Getting started with Arduino

2012-04-18T16:51:33Z

Bebez: /* Who */

A workshop to get your Arduino talking to your computer. This is *NOT* a tutorial as such, but a time when a bunch of people who want to get going with Arduinos start doing it. If there are problems we can all work them out together.

You'll need a laptop, an arduino and a cable to connect it. There are a couple options, depending on if you have an Arduino or an Arduino clone. For an Arduino, all you need is a USB cable. For most Arduino clones (such as the BoArduino, a kit by Ladyada, which are available at Noisebridge for $17) you need a USB to TTL serial cable (which is available at Noisebridge for $19). A breadboard will be handy for some arduino types (such as BoArduino) but not for others.

== Who ==
* [[User:rachel|Rachel]]
* William/Tim Heath
* jim
* Daniela
* Michael Shiloh
* [[User:Arcanology|Al B]]
* Jeffrey Malone
* Marnia Johnston
* David Yao
* Michael Twardos
* Jesse Welz
* [[User:desmoquattro|Joe M]]
* [[User:Bebez|Bethany]]

== When ==
The hard part! This will not be recurring which makes it a little easier... Need to give people time to order their arduinos if they don't already have one (but note that BoArduinos and cables are available at Noisebridge), so how about 2 weeks out at minimum. Let's try a table.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
|-
! Date & time
! number of YES's
! number of NO's
|-
| Mon June 22, 8AM (this is a straw man date, I don't REALLY want to do this at 8 '''AM''')
| 2
| 1
|-
| Mon April 9, 6PM
| 1 (JWM)
| 0
|}

== Useful Materials & Reading ==
A few things that will help people get started:

[http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage Getting Started - Official Arduino Site]

[http://arduino.cc/hu/Tutorial/HomePage Arduino Tutorials - Official]

[http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Getting+Started+with+Arduino&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3738761270217084244&sa=X&ei=AjVhT7XANMfK2AXJyY2RCA&ved=0CGQQ8wIwAg Getting Started With Arduino (book)]

Hack your Hardware

2012-04-18T16:49:22Z

Bebez: /* Interested folks */

Workshop proposal: '''Hack your Hardware''' [[User:Jtfoote|Jtfoote]] 14:11, 7 November 2008 (PST)

"No user-serviceable parts inside" -- we call bullshit on that!

Bring in your hardware yearning to reach its maximum potential (or give its life for spare parts). We give you permission to take things apart, see what's inside, and improve them. Most electronics failures are caused by bad connections or simple mechanical problems: we'll show you what to look for and how to fix them. Favorite gadget busted? Don't throw it away; fix it! (Or at least autopsy it for the good of science!)

Possible projects:

* Add an extra iPod input jack to your clock radio or computer speakers
* Add a USB hub to a desk lamp (or a bobblehead doll, or a stuffed toy, or...)
* Hotrod your IR remote control to extend the range
* Extract DC motors and other good stuff from that CD player found on the sidewalk
* Fix that funky power jack on your old laptop so you can give it to Mom
* Add another headphone jack (or FM transmitter?) to your laptop
* Add a LED backlight or tasklight to a keyboard or a handheld game
* Add a secondary switch or a dimmer to a power strip
* A one-wire hack turns a discarded ATX PSU into a benchtop power supply
* Replace the tired nicads in your electric toothbrush (or power screwdriver, or other rechargeable gizmo)
* Hotrod your favorite power screwdriver with Li+ batteries
* Circuit-bend that electronic toy for an even more annoying sound

You will have more and better ideas. Bring them and share! (I personally will be adding a pilot light to my desoldering gun so I can tell when it's plugged in and thus burninatingly hot.)

Yes this could be dangerous, and we may break things. That's how we learn.

== Interested folks ==

[[User:Jtfoote|Jtfoote]]

[[User:turkshead|Shannon]]

[[User:Bill Nye|BillyBuggy]]

[[User:Dmolnar|David Molnar]] - have a dead laptop to play with

[[Tones]]

[[User:rachel|rachel]] I have a broken iron I'd like to fix

[[User:jstockford|jim]] i've got lots of broken stuff to play with

[[User:Christie|Christie]] Latest toy is a Neuros I dropped on its head.

David Stainton

[[User:miloh|Miloh]] Hardest fix I have on my bench has got to be the Playstation with video sync problems. Next down a-ways is a cheap Roland studio monitor board with a bad channel (replace the 14W TDA2030 or ridiculous ubiquitous JRC4558DD?). I have a small e-waste parts collection and an eye to make a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleaning Gleaner's] map of what's good to salvage, what's not, and what's dangerous.

[[User:Bebez|Bethany]] Please please let's have this, I want to play. I'll bring treats for the group.

==When?==

Not yet scheduled, likely after the soldering workshop

Week 1: Take things apart, determine problems, solutions, necessary parts to obtain.
Week 2: Having obtained parts, put things back together and smoke-test (if it doesn't smoke, it passes!)

Your comments and suggestions are a crucial part of this: thanks in advance

Noisebridge - User contributions [en]

Getting started with Arduino

Hack your Hardware