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Core Electronics is powered by real makers and DIYers who are all about helping others through Maker Education®. These tutorials are made by us to guide people through electronics and technical "stuff". Get in touch with us if you have an idea for a great resource.
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Latest Tutorials
- Micro:bit Soil Moisture Sensor
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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 goal of t...
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Tags: education learning makecode microbit sensor soil moisture sparkfun
- Temperature Sensing with the TMP36 and Pycom
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The TMP36 is a low cost, easy to use sensor that fits well with any project. With the TMP36, adding temperature sensing to your Pycom project is easy! In this tutorial, we will use the Pycom Lopy4, and send our measured data to The Things Network via...
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Tags: lopy4 pycom sensing temperature the things network tmp36 ttn
- Light Sensing with an LDR and Pycom
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One of the simplest sensors in any makers toolkit is a light sensor or LDR. An LDR works by changing its resistance from 1k ohm to 10K ohm depending on how much light is striking it. In this tutorial, we will show you how to use one with a Pycom Lopy...
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Tags: ldr light lopy4 lora pycom sensing the things network ttn
- Ultrasonic Sensing with Pycom
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One of the most common sensors in any makers toolbox is the HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Rangefinder. They are an easy to use solution for detecting the proximity of objects up to 6m away! They work best in the 1-2 meter range though. In this tutorial, we will...
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Tags: distance hcsro4 lopy4 lora lorawan micropython pycom rangefinder sro4 ultrasonic
- Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi 3A+
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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 A power ...
- How to 3D Print Your Own Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ Case
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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 to 3D print...
- How to Connect to your Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ Remotely Using SSH
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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's not pra...
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Tags: noobs raspberry pi raspberry pi 3a remote rpi rpi3a ssh
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ Comparison
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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 it stacks ...
- Send a Downlink from Adafruit.io via The Things Network
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Any good LoRaWAN device can send data up to the cloud, but now its time to send data back down to the device. TTN Fair Access Policy limits the data each device can send. A TTN device can use 30 seconds of uplink time per day, per device. At most, yo...
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Tags: adafruit.io dashboard downlink http ifttt integration iot lopy lopy4 lora lorawan pioneer pioneers pycom the things network ttn uplink
- Infinity Mirror Kit V2 - Assembly and Tutorials
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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 Adafruit Trinket to...
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Tags: arduino assembly infinity infinity mirror infinity mirror kit infinity mirror kit v2 instructions kit mirror trinket
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- How To Setup Raspberry Pi Zero W Headless WiFi
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The following instructions will work anytime, you don't necessarily have to follow them for the first boot - this is just a very convenient way to get your Raspberry Pi onto a network without using any plug-in peripherals like a keyboard, mouse or mo...
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Tags: headless raspberry pi setup ssh zero w
- Raspberry Pi Workshop for Beginners
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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 projects. My name...
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Tags: raspberry pi workshop
- How to Use a LCD Screen/Display with Raspberry Pi
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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’ll be ...
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Tags: composite display dsi hdmi lcd monitor pi raspberry screen
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Performance vs Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
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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 been clock...
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Tags: benchmark raspberry pi
- Stress Testing Your Raspberry Pi (for Cooling and Overclocking)
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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...
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Tags: a53 cooling cpuburn overclock pi power raspberry stress testing
Raspberry Pi Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- WS2812 Addressable LEDs: Arduino Quickstart Guide
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This tutorial is aimed at getting some instant gratification from your WS2812 LEDs (trade name: NeoPixels). I'll briefly cover a bare-bones setup for Arduino. If you've never used an Arduino before, we've got you covered with our free, online Arduin...
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Tags: addressable led leds neopixel neopixels ws2812 ws2812b
- Arduino Workshop for Beginners
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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 a maker my...
- Arduino Boards, Compared
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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, provide a tab...
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Tags: arduino beginner board comparison pinouts
- Controlling a Solenoid with an Arduino
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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 concepts whe...
- Switches, Debouncing and the Arduino
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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 switch works...
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Tags: arduino debouncing switches
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- What is the better tech, innoBits or littleBits?
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We get a lot of interest from parents and educators surrounding littleBits and innobits. Especially the difference between the two products. Both are magnetically connected electronic building blocks. Both products empower people to invent and create...
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Tags: alternatives innobits littlebits
- Our littleBits Gizmos and Gadgets Kit (2nd Edition) Review
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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 could have ...
- littleBits in Australia!
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Fun, educational blocks which educate on the fundamentals of electronics without swamping young minds minutia of electrical theory. That is the very core of what littleBits offers with their sensational range of products. But what is lit...
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Tags: australia littlebits
- littleBits for Educators
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Professional development, educator’s discounts, classroom kits teamed with hundreds of pages of supporting content and lesson plans. This is what you get when you decide to bring littleBits to the classroom. All the drudgery has been taken care...
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Tags: classroom educator littlebits school
- Our littleBits Rule Your Room Kit Review
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"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 our word f...
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Tags: kits littlebits review rule your room
Littlebits Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Hello World with the OLED FeatherWing
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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 accessible via the ...
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Tags: display featherwing gfx hello world oled
- Wi-Fly with Feather Boards
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I’ll level with you; the idea of microcontrollers and wireless networks was a little daunting to me initially. How on earth was I going to connect and control it with Wi-Fi?! But when I eventually I waded into the world of networking microcontr...
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Tags: connection feather wi-fi
- Wings of the Feather
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The Feather boards are the brains of your project, we took a closer look at the different models in our Birds of Feather article, check that out first (especially if you have no idea what the difference is between a feather and a wing). You can plug ...
- Boards of a Feather
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Have you ever used an Arduino board, and wanted to hook it straight up to a JST connected LiPo battery but knew it wouldn’t work? Or maybe you wanted a microcontroller with built-in wireless capabilities? Well, Adafruit has developed their fam...
Adafruit Feather Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Capacitive Touch with Makey Makey
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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 a keyboar...
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Tags: capacitive educational makey
- Makey Makey in the Classroom
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Hey guys, if you’re looking to get the creativity and fun of Makey Makey into classrooms or workshops, then you’re in the right place! Makey Makey is an incredible tool for educators to get kids thinking about how they can use technology ...
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Tags: capacitive educational makey resistive
- Let's take a look at Makey Makey!
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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 computer or ...
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Tags: educational makey
- Makey Makey at Home
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Have you heard of Makey Makey? If not, you’re about to have your mind blown! Makey Makey is an incredible way to bring imagination, creativity, and technology together. If you’re not sure what Makey Makey is, check out our Let's take a lo...
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Tags: educational makey
Makey Makey Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- MicroPython Primer for Makers - What is MicroPython?
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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? MicroPython is an ...
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Tags: circuitpython micropython python repl
- Python Quick Reference
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Python is one of the fastest growing programming languages in the world! To help you master this language we have made a quick reference guide and are going to cover a few of the basics things to be aware of when starting out with python. This guide...
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Tags: cheat sheet poster python
MicroPython Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- How to Run a Python Script Automatically on Bootup / Startup with Onion Omega 2
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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 microcontrolle...
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Tags:
- Getting started with your Onion Omega2/2+
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In this tutorial we will learn how to set up the Onion Omega2/Omega2+ for the first time. You will require the following: Onion Omega2 or Omega2+ An Onion Omega2 Dock, such as: An Onion Omega2 dock, eg. Power Dock or Breadboard Do...
- Onion Omega - First Time Setup Using the Command Line
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In this tutorial, we will learn how to set up the Onion Omega2/Omega2+ for the first time using the command line. While the Omega2/2+ has a graphical setup wizard and a web-based GUI called the "Console," we have found both to be suscept...
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Tags:
- How to Install and Setup Python on Onion Omega 2
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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, we'll write...
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Tags: install light modules omega omega2 onion pip python python3 setup
- How to Setup ATOM (Code / Text Editor) on Onion Omega2
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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. It is al...
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Tags: atom editor github omega omega2 onion python setting setup started
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- Using NeoPixels with Particle
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Life’s better in colour right? Then why are you still using boring old regular LEDs in your project, when you could be using addressable RGB LEDs. Now LEDS that have Red, Green, and Blue integrated in a single package are nothing new, however t...
- Create a Smartphone App for Particle Without Coding
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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 creation, with ...
- Using Relays with Particle
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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, they usua...
- WS2812 Addressable LEDs: Particle Quickstart Guide
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This tutorial is aimed at getting some instant gratification from your WS2812 LEDs (trade name: NeoPixels). I'll briefly cover a bare-bones setup for the Particle Photon. If you've never used any Particle hardware before, learn how to get one set up...
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Tags: addressable led leds neopixel neopixels ws2812 ws2812b
- Moving From Arduino to Particle
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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 IoT devic...
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- Our Overview of Makeblock's Ultimate Kit 2.0
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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. Match this wit...
- An Introduction to Makeblock
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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 creativity in ...
- Our Overview of Makeblock mBot
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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 modular design ...
- Our Overview of Makeblock's Ranger Robotics Kit
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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 extra sense...
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- What is Teensy?
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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, Paul Stoffreg...
- Teensy Boards Compared
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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 can make i...
- USB MIDI With Teensy
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If you’re a musician or have had anything to do with the entertainment industry, you may have heard of the term MIDI before. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and was created in the mid-80’s as a way to standardize the ...
- Teensy 3.5 & 3.6 Review
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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 continued to inn...
- Using Teensy with Arduino IDE
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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 your Teensy,...
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- Encoding and Decoding Payloads on The Things Network
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Sending data to the cloud is great! You’ve followed our Getting Started on The Things Network Tutorial and you have data streaming out of your Pycom Lopy4 and into your TTN account. There is just one problem, it’s all bytes! How do we get...
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Tags: bytes decode encode iot lopy lopy4 lora lorawan payload pycom the things network things network ttn wireless
- Temperature Sensing with the TMP36 and Pycom
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The TMP36 is a low cost, easy to use sensor that fits well with any project. With the TMP36, adding temperature sensing to your Pycom project is easy! In this tutorial, we will use the Pycom Lopy4, and send our measured data to The Things Network via...
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Tags: lopy4 pycom sensing temperature the things network tmp36 ttn
- The Things Network, IFTTT, and BEYOND!
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Connecting your Pycom Lopy4 or another LoRaWAN device to The Things Network is the first step toward fully realized IoT fun! You’ve connected your device to TTN, you’ve decoded your payloads and now you can see all that data right there i...
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Tags: adafruit adafruit.io ifttt iot lopy lopy4 lora lorawan pioneer pioneers platform pycom the things network ttn
- Send a Downlink from Adafruit.io via The Things Network
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Any good LoRaWAN device can send data up to the cloud, but now its time to send data back down to the device. TTN Fair Access Policy limits the data each device can send. A TTN device can use 30 seconds of uplink time per day, per device. At most, yo...
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Tags: adafruit.io dashboard downlink http ifttt integration iot lopy lopy4 lora lorawan pioneer pioneers pycom the things network ttn uplink
- Ultrasonic Sensing with Pycom
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One of the most common sensors in any makers toolbox is the HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Rangefinder. They are an easy to use solution for detecting the proximity of objects up to 6m away! They work best in the 1-2 meter range though. In this tutorial, we will...
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Tags: distance hcsro4 lopy4 lora lorawan micropython pycom rangefinder sro4 ultrasonic
The Things Network Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Arduino with LattePanda
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Ah, Arduino and LattePanda coming together at last. What could be better? Well along with the fact that your LattePanda is a fully fledged Windows 10 computer so you can program any Arduino board you want as normal, one of the best things about Latte...
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Tags: arduino iot lattepanda windows
- Raspberry Pi vs. LattePanda
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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 miracle wonder ...
- What is LattePanda?
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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 Pi is awe...
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Tags: arduino iot lattepanda windows
LattePanda Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Remote 3D Printing with OctoPi
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Remote control of your 3D printer is a particularly appealing concept, especially if you've been forced into printing via USB in the past. Using your new 3D printer should be as simple as plugging it in, uploading some G-Code and pressing 'Print'. Ho...
- Tune your First Layer - Z Offsets
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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 slowly tak...
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Tags: 3d printing first layer z-offset
- 3D Printing Workshop
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Welcome to the 3D Printing Workshop! I'm Aidan from Core Electronics and in this workshop we are going to take a hands-on journey into the exciting technology that is 3D printing. I have personally spent the past 12 months immersing myself into eve...
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Tags: 3d printing workshop
- Support Material: Printing and Removal
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By default, FFF/FDM 3D Printers require the 3D Models they print to grow up from the Print bed at an angle of 45 or more. This is by far the biggest limitation of all 3D Printers. To print models that don't follow that rule, and have parts hanging ou...
- OctoPrint Integration with Cura 2.6+ Lulzbot Edition
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OctoPrint Integration is one of my favourite new features in Cura 2.6+: LulzBot Edition. In short, this integration means that you can print and control your 3D Printer via it's OctoPrint server. All from within your slicer window on your PC. The cur...
3D Printing Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- CircuitPython vs MicroPython: Key Differences
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Have you ever wanted to program your microcontrollers with Python instead of Arduino? MicroPython and CircuitPython bring the ease of Python to microcontrollers by adding hardware support! In MicroPython, Python is largely unchanged other than the ad...
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Tags: adafruit circuitpython code micropython programming python
- Circuit Playground Express Workshop for Educators and Beginners
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Welcome to the Circuit Playground Express Workshop! This workshop is geared toward educators and coding beginners, who want to get started programming with this easy to use platform. We will go over everything you need to know to get you started prog...
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Tags: adafruit circuit playground express circuitpython coding cpx javascript makecode programming
- Introducing CircuitPython: Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
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CircuitPython is a variant of MicroPython that is designed with ease of use and simplicity in mind, and it works great with the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express. CircuitPython is based on the very popular Python programming language, they have jus...
- How to get started with Circuit Playground
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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, solderless and ...
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Tags: circuit playground guide setup
- Sound Reactive Lights with CircuitPython: Adafruit Circuit Playground Express
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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 into a mic a...
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Tags: adafruit circuit playground express circuitpython microphone sound
Circuit Playground Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Building a LoRaWAN Nano Gateway to The Things Network
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warning: this is a "nano" gateway and not intended for long-term use on the TTN. It's a just-for-fun tutorial that we wanted to explore and share how things went, but there are gotchas. This gateway will only operate on 3-channels. Also, nodes (remot...
- Your First LoRaWAN Node on The Things Network
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In the lasts article we looked at Building a LoRaWAN Nano Gateway to The Things Network. There wasn't a lot to do there. We put together the Pycom hardware, configured The Things Network to see our Pycom device as a Gateway, then we took code supplie...
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Tags: fipy internet of things lopy lora lorawan pycom the things network
- Encoding and Decoding Payloads on The Things Network
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Sending data to the cloud is great! You’ve followed our Getting Started on The Things Network Tutorial and you have data streaming out of your Pycom Lopy4 and into your TTN account. There is just one problem, it’s all bytes! How do we get...
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Tags: bytes decode encode iot lopy lopy4 lora lorawan payload pycom the things network things network ttn wireless
- Internet of Things with Pycom and Adafruit IO - From Zero to Hero
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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 the device f...
- IoT with LoRaWAN, Pycom, The Things Network & Node-RED
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In our two previous Pycom articles we covered Building a LoRaWAN Nano Gateway to The Things Network, and creating Your First LoRaWAN Node on The Things Network. In these articles we used the mighty powerful Pycom LoPy (part of the Pycom range) to bui...
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Tags: fipy lopy lora lorawan node-red pycom the things network ttn
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- How to Pair and Map 8Bitdo SF30 Pro Controller with RetroPie
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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 thoughts on the...
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Tags: 8bitdo bluetooth controller gaming mapping pairing retropie sf30pro
- How to Save Games on RetroPie
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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 that will ...
- Updating 8Bitdo Controller Firmware
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One of the great things about the 8Bitdo controllers is the fact that you can upgrade the firmware as new builds are released by 8Bitdo, allowing for future compatibility with various platforms. The process for updating the 8Bitdo controller firmware...
- Setting up Your Retroflag NESPi Case with a Heatsink and Cooling Fan
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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 your Pi boar...
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Tags: case emulator fan gaming heatsink install nes pi retro
- Configuring 8Bitdo N64 Controller Mapping
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RetroPie is a fantastic system, and once you map your input device, it will take those mappings and apply them to all of the emulators on RetroPie. If you’re new to RetroPie and want to find out a bit more, take a read of our Gaming Kit for Ret...
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Tags: 8bitdo controller mapping n64
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- How to use GPS with Arduino - Parse and Log NMEA Sentences
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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 cables. We...
- How to Use Ultrasonic Sensors
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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 still doe...
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Tags: distance measure ping sensor sonar sound ultrasonic wave
- How GPS Receivers work
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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 the Earth...
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Tags: gps nmea receiver start times
- Getting Hands-on with Sensors
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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 all kinds...
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Tags: camera moisture rtc sensor temperature ultrasonic
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- Sphero SPRK+ Review
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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 has many ...
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Tags: app bluetooth education robotic smart sphero sprk stem
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- How to Use HC-05 Bluetooth Modules
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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 for your p...
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Tags: at bluetooth connection hc05 wireless
- What are Xbee Modules?
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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 standard tha...
- What is the ESP32
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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 and product...
- How to network XBee and the Arduino
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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). All the...
- How to Choose a Bluetooth Module For Your Project
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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, there are Blu...
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Tags: bluetooth connection wireless
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- Getting Started with Circuit Scribe
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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 going to tak...
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Tags: circuit draw electronics kit
- Circuit Scribe for Educators
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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 of choices...
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Tags: circuit draw electronics kit
Circuit Scribe Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Micro:bit Soil Moisture Sensor
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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 goal of t...
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Tags: education learning makecode microbit sensor soil moisture sparkfun
- Natural Disaster Sensor Project for Micro:bit
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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 range of up t...
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Tags: data logging data plotting microbit motion natural disaster radio sensor stem temperature wind
- Data Logging with the Micro:bit and OpenLog
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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 just won&...
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Tags: bbc data data logging logging microbit openlog sparkfun
- MicroPython Primer for Makers - What is MicroPython?
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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? MicroPython is an ...
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Tags: circuitpython micropython python repl
- micro:bit in the classroom
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Check out our Getting started with micro:bit video if you'd like to see a quick tutorial on writing a program, start-to-finish, with a micro:bit. In a Nutshell The micro:bit is a versatile and classroom-friendly, programmable electronics b...
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- Convert an Image to a Vector Graphic for Laser Cutting
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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 your design i...
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Tags: convert gimp graphic inkscape laser laser cutting vector vector graphic
- Making Boxes in Fusion 360 for Laser Cutting
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When making a box with a laser cutter, its entirely possible to make your design as a single flat drawing through careful planning and measurement – but who wants to do that!? This is a guide to making a box quickly and easily using Fusion 360....
- Using Slicer for Fusion360 for Laser Cutting
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Laser cutting is a very fast production and manufacturing method that has one limitation. You can only cut flat surfaces! Well don’t let that stop you from creating 3D objects and sculptures with a laser cutter, Fusion360 has a great app for co...
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Tags: 3d modeling engraving fusion360 laser laser cutting slicer slicer for fusion360
- Getting Started Guide for Laser Cutting
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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 to our site...
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Tags: cutting ectching engrave engraving etch laser laser cutting service services
- Laser Cut High Rise Case for the Arduino Uno
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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 the Ardui...
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Tags: arduino arduino case arduino uno high rise highrise laser laser cut shield case uno case
Laser Cutting Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Soldering 101
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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 your desig...
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Tags: iron prototyping soldering
- Choosing a Soldering Iron
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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 more info...
- How to use Solar LiPO Chargers
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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? Price and spac...
- What is a JST Connector?
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JST is a standard of electrical connection used widely across a spectrum of electrical applications. It's defined as a Japanese Solderless Terminal and is manufactured by a company of the same name. The JST range includes a variety of families of con...
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Tags: crimp jst solderless tools
- How to Use Breadboards
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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 inventors. H...
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Tags: breadboard prototyping
Prototyping Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Rigol's PC software: Ultra-Sigma and beyond
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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 you have man...
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Tags: connection pc rigol usb
- Choosing a Benchtop Power Supply
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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 supply an...
- How to use a Digital Multimeter
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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 measurements ...
- Rigol DG1022 vs Siglent SDG1025 vs Siglent SDG1032X - Function Generator Shootout
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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) Siglent SDG1025 ...
- Oscilloscope Triggers: A quick what and how
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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 our signal t...
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Tags: dso operation oscilloscope triggers
Test and Measurement Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Adding to Your EAGLE Component Library
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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 is awesome...
- Fritzing for Schematic and PCB Design
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Fritzing is a completely free Circuit Design program available across all popular operating systems. The program was designed to support hobbyists, hackers, artists and makers (and all creative minds) in taking the step from concept to prototype to p...
- Fritzing up an Arduino SHIELD
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We want to show you how great Fritzing is when it comes to going from your breadboarded prototype to a polished, Etchable PCB design. We are going to utilize a completed circuit we used for our SPI Arduino tutorial that uses a shift register to contr...
- Drawing Schematics With Eagle
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Welcome to part 1 of our Cadsoft Eagle tutorial. Put your hand up if you’ve always wanted to take the clunky, delicate circuit you’ve created on a breadboard, and turn it into a beautifully laid out PCB (Printed Circuit Board)? Or convert...
Schematic Design & PCBs Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Motor Drivers vs. Motor Controllers
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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 current, you&rsq...
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Tags: controller driver h-bridge motor pwm
- Addressable RGB LED Controllers
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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 some truly...
- Our tips for using NiMH Batteries
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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 applications. A...
- How to Use Speakers and Amplifiers with Your Project
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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 know whether ...
- Our tips for Coin Cell Batteries
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Firstly, what are Coin Cell Batteries? A coin cell battery is a flat, cylindrical battery used in a bunch of small electronics applications. You might have seen them in a wristwatch, remote control or any piece of wearable tech. Typically coin cells...
Analogue Electronics Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Programming with USB-Serial Converters
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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 such as Ardu...
- What Are NeoPixel LEDs?
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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...
- How to Use a Logic Level Shifter/Converter
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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 have only o...
- Serial Monitoring with Tera Term
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Monitoring what’s happening inside your microcontroller is an invaluable tool for prototyping and debugging. One of the best ways to do this is to send/receive data over a serial port. Most microcontrollers have a serial port that can output UA...
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Tags: arduino monitor particle pi raspberry rx serial tera terminal tx uart
- What Are DotStar LEDs (APA102/SK98225)?
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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. Digitally address...
Digital Electronics Most Popular 5 articles .. view all
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- Trying out Chibitronics - Our first paper circuit
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We are going to tear open a Chibitronics Intro pack. We will show you guys what's in one and how the sweet simplicity of Chibi-paper-circuit-magic is applied. Grab your Chibitronics Intro Pack and open it up, you will find: 3 White LED circuit st...
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Tags: chibi electronics for all ages simple stem young minds
- Chibitronics - Crafty circuits for all ages
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Technology has become a major part of everyday life. Constant innovations in our everyday technology can force people into a consumer role. What if we could take this consumer mindset and empower it with the foundations of electronics and technology?...
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Tags: chibitronics educational kits stem
- Chibitronics at Home - STEM Starter Kit
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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 Sticker Sketchbook with 5 pro...
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Tags: arts crafts education electronics stem
- An Educators Perspective - Chibitronics
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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 a class o...
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Tags: art australia educators electronics stem
