing an amazing job. Nailing the recipe for a 3D prints will let you get th...
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...
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...
Let's get started with the PiicoDev® Magnetometer. In this guide, we'll connect the Magnetometer to our micro:bit, get it working as a compass, and read the magnetic field strength of a nearby magnet. To follow along, it's best to...
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 ...
Raspberry Pi Boards are a great gateway for learning about how to get to grips with computers, at a price that makes it hugely accessible and a size that fits right in your hand. Raspberry Pi boards are chock a block full of features a...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
Let's get started with the PiicoDev® Magnetometer. In this guide, we'll connect the Magnetometer to our Raspberry Pi Pico, get it working as a compass, and read the magnetic field strength of a nearby magnet. Finally, we'll remix the c...
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...
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 ...
Let's get started with the PiicoDev® Magnetometer. In this guide we'll connect the Magnetometer to our Raspberry Pi, get it working as a compass, and read the magnetic field strength of a nearby magnet. Finally, we'll remix the code to ...
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...
The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects that are all around us which are blessed with sensors, software, and other technology for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems al...
Who should follow this tutorial? If this is your first experience with Raspberry Pi, and you're using a starter kit for a Raspberry Pi Zero W, then this tutorial is for you. We'll plug everything into where it needs to be, install an ...
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...
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...
Welcome to the Raspberry Pi Workshop for Beginners! Here you'll be able to follow along with our series of bite-sized videos that cover everything you'll need to know to get started with your Raspberry Pi, and start making awesome project...
Sometimes a good Raspberry Pi project needs to be in a place that just hard to reach. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ has a small form factor and is well suited for being tucked away inside a box, ceiling, or wherever your project demands. It...
The new Gizmos and Gadgets revision 2.0 from littleBits is here and we've decided to review the kit for any budding inventors (or inventor's parents) out there. The v1.0 kit was impressive enough, we were interested to see what littleBits c...
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...
Welcome to the Arduino Workshop, where you'll be able to follow our guided course which covers everything you'll need to know in order to create your own Arduino projects and become a leveled up maker. My name is Sam and along with being ...
Introduction Welcome to the guide for the Makerverse Load Cell kit. With this hardware you will be able to make a set of scales capable of measuring weights up to 3kg with a precision as low as 0.1g! To follow along you will need: ...
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 right? It’s amazing! Raspberry Pi has taken the world by storm and changed the way that people think about computing. The Raspberry Pi 3 builds on this with some amazing new features, however one feature that is still ab...
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....
Hey guys, today is the day where we introduce you to another piece of mind-blowingly awesome technology known as Teensy. Simply put, Teensy is a brand of microcontroller development boards created by PJRC and designed by the co-owner, Pau...
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...
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...
Wi-Fi, as we know it, is a form of wireless communication based on the 802.11 standards as outlined by the IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). If you're paying attention to it, you'll notice an appendage to this st...
This Weather Station with Arduino was designed for the South Australia Catholic Education STEM Weather Station Challenge. We were lucky enough to be asked to build one of the basic kits provided to schools across South Australia for entry i...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Love your Raspberry Pi but wish it had even more connectivity akin to your mobile phone. Then the Waveshare 4G HAT is the solution for you! HAT simply means Hardware attached On Top. With this installed on your Raspberry Pi Single Board Co...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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,...
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. ...
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...
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 connection. Digital...
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...
[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 ...
Introduction The Makerverse Nano Power Timer is an ultra-low current consumption power controller designed to periodically turn on a battery powered microcontroller. It is perfect for maximising the battery life of data-logging sensor...
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...
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 ...
Introduction This guide will help you read temperature data from your PiicoDev Precision Temperature Sensor and a Micro:bit. To follow along, it's best to have: A Micro:bit A PiicoDev Precision Temperature Sensor TMP117 A PiicoDev a...
Introduction This guide will help you read temperature data from your PiicoDev® Precision Temperature Sensor and a Raspberry Pi Pico To follow along, it's best to have: A Raspberry Pi Pico with pins sol...
Introduction This guide will help you read temperature data from your PiicoDev® Precision Temperature Sensor and a Raspberry Pi single-board computer To follow along, it's best to have: A Raspberry Pi (model 3, 4, Zero or Zer...
This guide is all about doing clever things in a software to get the best results out of a 3D printer. The main focus is turning intricate CAD files into a format that you can print without small details or thin walls being neglected b...
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...
Perhaps you’ve read our Gaming Kit for RetroPie tutorial on how to setup a RetroPie console and wondered what’s required to actually build one, or heard about it and not been sure what you need. Well, today is your lucky day bec...
School zone sign There are lots of maker and Internet of Things (IoT) projects that need a high quality mobile Internet connection. While technologies like Sigfox and LoRa are going to be a big part of our future, in a lot of places cellu...
The ability to connect your test equipment to a local PC is invaluable. It allows monitoring and the use of your equipment via a PC interface. That includes coveted mouse/keyboard control! This control centre capability is essential when yo...
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...
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, ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
Recently, we've talked a lot about Slicing software, settings, materials and the like. It's time to take a deeper dive into the actual design of model files. We've got a basics guide for Computer Aided Design available here. We're going to ...
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...
If you could operate your switch without physically toggling it on and off, you would open yourself up to an entire section of electronics. Relays are one of the best ways of doing this. A relay is essentially just a switch, controlled by a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The latest Circuit Playground board, the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express comes equipped with an onboard IR transmitter and receiver! This can be used to communicate with TVs and other household devices. You can also use infrared remote ...
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is finally here! This is a huge leap forward for single-board computing and what better way to explore it than power one up, run some tests and stress it out! Here are the test results for those peopl...
In this guide we'll show you how to make a small improvement to the Fire-EdUp Platform to automatically capture temperature data. This will save us having to input the data manually - and could in theory be extended to many more calculatio...
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...
Let's get started with the PiicoDev® OLED Module SSD1306. In this guide, we'll connect the PiicoDev OLED to our Raspberry Pi and get it working with some example code to display text, shapes, and animations. To follo...
Raspberry Pi Compute Modules have developed in tandem with the many generations of Raspberry Pi single-board computers. These boards are in every right a microprocessor just like their bigger cousins however they are a very different form f...
There are many different ways to use your mobile phone to remotely control and manage any Raspberry Pi and one of the best options out there to date is the phone application RaspController (you can also find it for free in the Google P...
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...
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...
Interested in creating designs to be laser cut? In this tutorial, we will learn how to use Gimp and Inkscape to convert a graphic image to a vector image that you can cut on a laser cutter! In order for the job control software to turn you...
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. warning: this is a "nano" gateway...
A soldering station is a multipurpose power soldering device designed for electronic components soldering and they find homes on any modern makers desk. They also are widely used in electronics repair workshops, electronic laboratories, in ...
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...
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 ...
IntroductionLet’s take a look at the Raspberry Pi Pico W - a WiFi-enabled development board from Raspberry Pi. This overview article will explore the Pico W features and specifications. As always, there are additional resources at th...
Different environments will present completely different fire behaviour under the same conditions. For example, a eucalypt forest may burn more severely than a grassland because of the difference in fuel type and climate. In this video we ...
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...
Let's get started with the PiicoDev® OLED Module SSD1306. In this guide, we'll connect the PiicoDev OLED to our Raspberry Pi Pico and get it working with some example code to display text, shapes, and animations. To ...
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...
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 ...
In the Spring of 2012, a tech-gadget company called Evollve Inc. was founded with the goal of creating innovative ways for tech-savvy youngsters to play, learn and interact in a digitally expanding world. There's absolutely nothing wrong wi...
A super quick article for those who just got their hands on the Raspberry Pi Pico and want to keep it safe and snug in a case. Either with a resin printer or fused filament printer both can produce excellent cases. It was very pleasant prot...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
[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...
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...
The :MOVE MINI allows you to turn your micro:bit into a simple robot! In this guide, we will give you some tips and tricks for assembling the :MOVE mini. This is a DIY assembly item and takes 30-60 minutes to fully assemble. There is a grea...
IntroductionThis article will compare the Raspberry Pi Pico, and Pico W. Aside from the obvious difference (the Pico W has wireless connectivity), there are a few smaller and more subtle differences that are worth considering.Physical Comp...
There has been uncovered a new worthwhile step on the Python Journey thanks to the help of my co-worker and forum superstar Owen. That step is the Flask Web App Framework for Python. This framework is going to allow you to do thin...
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...
So what does it mean to run headless?A computer setup without a monitor is said to be running headless. You might want to do this if you're installing your Pi into some project, or want to keep power-usage and cost minimal. This kind of se...
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 ...
Introduction This guide will cover the basic functionality of the GlowBit Python library when driving a GlowBit Stick 1x8 module. To follow along, it's best to have: A GlowBit Stick 1x8 A Raspberry Pi Pico or...
Makey Makey is a compact circuit board which allows you to create circuits using anything you like and connect them up to a computer. You use alligator clips to connect things to the Makey Makey, and then your Makey Makey connectors to a co...
The Internet of Things(IoT) and its devices have been utilised by ‘DIYers’ and ‘Makers’ to connect projects to the internet and take advantage of the worldwide network we have created. Some might say a sentence with ...
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 ...
The Adafruit Circuit Playground Express comes packed with sensors, and for this tutorial, we are going to learn to use the onboard thermometer (technically a thermistor)! We will take temperature readings with the thermometer and print out ...
Every Micro:bit has the ability to measure visible light, but what about UV light? Imagine that you are growing a plant on the window sill in a well-lit room. Does your plant have enough light? Plants need UV light to photosynthesize e...
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 ...
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 ...
The Makey Makey introduces the concept of using everday objects like fruit, lead pencil drawings, play dough etc. to interact with your computer via USB. The Makey Makey acts like a HID device over USB, which means that it behaves just like...
What We'll AchieveThis guide will help you set up a Plant_io controller to automatically irrigate a plant of your choice. This example focuses on germinating seeds, but this is only one option. Along the way we'll: Assemble a hardware pl...
Ever had the issue where you have dozens of old phone chargers and appliance plug packs piled up in a rats nest of AC-to-DC mayhem? We tend to breeze right past these square, black power supplies, not knowing what's happening under the hood...
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...
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...
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...
When you first look at the Photon, it’s staggering that such a small device could possess the incredible functionality that it does, but not only does it bring an impress spec sheet to the table, but the true power is unlocked in the ...
The Adafruit Circuit Playground Express comes equipped with an onboard microphone that is capable of sensing both amplitude and frequency. This tutorial will walk through a quick sketch using MakeCode to turn the lights on the board into a ...
In this article, we'll program a Micro:bit v2 using a web browser. We'll connect a Micro:bit to our computer, open python.microbit.org and begin coding our first script. Contents What You'll Need Connect your Micro:bit Open the Progr...
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...
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...
One of the big questions in DIY electronics circles is which DIY platform is going to be the best for me? And the two biggest platforms right now is Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Whilst at first glance they might seem the same; circuit board ...
Bluetooth is a low-power radio technology used to link devices wirelessly. Most commonly recognised as the way to link a mobile phone to a car or speaker, it has many uses beyond that. The "low power" aspect is not a shortcoming, as a large...
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...
If you’re in the education sector or keep up to date with the latest STEM learning tools, then you’ve most likely heard of Sphero. It’s one of the most popular educational products which fuses robotics with imagination and...
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...
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 ...
NOOBS has made installing Operating Systems (OS) on the Raspberry a super simple process. If you haven’t purchased a Raspberry Pi NOOBS MicroSD card, you can download NOOBS onto a blank SD card in a couple of quick, easy steps. ...
LittleBits have launched a global network of organizations to share and spread the word of littleBits. It's all to put the power of electronics in the hands of everyone. The 'chapters' are simply locations such as maker spaces and libraries...
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...
This tutorial will show you how to update the software on your Rigol Oscilloscope. This will unlock the latest features as well as solve some bugs. What you will need. Rigol Digital OscilloScope (1054Z or 1104Z) USB thumb drive (any wi...
There is a new board in the Raspberry Pi family! In this Tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to set up your new Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+.To setup your Raspberry Pi 3A+ you will need: A Raspberry Pi 3A+ A Preloaded NOOBS SD Card...
uGateway is setup, with the exception of your WiFi password. It's perhaps best we don't know what that is! If you know your way around Pi Zero and Raspbian (with desktop edition) then you can edit WiFI details as normal. He...
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...
In this tutorial, we will look at the basics of Solenoids and how they work. Then we will design a small circuit that can drive a Solenoid from the input/output pins on your Arduino board. We covered a whole bunch of rotational motion co...
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...
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...
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...
The 8Bitdo SF30 Pro was launched at the end of 2017 by 8Bitdo in an effort to create the ultimate, ‘portable’ gaming controller. Having become known for their faithful recreations of vintage gaming controllers, the SF30 Pro is a...
IntroductionIn this guide, we'll get a Raspberry Pi Pico W connected to the internet using WiFi. To demonstrate the connection we can query a webpage, or get the current time from a time service. To follow along, all you'll need is: A R...
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...
The Infinity Mirror Kit is a desk-top display that creates a dazzling optical illusion - a tunnel of light that tears through space! Note: This tutorial is for the Infinity Kit V1. We updated have updated to the Infinity Kit V2 as of ...
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...
Hello and welcome to another tutorial on the joys of RetroPie. Today we’re going to look at making RetroPie even better. If you’ve had the chance to play around with the RetroPie system, you’ll have noticed that whilst it ...
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 ...
There is some wild weather approaching! We need a way to give ourselves an early warning when a disaster strikes! In this project, we will use the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express to make an all in one Disaster Detection Station that wil...
Where do I start? If you’re new to programming Python is a great place to start! I’ve seen Python taught to primary school age children and I have used Python in a Machine Intelligence course at university. It’s no wonder...
Sometimes all a good Pycom project needs is some colourful lights! This tutorial demonstrates how to control WS2812 LEDs with the Pycom Wipy and Lopy4. WS2812 or WS2812B LEDs (otherwise known as NeoPixels) are the most commonly used RG...
Nowadays, everything is going wireless. Phones, computers, game controllers, consoles, everything! Wireless technology has allowed us to use electronic devices with an untethered freedom which just isn’t possible with clunky cables ...
Now that your RedBoard is set up on its baseplate and the Arduino IDE is installed on your computer, we can begin our first Arduino-based Project Set! The First Project Set explores light and the type of electrical component we will be usin...
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...
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...
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...
UPDATE: This tutorial has been updated for the Krypton release of Kodi (Version 17) If you have built yourself a home media center using a Raspberry Pi, you're one step ahead of most people out there. The pure joy that comes from having a ...
What is Node-RED? Node-RED is a tool originally created by IBM for flow-based programming, and has built-in support for the Raspberry Pi and it's GPIO capabilities. It runs on top of Node.js, and can be accessed with just a web browse...
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...
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...
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...
In case you haven’t heard, the Internet of Things (IoT) is upon us. More and more devices everyday are being connected to the internet to communicate to people and other devices. Particle have seen the DIY/maker community’s desi...
In this article I'll compare three popular Arbitrary function generators. They are all about the same price point and popular among makers. The models up for review are: Rigol DG1022 (data) ...
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...
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...
Welcome to the exciting world of laser cutting! For all those makers out there looking to start creating with a laser cutter, this tutorial will have the basic information you need to get started! We recently added a Laser Cutting Service t...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
This guide will help you get started with the Raspberry Pi Pico and the Thonny Python IDE, which has out-of-the-box support for Micropython and Pico. #html-body [data-pb-style=J07FV6P],#html-body [data-pb-style=WP5FQO4]{background-position...
The Adafruit Circuit Playground Express comes equipped with an analog light sensor, but it can be used for much more than just sensing light or darkness! The light sensor has a similar spectral response to the human eye. Its connected to an...
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. In the lasts article we looked at...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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’...
In this tutorial, we'll get some WS2812B LEDs (also known as GlowBits and NeoPixels) working with a Raspberry Pi Pico. If you haven't already set up Thonny for programming your Pico, follow our guide on that first. To follow along you'll...
This will be a quick article showing the process to flash the legacy Raspberry Pi OS 'Buster' Debian 10 (or any previous OS iteration) to a Micro-SD card. With any exciting new Operating System (OS) release, there are always small ...
Break your television and monitors free from the confines of their edges with Hyperbian! This is an open-source ambient light software that will improve the way you enjoy your favourite media. Hyperion for the Raspberry Pi ∴ Hy...
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...
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...
Now that we've investigated and explained how How GPS Receivers work we can apply that understanding to some real-world applications of of the ideas. To start, we can use any GPS receiver, an Arduino Uno and some male-to-female Jumper ...
In this tutorial, we will learn how to code for the Onion Omega2 on our PC, and then wirelessly upload our code using the ATOM text editor. The ATOM text editor is a powerful and easy to use text editor developed by the team at Github...
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...
Let's get started with the PiicoDev® OLED Module SSD1306. In this guide, we'll connect the PiicoDev OLED to our Raspberry Pi Pico and get it working with some example code to display text, shapes, and animations. To f...
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...
Imagine being a builder without a hammer, or a car without a brake, this is kind of useful, but nowhere near as useful as it could be. This is like being a maker/DIY’er/enthusiast without being able to solder. Sure you can breadboard ...
The Micro:bit is great for small portable projects like a soil moisture sensor. In this tutorial, we will walk through how to program a Micro:bit to make a reliable and consistent soil moisture sensor that will give consistent readings. The...
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 ...
IntroductionIn this guide, we'll get a Raspberry Pi Pico W to send and receive data to the cloud using the MQTT protocol. To follow along, all you'll need is: A Raspberry Pi Pico W Understand how to connect the Pico W to WiFi Underst...
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...
The FEP film is a layer of transparent thin plastic (that is double layered) that is installed on the bottom of a resin tank (or Vat) in all resin 3D printers. This film creates a way for the UV light or laser light to cure the liquid resin...
IntroductionWelcome to the guide for the Makerverse Essentials Kit. This kit provides the fundamental hardware required to construct many of the kits in the Makerverse Kits range along with providing hardware which will continue to be usef...
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. In our two previous Pycom article...
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...
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 ...
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...
Single characters can be drawn on the display with: matrix.drawChar(char, Px, Py, colour) where: char is a single-character long string Px and Py specify the pixel coordinate of the upper left corner of the character colour is...
Introduction This guide will cover the basic functionality of the GlowBit Python library when driving a GlowBit Matrix 8x8 module. To follow along, it's best to have: A GlowBit Matrix 8x8 A Raspberry Pi Pico ...
A radio transceiver is a device that can both transmit and receive radio signals, making it the perfect tool for communication on the go and remote projects! The PiicoDev Transceiver™ is a 915MHz radio that can send short messages up...
It has finally happened, they figured it out! The new frontier of Colour Electronic Paper is here and I'm very impressed. People have been demanding this ever since the first E-Paper readers hit the market in the noughties. That black and ...
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...
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...
The Maker Revolution celebrates the creation of new devices and the modification of existing ones - the transition from a consumer buying goods to eventually having a major part in their creation. The Maker Revolution places strong emphasis...
--- NEW UPDATED GUIDE CLICK HERE ---This tutorial is aimed at getting some instant gratification from your WS2812 LEDs (also known as NeoPixels). We'll briefly cover a bare-bones setup for Raspberry Pi. This tutorial will work with ANY mod...
The Adafruit Circuit Playground Express comes equipped with an onboard microphone that is capable of sensing both amplitude and frequency. This tutorial will walk through a quick sketch using CircuitPython to turn the lights on the board in...
Introduction Let's play tones and melodies on a PiicoDev® Buzzer Module with a Micro:bit. This guide will cover connecting the hardware, running an example to make sure everything works and playing simple melodies. Of course, the Micr...
Introduction Let's play tones and melodies on a PiicoDev® Buzzer Module with a Raspberry Pi Pico. This guide will cover connecting the hardware, running an example to make sure everything works, and playing simple melodies. To follow ...
Introduction Let's play tones and melodies on a PiicoDev® Buzzer Module with a Raspberry Pi. This guide will cover connecting the hardware, running an example to make sure everything works, and playing simple melodies. To follow along...
For Ultimaker 3D printers it is crucial to have a flat and level build platform which is parallel to the path of the nozzle. By having a correctly set up print space it will ensure the best possible results for all 3D printed components.&nb...
You ever wanted an Ad-Free and Bloatware Free Media Streaming Device that can run 4K movies with clean audio that transforms any Screen into a Smart TV. Sounds almost too good to be true but Raspberry Pi, Kodi and LibreELEC OS have swooped ...
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...
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...
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...
In this article we'll show you how to connect your PiicoDev® modules to your favourite development platforms. Connection Guides Other Connection Methods Pinouts Connecting Many Modules PiicoDev Smart Modules Custom I2C Addres...
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...
[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...
The Infinity Mirror Kit V2 is a desktop display that creates a dazzling optical illusion - a tunnel of light that tears through space! The Infinity Mirror Kit V2 entered production in October 2018, and now ships with an Adaf...
★ 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 ...
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...
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...
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...
After some serious touch time your LulzBot 3D Printer and the quick print options in Cura 2, it's more than likely that you want to make more specific changes to the way 3D Models are printed. Whether it be, changing the support type and st...
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...
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...
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...
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...
If you’ve ever pulled an SD card out of a Raspberry Pi and attempted to re-flash it with another disk image, you may have noticed something funny… "My X Gigabyte SD card has shrunk to a few megabytes! What gives?" No, your S...
It would be good to have some understanding of Pycom microcontroller boards before reading this article. We won’t go into what capabilities each microcontroller board has. If you’d like an introduction, try our Pycom WiPy Overvi...
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...
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...
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...
Converting a Mule into an articulated 4 wheel vehicle. A 'Mule' is/was a hand trolley with a motorised elevatable platform. What for? Just for fun, want to be able to control it using the R2D2 droid inventor app via LittleBits boards, why ...
I made this car because at school there was a Lego We-Do tug-of-war competition but the cars only drove backward and I wanted to make a car that can turn and drive forwards. If you make this car don't throw away the chassis box because I ...
The objective of this project was to create an Internet of Things (IoT) device that could give pet access to a food bowl when a text message command was sent from a remote location. I had never done an IoT project before, so I wanted to ke...
An infinity mirror creates a striking optical illusion - a tunnel of light that seems to tear through space. I built this infinity-mirror table using some addressable LEDs, a Particle Photon and easily obtainable timber supplies. Check out...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
Introduction My passion hobby is night-time time-lapse photography and astrophotography/nightscapes. This means a lot of time spent outside in the dead of winter overnight and an issue that I faced was dew condensing on the lens. This is...
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...
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...
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...
We've got a whole bunch of Raspberry Pi 3 Cases here at Core Electronics. From the Official Enclosure that's perfect for most uses, right through to the gilded PiBow Coupe from Pimoroni. All of the cases we see have one or two impressive fe...
[Update – Until there is correct compatibility of NPM with the new Raspberry Pi ‘Bullseye’ OS I highly recommend at this stage flashing and using the previous Raspberry Pi ‘Buster’ OS onto your Micro-...
This project is about how to build an 8 bit computer on breadboards, from 7400 series basic TTL. I am currently in the process of building mine, and will give an overview of what's involved. It is a great project that can teach you a lot ab...
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 ...
This project is to allow remote control of my pool and associated lights with a dedicated display inthe house, a phone application and Amazon Alexa. Any and/or all of these input devices may be usedto control the pool. The pool temperature ...
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...
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...
The Raspberry Pi Microscope was put together to help with soldering PCBs that have small surface mount components. Its main function is to verify the quality of solder joints and ensure there aren’t any short circuits. With the addition of...
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...
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...
In the area I live, there are often kangaroos that jump in front of traffic, often from blind spots, and can get themselves into harm's way. I wanted to build a low-cost solution that can alert drivers to kangaroos in these blind spots to r...
I like to take on projects that give me an opportunity to learn new things. For this project, my two goals were to learn more about face detection algorithms and PID controllers but of course, there were so many more skills learned along th...
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...
In this project, I'm using an esp32 board combined with a thermistor, plus an Amazon Web Services Lambda API plus some web charting code for temperature sensing. Source code can be found in the GitHub repository: https://github.com/Acr...
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...
I’ve had a Current Cost Power Monitor for a number of years which worked well until we put solar on the roof. The Current Cost can’t determine which direction the power is flowing and so power generation and con...
I’ve had a Current Cost Power Monitor for a number of years which worked well until we put solar on the roof. The Current Cost can’t determine which direction the power is flowing and so power generation and con...
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 ...
The aim of this project was to create a working model of the aircraft exterior lighting systems. Initially, this started as a simple project for Uni, but I wasn’t having that. I wanted to learn something. So of course, I went over the...
Do you get nightmares of losing your YouTube Subscribers? If you do, you are not the only one. Luckily I have made this "YouTube Desktop Notifier" to keep me up-to-date with my channels Subscriber and View Counts. This very simple DIY ...
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...
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 ...
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...
I used an Arduino and a US-100 ultrasonic sensor to make an extremely low-cost tide gauge. This project measures the tide by sensing the distance to water using a US-100 ultrasonic sensor. The device has a 3D printed base&nb...
YAM (or YetAnotherMonitor) I keep more than 20 enclosures of Australian native lizards and turtles and I want to make sure they are all in an appropriate environment. To that end, I built a microcontroller-based system to monitor the tempe...
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...
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...
The aim of this project was to use the sun to charge some batteries with 1W and 2W Seeed solar panels. The DFRobot Solar LiPo Charger and a Sunflower Solar Power Manager were purchased. Initially, this was unsuccessful because I did no...
I use a Raspberry Pi running EmonCms for collecting sensor data and controlling devices around the home but several things have been on my To-Do list to enhance its functionality. A Shutdown/Power Down/Startup circuit. Proportional fan...
Do you want a quick, easy, cheap RF remote control for your Raspberry Pi projects? Well, look no further than the front door! As you've probably got a half-duplex RF setup you've never considered using in a project before. Try this simple h...
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...
This project is about adding a wireless Adafruit Feather HUZZAH ESP8266 or ESP32 v2 with Adafruit Featherwing 128x64 OLED to interface with the self-assembled MightyOhm Geiger Kit.
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...
Making a dumb coffee grinder slightly less dumb. This is a programmable timer tethered to a Rancilio Rocky coffee grinder. The Rocky is a "dumb" grinder and electrically very simple. Basically it's an ac motor with an on/off switch and a m...
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...
I had first seen smart mirrors online several years ago and have been meaning to create one ever since, my requirements were to be able to see the time, weather, calendar and news. The great thing about it is the unlimited possibility for c...
We made a Pi Zero W retro-games console! The nostalgia is making me dizzy! If you'd like to build your own, we've put together a couple of wishlists to make things easier: For the Pi Zero W build, like in this project, check out the PiG...
The PiicoDev Sketcher is a fun, interactive toy reminiscent of sketching toys from my childhood. The user draws an image using the two knobs - one for X-control and the other for Y. Turning one knob at a time produces horizontal or vertica...
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...
Summary A Raspberry Pi 3B is used to collect digital counts from an electronic rain gauge (1mm of rain per reed switch closure by magnetic see-saw). It has been running without issues for over 12 months. A UPS powers the Pi so it is immune...
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...
Hey, My son is turning 1 and I wanted to setup a retro gaming station for him to learn to game through the ages. I went with RetroPie as it is well documented and supports a range of emulators - and it's easy to setup.My RetroPie Gaming Ki...
We've built a mass SD card writer using a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, some USB hubs and SD card readers. This beast has enough ports to write 49 SD cards at once! At Core Electronics, sometimes logistics hang-ups mean that suppliers cannot mee...
This project started because I wanted to know the signal strength of the Wifi in various places around my house. I had set up a Pi Zero as a simple watering system controller. It would switch a solenoid on and off based on a 7 day schedule;...
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...
This is the third project I've put up using the Makey Makey, and it's incredible fun, but it's also the simplest. Today I'm going to show you how to make a simple Skill Tester game complete with sound effects using a Makey Makey board and s...
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...
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...
UV is important to reptiles (and people) in processing vitamin D3 which is needed to absorb calcium. Without it reptiles often suffer from Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) which leads to weak bones and can be fatal. Thankfully, pet shops have t...
Despite having two high-quality variable (but analog) benchtop power supplies, I decided you can never have too many. I also specifically wanted a fixed, multi-output supply for standard project voltages such as 3.3V, 5V, 9V, 12V, ...
Despite having two high-quality variable (but analog) benchtop power supplies, I decided you can never have too many. I also specifically wanted a fixed, multi-output supply for standard project voltages such as 3.3V, 5V, 9V, 12V, ...
After purchasing an Anycubic Photon resin printer, I wanted an easy and reliable method for post-curing the prints. This allows the printed resin to achieve maximum material strength and eliminate tackiness in...
After purchasing an Anycubic Photon resin printer, I wanted an easy and reliable method for post-curing the prints. This allows the printed resin to achieve maximum material strength and eliminate tackiness in...
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 -...
This project started due to the smoke haze that enveloped our area during the 2019 and 2020 bushfires. I wanted something to check the air quality of my home and maybe find areas where it needed better sealing. In addition, the BMP280 senso...
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...
This piece combines recycled electronics extracted from decommissioned computers and new electronic components. I had an idea I wanted to incorporate a lighting element into a contemporary sculpture so it was just a matter of coming up with...
If you have chickens and find you're not always available to close the gate at night or check the water levels each day, then why not use an ESP8266 to automate your chicken door and receive alerts door status and low water level, as well a...
How-to guides are very useful, but while “do this, then do that” is great to reproduce exactly what is in the guide, it’s less helpful if you want or need to modify the project. This is especially true with technology proj...
The inspiration for this project stems back to my childhood when I was curious to find out how the mechanical barometer worked.
The inspiration for this project stems back to my childhood when I was curious to find out how the mechanical barometer worked.
This project started life as an alarm clock for my son made to look like the time circuit from the Back to the Future movies. The display can show the time in various formats, including the one from the movies of course. It's configurable v...
A smaller version of our amazing Infinity-Mirror Table - the Desktop Infinity Mirror compresses all the colourful goodness into a picture frame-sized display. The entire design is made from laser-cut acrylic that we cut in-house. Check out ...
As part of a larger home automation project, I wanted the ability to control some mains power outlets remotely. To achieve this, I interfaced the transmitter from an inexpensive 433MHz mains remote control kit with a raspberry pi zero w (vi...
This project will measure atmospheric conditions (Temperature, Humidity, Air Pressure) and log them to an SD card over a long period (months!) while running off a few AA or AAA cells. Usually, projects powered by an Arduino Uno are quite p...
The purpose of this project is to design a system that will automatically track stars or satellites. The first version, described here, is specifically to track stars and operate a Raspberry Pi HQ camera to take a series of long-exposure im...
Hi all. Thought I'd share with you my modded Spirit Halloween proton pack. It's about 80% scale, which is plenty big enough for my 7-year-old son, and still looks decently sized on adults. As soon as I learned of this pack, 5-year-old me ju...
Today we will be making an Arduino circuit that will start playing a noise if the water (or surrounding environment) reaches a certain temperature, in our case, that temperature will be 100° Celsius. This is a useful little projec...
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...
I was interested in creating a RPi Cluster to learn about how they work. After getting the clusterhat and Pi Zero Ws I set about creating the images for 5 sd cards. This seemed a waste so I scrapped that idea and setup the image for one sd ...
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 ...
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...
I love the ESP line-up. I started by messing around with the ESP8266 and I completely fell in love with it. The 8266 is all I ever wanted from a microcontroller: WIFI connectivity, a decent amount of GPIO, a deep-sleep mode for batter...
I recently picked up a used BMW E46 and noticed the door panel trims were all hanging on by some duct tape. When I went to inspect, I noticed that all the clips had been broken and replaced with silicone rubber to try and hold it to the doo...
The motivation behind this project came from a robotics and engineering club that I've been going to. I've been saving my money and building up an understanding of raspberry pi and electronics. The reason I chose this project was to get use...
Once you go down the retro gaming rabbit hole, that's it, you're not getting out without putting together your own gaming console. It all began with my hacked PSP, which I was running emulators on. Then I wanted to run them on my big screen...
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...
For $50 and some dedication a retro gaming console can be yours and with HDMI you can play it with any modern TV or monitor. Instead of using bulky and space taking cartridges and discs it's all on the console. For this build, we're going ...
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