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80 GUIDES | 493 PAGES | 1 FEATURED | 81 POPULAR

Rotary Encoder in CircuitPython

How to use a rotary encoder in your CircuitPython projects!

by Kattni Rembor

Learn how to use a rotary encoder with CircuitPython! Encoders are great when a potentiometer is the wrong fit. You can programmatically make this knob do your bidding.

Digital Circuits 7: MCUs... how do they work?

Inside the ATMega238: a guided tour of a classic Microcontroller

We look at the ATMega328, one of the most prolific 8-bit MCUs. The '328 can be found in the Arduino UNO and various other microcontroller boards. To better understand MCUs, and be able to work with them more effectively, we need to go inside and understand what's in there and how it all works.

Digital Circuits 6: An EPROM Emulator

In this guide, we design and build a ROM emulator

Building a retro micro project can be fun, but using old ultraviolet EPROMS is difficult. But, you can build a ROM emulator. In this guide, we'll walk through the design and implementation using a Metro M4, a static RAM chip, and a handful of digital logic chips.

Digital Circuits 5: Memories

There are 2 types of memories: those you remember and those you don't.

In this guide we'll look at digital memory. We'll look at how it evolved over time and where it might go in the future. We'll mostly focus, though, on the types of memory that we can hack with.

Digital Circuits 4: Sequential Circuits

Circuits that operate over time.

In this part we will explore circuits that change their state over time rather than just responding to inputs in a functional way.

Digital Circuits 3: Combinational Circuits

Putting logic gates together

Logic gates are fun, but they get even more interesting when you start putting them together.

Digital Circuits 2: Some Tools

Tools for working with digital circuits.

This guide presents several handy tools for our further exploration of digital circuits.

Digital Circuits 1: Binary, Boolean, and Logic

Binary numbers, Boolean logic, and logic gates.

We look at several number systems that are relevant to digital circuits. We then turn our attention to Boolean logic, before finishing with an introduction to digital logic and basic logic gates.

Getting to know the 555

Everything you need to know to use 555 timer chip.

The 555 is one of the most popular and flexible chips ever made. This guide will show you its inner workings and how to make use of it.

Arduboy Game Controller Hack

Build a full-scale arcade controller for your pocket-scale Arduboy!

An arcade joystick and buttons solder on to the Arduboy's test pads to bring cabinet-sized gameplay to the tiny, open source game machine! These methods can be used for assistive technology as well.

Boomy Pi Airplay Boombox

Stream Airtunes to Boomy!

by Ruiz Brothers

Use an Raspberry Pi Zero W and Adafruit's Speaker Bonnet to make an all-in-one portable AirTunes BoomBox!

Motion-Activated Solder Fume Extractor With Lamp

Removes those pesky fumes whenever you reach for the iron

by Jan Goolsbey

A different take on the beginning maker's second project (a clock being the first, of course). We added a motion detector to activate the fan when you're soldering and a USB reading light to eliminate the shadows. The unit employs a USB-rechargeable lithium-polymer battery and provides a separate USB port for the lamp. This solder fume extractor fits into an off-the-shelf enclosure; 3D printing isn't required. Drilling and cutting the enclosure requires some intermediate fabrication skills, but a layout and drilling template is provided to make it easier to prepare the plastic case.

I2C addresses!

I2C addresses from 0x00 to 0x7F (inclusive)

I2C is incredibly popular because it uses only 2 wires, and like we said, multiple devices can share those wires, making it a great way to connect tons of sensors, drivers, expanders, without using all the microcontroller pins. The only bad news about I2C is that each I2C device must have a unique address - and the addresses only range from 0 to 127 (aka 0 to 0x7F hex). Since we deal with so many I2C devices we thought it would be handy to have a table with all the most common sensors and modules we encounter, and their I2C address!

Pinball Controller for iPad

Make a pinball controller for your iOS device using Teensy

Virtual pinball is incredibly fun, but even more so with real, physical flipper buttons and a plunger. Use a Teensy in HID keyboard mode to send iCade-compatible commands to your iOS device over the Lightning connector.

Pro Trinket Tachometer

Do you know how fast you were going?

Cutting tools and drill bits are most effective when run at the correct speed for the material. This simple project adds a precise digital speed readout to your shop machinery.

Programming SPI flash with an FT232H breakout

they're a dime a dozen. Lets use them!

Use an Adafruit FT232H and one command to program your favorite flash programmable chips.

DIY On/Off JST Switch Adapter

How to make a slide switch JST-PH adapter!

by Ruiz Brothers

In this guide, you'll learn how to fashion your own on/off switches for your projects.

Level Shifting 3.3V microcontrollers and NeoPixels

Level shifters are like little bilingual translators for your electronics!

NeoPixels rule! But, they expect 5V logic, which can cause them to act funny when controlled by 3v3 boards, such as Feathers, M0-based Arduinos, Teensy 3, and others. Not to worry! A level shifter can translate 3v3 logic to 5V and get things talking again in no time!

Circuit Playground Analog Input

Explore reading analog signals with the Circuit Playground.

by Carter Nelson

With a simple potentiometer, some alligator clips, and a Circuit Playground, we can explore the details of getting analog signals into the digital world.

Debug Header for the Feather [M0]

Make a Simple JTAG Debugging FeatherWing for the M0

by Michael Sklar

Single Step JTAG Debugging is here and stable for the Arduino. Adafruit's Feather M0 line not only provides 5x the clock speed and 8x the storage of recent Arduino's, but they now have the ability to talk to a debugger. This tutorial will show you how to make a simple FeatherWing PCB and connect to it from MacOS / OS/X.

Custom Bluetooth Cherry MX Gamepad

Make a custom wireless gamepad with Cherry MX Switches!

by Ruiz Brothers

Use the Adafruit Feather 32u4 Bluefruit LE to make a custom gamepad with Cherry MX switches.

Circuit Playground Sound-Controlled Robot

Make your Circuit Playground mobile and change direction via sound

Circuit Playground makes the basis for a wonderful robot with two servo motors to move it. But how to tell it where to go? Maybe whistle or better use tones from another microcontroller.

Breadboards for Beginners

Diagrams, tips and tricks to take you from beginner to brilliant

When you start on your electronics journey, you will eventually need to wire up some parts to follow along with some project. And, chances are, you will be prodded towards using a breadboard. These ubiquitous pale slabs of plastic are everywhere when it comes to electronics hacking.

Vibro-bugz

Making Small and Simple

by Rick Winscot

Use 3D printing, a motor, battery, and some googly eyes to teach basic maker skills.

Fair Weather Friend: Internet-Connected Migraine or Allergies Detector

"Web scraping" provides an alternative to restrictive programming APIs

by Phillip Burgess

Using forecasts by AccuWeather.com, this wireless ambient display predicts health issues like allergies or arthritis, or good days ahead for leisure activities like golf or sailing.

USB Rechargeable Mini Solder Fume Extractor

Modern upgrade to a classic maker project

by Phillip Burgess

This pocket-size solder fume extractor takes a classic maker project and brings it up-to-date with a lithium-polymer battery, USB charging and a 3D-printed case.

Adafruit DS3231 Precision RTC Breakout

Repent and temperature-compensate your oscillator, said the tick-tock man!

The datasheet for the DS3231 explains that this part is an "Extremely Accurate I²C-Integrated RTC/TCXO/Crystal". And, hey, it does exactly what it says on the tin! This Real Time Clock (RTC) is the most precise you can get in a small, low power package.

USB Rechargeable Cordless Soldering Iron

Hack your Hakko!

by Phillip Burgess

This project takes an existing tool — the Hakko FX-901 cordless soldering iron — and adds USB charging and a beefy Lithium Ion battery inside a 3D-printed pack. I keep this little iron around for cosplay electronics emergencies, and adding USB charging means there’s less to pack…it uses the same phone charger and USB cable I’m already carrying.

Press Your Button for Raspberry Pi

Press Your Button is a game of chance for all ages.

by Roberto Marquez

Press Your Button is a single or multi-player game written for Raspberry Pi. It uses a button, attached to a GPIO pin, to tell the computer when to stop the score board. Players take turns until one reaches the target score.

Geofencing with the FONA 808 & Adafruit IO

Build a geofencing project that will send alerts when it goes out of the perimeter!

In this project, you will learn how to build a geofencing project, that you will be able to track online.

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