resources

textbook and lab kit

• SparkFun Inventor's Kit - v4.1
• SparkFun Inventor's Kit Experiment Guide - v4.1

software & setup for microcontroller coding

• Redboard Hookup Guide (Sparkfun's Arduino variation)
• sparkfun SIK code
• Arduino Software
  • coding foundations
  • examples
  • language reference
• Arduino Programming Notebook (Brian Evans)

circuits and electricity

• concise electronics for geeks
• all about circuits - free online textbook
• books
  • Practical Electronics for Inventors
  • Electrical Engineering 101
  • Make: Learn Electronics with Arduino
  • How to Diagnose and Fix Everything Electronic
• resistor color codes
• Zap! - practical basics
• fritzing - design arduino hardware circuits
• Circuit Lab - circuit simluate software
  • ultimate electronics - practical circuit design and analysis - free online interactive textbook
• Eagle CAD - one of the most popular PCB (printed circuit board) layout applications (there's a free hobbyist version)

programming

• The arduino language is a variation of C, with its own library functions specific to the arduino
• the arduino language reference
• C Refcard (Don't leave home without it!) - a C single page syntax summary
• learn-c.org - a general C source for lessons
• programiz Learn C Programming - another C tutorial

maker tutorials

• learn.adafruit.com
  • learn arduino - 35 projects
• instructables

fablab topics

• glowforge - 3D laser cutter / engraver
• Hatchspace - Brattleboro maker space
• xcarve CNC milling machine

buying stuff

• adafruit - kits, tools, DIY stuff
  • arduino variations & "shield" add-ons
  • ItsyBitsy - $12 1.4" runs Arduino or CircuitPython operating system
  • Ladyada's Electronics Toolkit ($100)
  • a good inexpensive multimeter ($17)
• Sparkfun Electronics - more kits, tools, DIY stuff
• robotshop - robot parts
• Mouser Electronics - huge selection of components
• DigiKey - huge selection of components
• Oshpark - order purple custom PCB (printed circuit board)

microcontrollers

• arduino - popular open hardware electronics platform
• micropython pyboard - python os with sensors !
• raspberry pi - popular minimal single-board computer
• beagleboard - another tiny computer good for hardware connectivity
• propeller - parallel processing for robotics etc
• BBC micro - used in education in England

a few specs & prices ... back in Sep 2018

• original pyboard - adafruit ($45, 168MHz, 1024KiB ROM, 192KiB RAM) , + $6 for headers
• pyboard lite - adafruit ($30, 96MHz, 512KiB ROM, 128 KiB RAM, fewer goodies than original)
• arduino uno rev3 ($22, 16MHz, 32KiB ROM)
• Adafruit feather (under $20, 80MHz, WiFi, can run MicroPython though it isn't installed by default)