| Open | Staffed | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 08:00–21:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:00–21:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:00–21:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Thursday | 08:00–21:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Friday | 08:00–21:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00–18:00 | Unstaffed |
| Sunday | Closed | Closed |
|  |  |
| Matt Jarvis | Lexin Zhou |
| he/him | she/her |
| [Slack Matt](https://ual-cci.slack.com/team/URQCZV308) | [Slack Lexin](https://ual-cci.slack.com/team/U05GR11J2QL) |
| [Email Matt](mailto:m.jarvis@arts.ac.uk) | [Email Lexin](mailto:l.zhou@arts.ac.uk) |
|  |
 |
| Third hand Grip your pieces while you soldering |
Soldering Iron Professional-style temperature-controlled iron |
Solder |
 |
 |
 |
| Snip Trim leads after soldering / Pre-cut the plastic part before the desoldering |
Soldering Sucker Remove excess solder / Des-older a joint |
Solder Wick Clean excess solder / Soak up the molten solder |
 |
 | Desoldering gun Remove molten solder from a joint. |
PCB Guillotine Cut the PCB board |
It's better to draw a diagram before you start, which could easily figure out how much stripboard you need (Don't waste!) and you can cut the board down to the size by the PCB Guillotine.
For the stripboard and protoboard, you need a third hand to provide the board moving around while soldering.
## How to solder
Once all of the components are immobilized, you are ready to soldering. It only takes 4 easy steps to get a nice solder joint. Here is a video for ["How to soldering properly!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKbJxytERvg&t=196s)
Make Sure there is no short circuit on your board before you power it!
Resistors are electronic components that resist the flow of current. You will often find them in parts of circuits where you need to protect sensitive components (like LEDs) or measure something with changing resistance (like an light dependent resistor). You'll notice that we have lots of different kinds of resistors in the CCI -- that's because it can matter a lot what value of resistor you use. Resistors are numbered according to [orders of magnitude](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_magnitude), and resistance is measured in Ohms (Ω). A resistor with a resistance of 1kΩ (1 kilo-ohm) has 1000 times more resistance than a 1Ω resistor, and 1000 times less than a 1MΩ resistor.
When you are making a circuit, it's important to get the correct resistor values. You can check these against the labels on the drawers, but you can also check this yourself -- all resistors have a pattern of stripes on them. Almost all the resistors we have are four-band -- so the first two stripes indicate the number value of the resistor, and the third the order of magnitude. There's a guide to decoding the stripes [here](https://byjus.com/physics/resistor-colour-codes/), and a chart guide below:
Note: In general the 3rd stripe (the order of magnitude) matters a lot more than the first two (which give you the number value). So if you need a 220Ω resistor but can't find one, a 270Ω or 180Ω resistor will probably be okay, but a 220kΩ resistor will be way too big for what you're trying to do.
The 4th band of a resistor indicates the tolerance. It's normally fine to ignore this, unless you need your value to be very precise (in which case pick one with a coloured band).
## Capacitors
Capacitors are used to control *changing* electrical signals. You find them in circuits like filters, audio and radio circuits, and they are also used to balance out things like power supplies.
We have two different kinds of capacitor: electrolytic, and ceramic capacitors. These both behave in a similar way, but electrolytic capacitors are polar components (like LEDs), meaning they must be placed the right way round in a circuit in order to work. On circuit diagrams they will appear with a + and a - symbol. On polar capacitors, the side with a - is normally indicated by a white stripe, and a shorter leg -- this should point toward ground.
Capacitance is measured in Farads (F). Farads are a bit of a weird measurement, in that 1 Farad is very big: most capacitors are a much smaller fraction of a Farad, and are typically measured in micro- (μ) or nano- (n) farads. The size of capacitor you use will matter a lot, so make sure you get the right one for your circuit. The chart below shows how to identify different types and values of capacitors.
## LEDs
LED is short for 'light emitting diode' -- these are electronic components that emit light in circuits. All diodes are polar components, meaning that they will only work if they are placed the right way round. On an LED, the side that goes toward ground will normally be indicated by a shorter leg, and a flattened side to the casing. On a circuit diagram, the direction is indicated by an arrow, with the pointing side of the arrow pointing toward ground.
In the CCI we have lots of different colours of LEDs. In general, they only require a small amount of current to work. If you put too much current through them, they will blow up! To avoid this, you can place them in series with a resistor, which will limit the flow of current. It's important to make this resistor not too large either, as if it's very big the LED won't get enough current to work. For a regular 5V circuit, a 220Ω resistor is normally about right.
## Diodes
Diodes are components used to ensure that current only flows in one way. Often they're used in circuits with motors to protect more delicate components! There are a few different types available -- the IN4001 and IN4007 diodes are used for larger currents (around 1Amp), whereas the small-signal diodes are for circuits with a small amount of current (e.g. the amount that would come from an Arduino).
We also have stock Schottky diodes -- these are used in rectifier circuits, where it really matters how quickly a diode changes direction. A rectifier circuit is used to switch from AC to DC current. Schottky diodes have a different electrical signal.
## Connectors
Making good connections is a core part of constructing robust circuits. In the CCI we stock some wires that come with connectors already built in (the 'header wires' that are given out in Arduino kits). If you are soldering a board which uses these kinds of wires, we have headers and sockets available in the spinner that these will correspond to. The technical name for these is 'dupont connectors'. You can use snips to cut the pins and sockets to the number you require.
For making more robust connections, we also stock:
* JST Connectors
* Screw Terminals
* Crimp Terminals
There's a much longer guide to these kinds of connectors in the [Electronics Fabrication guide](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/physical-computing-lab/page/electronics-fabrication-tips-tools-and-resources#bkmrk-connectors).
## e-Textiles
We stock some basic e-Textiles equipment in the spinner, and have more on request. These components are more limited, so only take what you need. They include:
* conductive thread and fabric
* sewable snaps
* sewable LEDs
* battery holders
* flexible silicone wire
For more info on e-textiles equipment and provision at the CCI, take a look at [this guide](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/textiles-area/page/digital-and-e-textile-design-at-the-cci).
## Advanced Components
We keep a number of components that are useful in more complex circuits. These might include circuits that don't use an Arduino, for example, oscillators, synthesisers, amplifier and radio circuits. If you're curious about any of these you can ask a technician for help, but you're also welcome to test out using components that appear in circuit diagrams.
Many of these components are packaged as IC's, or Integrated Circuits -- small rectangles with 8 or more legs. When soldering these into stripboards, it's worth using a DIP socket to hold them rather than soldering the chip directly in -- if anything goes wrong, it's much easier to change it out. Most ICs will have the chip number etched on top, and 'pin 1' of the IC will be marked with a dot or a notch. More information on ICs is available [here](https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/integrated-circuits/all).
With some of these components, we only stock a small number of these as they're typically not used in student projects -- if you plan to use many of something, please ask us first!
### Op-Amps
Op-amps (operational amplifiers) are used to amplify signals in circuits. These require a dual power supply to work -- one with a positive and negative voltage. For lower amplification applications this can be achieved using a simple circuit to make a +-4.5V power supply from a 9V input.
* TL072 -- this is an audio op-amp with a high quality signal
* LM324N -- this is a high voltage gain op-amp
### Shift Registers
### 555 Timers
### CMOS logic
### Inductors
### Schmitt Triggers
These are used to remove noise, and can also be used as an oscillator (e.g. in making sounds). We have these available in the [SN74HC14N](https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/inverters-ics/0442943?gb=s) package, which contains 6 schmitt triggers.
### Microcontrollers
We stock small numbers of STM32 and ATMEGA chips. The latter of these are the chips used in arduino boards, and can be programmed using the IDE. This allows you to fabricate your own boards from scratch, which can be useful for miniaturised circuits e.g. for wearables. The STM chips were used in the synth-building workshop run by [Dirty Electronics](https://www.dirtyelectronics.org/) last year.
# Electronics Fabrication Tips, Tools and Resources
Here at the CCI, only a few courses require students to go beyond breadboard prototyping of circuits, and in lots of cases this might be all you need to develop your prototypes. However, for students that are interested in developing their hardware work, either to make permanent installations, to make work for others, to make wearables, or just to have more reliable circuits, there are a lot of useful tips and tricks that can make your life a lot easier!
These notes were written by Agnes for a [Technical Skills Workshop](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/technical-skills-workshops/page/about). This guide is written in order of the stage of prototyping -- normally to make a new circuit I'd go through all of these!
## 0. General fabrication tips and info
- make lots of tests before soldering everything together! do things a small bit at a time
- always check for shorts before you plug stuff in
- it's a good idea to breadboard your ideas and get them working before doing anything else
### Components and materials
You can fabricate a lot of really diverse and complex circuits just using the free components we stock in the Physical Computing Lab. There's a [big big guide](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/physical-computing-lab/page/component-spinner-guide) to these here.
### Working from Schematics
If you're trying to make circuits that you've found online or in a textbook, they might come in a variety of formats. In addition to pictorial representation (like Fritzing diagrams, or pictures of breadboards/stripboards), it will be possible in most cases to find a 'circuit diagram' or schematic. These take a bit of practice to learn to read, but it's well worth doing if you plan to do any more complex hardware work. There's a good guide to doing this [here](https://www.circuitbasics.com/how-to-read-schematics/).
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/chL7emOVQigABuJ6-image-1731503590252.png)
Often, working with a circuit diagram involves being systematic -- it's a good idea to work from nodal points where multiple things connect together, or work in order of pins on an Integrated Circuit. For more on this, there's a fantastic guide called [The Art of Debugging Circuits](http://web.mit.edu/6.101/www/reference/TheArtofDebuggingCircuits.pdf), which goes through a bunch of different strategies for electronics debugging. A sample quote here:
> A circuit appears magical when their is a conflict between your logic and physics. Remember: physics is never wrong (with respect to conventional circuits). Circuits always behave logically. Your circuit is doing exactly what it is supposed to do the way that you built it. Your logic is wrong. This can either be because you do not understand what you built or you did not build what you understand.
## 1. Better Breadboarding
Often, the first step when prototyping is to make and test the circuit on a breadboard. Even when breadboarding, though, there are some ways to make your life a lot easier. One of the first things I'd recommend doing is to use solid-core wire rather than header wire on the breadboard -- it makes it a lot easier to see what's going on.
bad: spaghetti
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/L0cVI2af3J7dDAVo-image-1699292476412.png)
good: some kind of other much more legible pasta shape
[](https://www.learnrobotics.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/electronic-circuit.jpg)
The second of these, instead of using header wire, uses what is called "solid core wire". This is wire with a single piece of metal inside, and can be bent into shape. We stock both stranded and solid core wire in the department -- stranded wire is for making flexible connections between boards. To know what you have, either try bending some, or strip a little from the end.
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2024-11/1pYynoLUgXnJFSyi-image-1731503765527.png)
To correctly arrange solid core wire, the easiest way is often to strip one end, and put it into one of the holes it needs to go into. Use your thumb to mould thw wire toward where it needs to go, then cut with 5mm to spare, strip the other end, and insert into the board.
### Breadboarding Rules:
- always use the power rails -- **use red for the positive voltage, black for ground** (see below)
- always connect all the grounds in your circuit together
- use solid core wire rather than header wire to connect components together -- you can mould this onto the board, and it makes it much easier to see what's going on
- colour code your wires to stand in for different kinds of signals, so you can easily 'read' what's going on (e.g. use green for PWM, orange for analog inputs). There's not the same conventions for this as the power rails -- just choose what feels right
- always plug the power in last, and unplug it again before making any edits
- give yourself enough space! breadboards have little notches to attach together. A rule of thumb with circuits is always to start big, *then* think about making things smaller
cardinal rule:
[ ](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/LrdIP3MdzVspr5up-image-1699435649783.png)
### Breadboarding Guides and Resources
- [Beginners' guide to using a breadboard](https://www.build-electronic-circuits.com/breadboard/)
- [Transferring a circuit diagram to a breadboard](https://www.bestsoldering.com/transferring-a-circuit-diagram-to-a-breadboard/)
## 2. Soldering and Stripboard
For one-off prototypes, with smaller and not so complex boards (+ where it doesn't matter so much how large the board is), the stripboard/protoboard stage can often be a good place to stop. It holds all the components in place, and, so long as you pick the right connectors, it shouldn't break.
### soldering
We have a whole separate guide on [how to solder properly](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/physical-computing-lab/page/how-to-solder-properly)! A summary of good soldering technique is given here.
### please never
do this:
😬 looking at you, Modular students!
### Stripboard Guides and Resources
- [The Lost Art of Stripboard Prototyping](https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/article/june2013_Dratwa) -- this is a *fantastic* guide, really worth giving it a read, even if you've made stripboards before
- [How to Solder: A Complete Beginner's Guide](https://www.makerspaces.com/how-to-solder/) -- good guide to soldering technique
General stripboarding tips:
- lay all your components out before you start soldering. Most components you can bend the legs of to hold them in place, and it's helpful to be able to rearrange things as you decide on your layout
- start by soldering low-rise things first -- if you solder in large components your board won't be able to lie flat when it's upside-down
- you can use a craft knife to cut traces e.g. in between the legs of an Integrated Circuit
- always do a sanity check when you are starting to make sure the copper traces are the correct way round
### Connectors
**Amazing Resource** -> [The Electrical Connector Book](https://connectorbook.com/)
One of the major decisions that you will make in any electronics project is what connectors to use, e.g. to connect different boards together, to make a connection to a power supply, connect components such as motors.
The first major major rule is -- never just solder a connecting wire directly into a stripboard. It will break!! *Always* plan to use a connector to interface to the board.
With things like connectors, it can be really useful to know a few common types, and to be able to identify ones you might run into! There are loads of different ones suitable for different scenarios, I'm linking the main ones here.
#### General considerations
- **what spacing ('pitch') is the thing you are connecting to?** Arduino, Raspberry Pi, breadboards and most prototyping boards have a pitch of 2.54mm. This isn't always true for other boards and components, however -- for example the Adafruit feather boards use a 2mm JST connector for the power supply, and Grove components are all 2mm Molex
- **what gauge of wire is being connected?** thicker wires might not fit in smaller connectors, and vice versa. This is particularly important for crimped connectors such as JST
- **do I need strain relief?** for connections that might move a lot, or are subject to lots of force, it might be worth considering how to securely mount these on your board, past just soldering, or how to protect the joins
- **do I need a special tool to use this connector?** some connectors, like JST, also require a specific crimping tool to make the connection. These can sometimes be really expensive, and/or hard to use
#### DuPont
You will probably be familiar with DuPont connectors from using header wire to connect components to an Arduino. They are very commonly used in prototyping boards, which often come presoldered with Dupont-compatible headers or sockets. Their main drawback is not being very well fixed-in place: if you've ever had a breadboard come apart during transit, Dupont headers are likely to blame.
Good for:
- temporary connections
- low current
Not so good for:
- anything permanent
- power supplies
#### JST
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/zx8d6DiOqhScyrwl-image-1699444328628.png)
JST connectors are my go-to for developing small projects. They can be fiddly to create (they often require manual crimping), but are a great balance of manual adjustability and reliability once you've got the hang of working with them.
JST can be a tough standard to get your head around, and I always recommend taking a look at [this guide](https://iotexpert.com/jst-connector-crimping-insanity/) when starting to work with them. The JST-XH standard corresponds to the 2.54mm spacing standard used on most boards, but do always double check that that's the pitch you want to use.
Good for:
- one off prototyping
Not so good for:
- if you're in a hurry and just want to test something (use Dupont/solid core wire and a breadboard)
- large arrays of connections (use IDC and ribbon cable for anything > 5)
#### IDC
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/nNv4egOjuXBeVm0R-image-1699443849197.png)
IDC stands for "insulation-displacement contact" -- they are used with ribbon cable, and have tiny blades that slice into the cable to create electrical contacts.These are good if you have to connect multiple cables together, and are often used to communicate between boards.
They normally use 2 rows of pins, so if you're attaching them to a stripboard be sure to score between the rows to prevent shorts!
These can be very convenient, it's a quick way of making a bunch of connections. Unlike JST, however, it's not possible to disconnect and reroute individual wires.
Good for:
- inter-board communication
- quickly making a bunch of connections
Not so good for:
- smaller numbers of connections
- I always find that I need to think quite hard about which cable connects to which pin. But perhaps you enjoy thinking about such things
#### Screw Terminal
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/XF9r9KNcn3ezzqrA-image-1699443996119.png)
Good for:
- power supplies
- components like motors that you might need to often connect and disconnect
- anything with a strand-core cable that's slightly too thick for JST
Not so good for
- small spaces
- overkill for low-power components
**Crimp terminal connections**
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/a5mpjDM2I6PnQXDj-image-1699444634392.png)
In the above image, you can see that the wires in the screw terminal at the bottom are much more safely connected than those at the top.
While connecting smaller-gauge wires that don't carry high current, it can be fine to just connect the wire into a terminal as-is. However, for thicker cable, you will need to crimp the ends to ensure a secure connection into the terminal block. We have loads of these in different sizes at the CCI -- they can be quite forgiving, however it's worth taking some time to make sure you're using the right ballpark wire gauge. Here's a lovely chart of all the variants: I default to using the ring connectors.
[](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/8hUROABAYKk0L1TI-image-1699444479340.png)
#### Proprietary connectors
Some connector standards are associated with particular kinds of cable. Common ones to encounter in board fabrication are for programming boards. To allow your board to be programmed by one of these (this is a particular consideration for PCB design) you might want to include the specific footprint of the connector you need (often this is a kind of header).
Common proprietary connector standards include:
- [ISP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-system_programming) -- 'in system programmer' -> these are a funky little 6-pin arrangement that you get on more specialised boards. Used as an alternative to programming a board over USB.
- [JTAG](https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/jtag-connectors-and-interfaces/) -- often used to debug chips on boards
- [FTDI](https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-pro-trinket/using-ftdi) -- these are actually pretty convenient as they just use regular dupont headers
A note on language -- lots and lots of electronics manufacturers will still use the gendered terms 'male' and 'female' to describe the orientation of connectors. This is language that's essentialist and reductive, and lots of places (including the CCI!) use 'plug' and 'socket' instead respectively -- but if you are searching for connector types online it can be useful to have these as search terms as they're still used quite widely!
For a good time, you might enjoy the twitter account [cursed connectors](https://twitter.com/cursedconnector). ### Wire gauge and Power Considerations With circuits that need to handle either movement or higher loads, what wire you use can become a major consideration. Adafruit have a great [guide](https://learn.adafruit.com/wires-and-connections/wire-guages) to understanding wire gauge and picking the correct wire for your project. In general -- the generic thinner wires we supply at the CCI (I believe these are 22 gauge) are fine for most microcontroller projects where the current is <1 Amp. If you are using components that consume more current (like larger motors, speakers, amplifiers etc), and especially anything using mains, you will want to do some power calculations to figure out what wire to use. Do come and speak to a technician if this is the case, we can help. The thicker the wire, the more current it can handle. High-power circuits *shouldn't* be prototyped using breadboards. Stripboard can handle higher currents, but it's a good idea to thicken the traces that will be taking these currents with an extra layer of solder. This will reduce resistance and prevent the circuit from heating up. Omni have a useful [wire size calculator](https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/wire-size) that allows you to figure out what gauge of wire your project might need. #### IC sockets [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/3fJo4Slf9NVyjJYq-image-1699368860552.png) *Never solder an integrated circuit (IC) directly into a proto board!!!* You'll end up with loads of issues later on. Instead, solder an IC socket in -- this way if you have issues with your IC (like, you accidentally blow it up), it's really straightforward to change it out without having to desolder a load of pins. It's a good idea to put all your ICs in the same orientation -- this makes it a lot harder to put one in the wrong way round (incidentally a great way to blow things up). ## 3. PCB Fabrication and Milling The next step up from prototyping on stripboard is to fabricate your own boards. There's a few different ways to do this, and typically this might be a choice you would make if: - you want to make something in volume (depends on complexity, but this can save you a lot of time even with low volumes) - you want to make something much smaller (e.g. for wearables) - you want something to look nicer than proto board There is a huge amount that can be written about PCB design techniques -- I won't be writing about it all here -- but do reach out if you're interested in more information. ### PCB design Software: - [Eagle](http://eagle.autodesk.com/) -- this has historically been the standard for PCB prototyping, it's been integrated into Autodesk's Fusion360 software. It's possible to get a license as a UAL student if you want to use this, but increasingly KiCad is just as good, free and has most of the same features. - [KiCad](https://www.kicad.org/download/) -- free and open-source PCB prototyping software. This is getting better all the time and if you're getting started I'd recommend learning this over Eagle - [KiCad Tutorial](https://docs.kicad.org/6.0/en/getting_started_in_kicad/getting_started_in_kicad.html) ### PCB Fabrication Services We recommend a number of different PCB Fabrication services [here](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/physical-computing-lab/page/hackspaces-services) on the wiki (scroll down to 'PCB production'). ### Surface Mount [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/xwFf6Sh5NwZys3Gn-image-1699446196069.png) The components we use in the CCI tend to be 'through-hole' components, with legs that pass through the board. These are different from what you might see on manufactured boards, which typically use much smaller components that sit on top of the board material. These are often a great way to reduce the footprint of your circuit -- so if you're designing a PCB to make things smaller, using Surface Mount Devices (SMD) might be a good way forward. It's possible to fairly easily solder 1206-series SMD components we have with the equipment at the CCI -- much smaller and you might want to pay for the board to come pre-soldered, or else look into using a reflow station. [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/yvIKvJY9Mwzofe97-image-1699446127891.png) ## Other Considerations ### Mounting and finishing Mounting either PCBs or stripboards properly can be *very important* for ensuring the longevity of your circuit. Often, drilling holes and using spacers / standoffs or just regular bolts can be enough to hold in place. Make sure that your mount doesn't short your traces! Often it's worth including mounting structures if you're making casing for your circuit, using 3D printers or laser cutters. ### Prototyping for Wearables Wearable electronics comes with a bunch of considerations about size and power management. We stock sewable battery holders for coin cells and 9V batteries, but do not currently stock Lithium Ion batteries, as these aren't allowed on UAL campuses due to fire risk. Lots of wearable projects involve wireless components (so whoever is wearing it doesn't have to have a USB cable attached to them), so you might also want to look into networking protocols, using either Wifi, Radio or Bluetooth. There are many options for integrating circuits into textiles, ranging from making conductive textiles from scratch (e.g. conductive knit) to using silicon-coated wire to stitch flexible threads into garments. For project ideas involving textiles, we have a wiki page for [e-textiles](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/textiles-area/page/digital-and-e-textile-design-at-the-cci) and the website [How To Get What You Want](https://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=7057) (by the collective Kobakant) is an amazing resource for different project ideas. #### I want to make my circuit smaller This is a pretty classic issue with arduino-based circuits -- you have a circuit that works, maybe built with Arduino, and you want to minaturise it. Here are some options, from biggest to smallest: - **use an Arduino shield** -- this is a special prototyping board that allows you build directly on top of the Arduino. This can be nice if you just want to avoid connection spaghetti - **use a smaller Arduino board**, like an Arduino Nano or Arduino Micro. These can be integrated directly into a proto board / breadboard - **Replace the Arduino with another ATMEL chip** -- these can still be programmed like arduinos, but it's possible to make the board containing them a lot smaller and only contain the parts you need. As these don't have the USB interface, you will need to use a separate board to program them -- luckily, an Arduino can actually be used for this! There's a good guide to doing this [here](https://www.instructables.com/Program-an-ATtiny-with-Arduino/). This same technique (of replacing a whole board with the chip it uses) can be applied to lots of other boards too. #### I want my circuit to be wireless This is another really common thing to want to do. Core options: - **radio** -- I love the adafruit packet radios. Main thing to remember is -- for radio, you need 2! - **bluetooth** -- NRF52 is a good one to look at here. - **wifi** -- technically this is radio but it's it's own protocol. ESP8266. Remember that even wireless circuits will still need a power supply! A commonly-used format is LiPo batteries. These can be really convenient, but come with health and safety considerations, especially if they are to be worn! #### I want my circuit to be soft/flexible - Silione covered strand-core wire - Conductive thread - Conductive ribbon Adding connections to this can be tricky. ### I want my circuit to work outdoors Depending on how long it needs to last / how much the circuit moves / how waterproof the circuit needs to be, there are a bunch of different methods. This [instructable](https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Waterproof-Your-Electronics-or-PCBs/) gives a pretty solid overview. Please be careful when using different resins to coat your circuit as some can be toxic! If in doubt (and definitely before bringing into the workshop), speak to a cci technician. ### My circuit contains rotating parts [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/HbeUF4QjXt2RnGTZ-image-1699449998227.png) You want to use a Slip Ring. We have some in the CCI -- Adafruit have a video tutorial for how to use them [here](https://blog.adafruit.com/2012/03/12/slip-ring-video/). **A word of warning:** this can be a real pain to do, and unless you feel quite confident with fabrication generally we'd advise you try and figure out a simpler way to make your work! # Useful learning resources ### Books - [Getting Started With Arduino 3rd Edition](https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Getting-Started-Arduino-Make-Projects/0596155514) by Massimo Banzi and Michael Shiloh A short and practical guide to the getting started with the Arduino platform. Explains what you might use it for, the principles behind the platform, some basic code and electronics guidance. - [Make: Electronics](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/make-electronics) by Charles Platt A very hands on guide to the fundamentals of electronics. Assumes no prior knowledge and uses some great real world examples and practical applications. - [Practical Electronics for Inventors 3rd Edition](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-Electronics-Inventors-Third-Scherz/dp/0071771336) by Paul Scherz and Simon Monk A more in-depth look at electronics. Very good for those with a grasp on the basic topics. ### Websites - [Learn at Sparkfun](https://learn.sparkfun.com/) - [Learn at Adafruit](https://learn.adafruit.com/) - [Kobakant DIY](http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/) - Lovely guides for DIY e-textiles and conductive material-based components and projects - [Arduino Stackexchange](http://arduino.stackexchange.com/) - forum for asking questions ## Virtual Learning and Emulation - As part of your UAL access, you get access to all the LinkedIn Learning courses, avilable here: [https://www.linkedin.com/learning/](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/) - [TinkerCAD](https://www.tinkercad.com/) - From AutoDesk, can simulate your rduino and components and write code and test before physically building. Also very easy to use 3D CAD utility for designing//building STL filrs for 3D Printing. - [Circuit IO](https://www.circuito.io/) - Essentially a shop, but has a great app that lets you drag & drop components onto a simulator with a range of embedded computing modules and program them. It has a functionality which arranges ports and gives you the simple basic programming and libraries for those components. Bear in mind, you should be programming for your projects yourself and submissions using the auto-generated code should explicitly say where the code came from (we have a plagiarism detection system which will disqualify your marks if you do not state your code came from here). - Easy laser cutting case design: [https://en.makercase.com/#/basicbox](https://en.makercase.com/#/basicbox) ### Videos - [Jeremy Blum's Arduino Video Series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCxzA9_kg6s&list=PLA567CE235D39FA84) # Where to buy components # Don't Buy These Components Have you bought a component that was poor quality, broken or ineffective? Let us know and we can post it here so this doesn't happen to anyone else. Top tip -- if you're on UAL Wifi (or VPN) go to the [checkout catalogue](https://checkout.arts.ac.uk/catalogue) and search for components, if you click the link you can see what we buy. ## Servos * We have had problems with: [XTVTX metal gear micro servo](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B093LFBWTL?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) -> some didn't work straight out of the box, with others the wires broke off, poorly made * good: (the ones we buy) [FeeTech FS90 Mini Servo](https://www.rapidonline.com/feetech-fs90-mini-servo-120-9g-37-1339) # Where to buy materials & parts # Electronics, componants ##### Bigger Shops - large and often complex catalogues | Supplier | Material | Website | Note | |---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | RS | electronics, componants, tools || Name | Facilities | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Workshop Network | All the makerspace of London | [http://openworkshopnetwork.com/](http://openworkshopnetwork.com/) | London | ||
| London Hackspace | Laser cutting, 3D printing,Textiles, Metalworking, Woodworking, Electronics | [https://london.hackspace.org.uk/](https://london.hackspace.org.uk/) | 388 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AR | ||
| Machine Room | Computing, Digital Fabrication, Electronics, Fine Art, Furniture Design, Repair, Robotics, Textiles and Wood Work | [https://machinesroom.co.uk/](https://machinesroom.co.uk/) | 54-55 Containerville, 35 Corbridge Crescent, London, E2 9EZ | Machines Room is an east London maker space open to the public and businesses to come and fabricate their ideas. | |
| Institute Of Making | Ceramics, Computing, Digital Fabrication, Electronics, Engineering, Fine Art, Glass Work, Metal Work, Printmaking, Repair, Robotics, Screen Printing, Textiles and Wood Work | [https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/](https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/) | Malet Place, University College London, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7JE | 02076793248 | The Institute of Making is a cross-disciplinary research club for those interested in the made world. |
| Makerversity | Computing, Digital Fabrication, Electronics, Engineering, Fine Art, Metal Work, Photography, Robotics and Wood Work | [http://makerversity.org](http://makerversity.org) | Somerset House, New Wing, Lancaster Place, WC2R 1LA | 020 3701 7499 | Making. Learning. Factory-on-Thames. |
| Ceramics Studio Co-op | Ceramics, Fine Art and Sculpture | [https://www.ceramicsstudio.coop/](https://www.ceramicsstudio.coop/) | Juno Way, London, SE14 5RW | 02086916421 | Ceramics Studio Co-op provides ceramics studio spaces and open-access to professional and amateur ceramics artists and designers. |
| The Kiln Rooms | Ceramics | [https://www.thekilnrooms.com/](https://www.thekilnrooms.com/) | Peckham |
| Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamar Acrylic Fabrications Ltd | Acrylic, perspex etc. | [http://www.hamaracrylic.com/](http://www.hamaracrylic.com/) | 16 Bidder St, London E16 4ST | 020 7739 2907 | Can cut to size on site |
| Denny Plastics | Plastic | [http://www.dennyplastics.co.uk/](http://www.dennyplastics.co.uk/) | Mitre Way, London, W10 6AU | 020 8964 9368 | Plastic fabricators (i.e. they can make stuff up for you). Good with cheaper prices from off cuts. Marginally more expensive than Hamar, but much faster and people are generally nicer |
| Good Empire | Laser cutter | [http://www.goodempire.com/](http://www.goodempire.com/) | Good Empire,1 Park Mews, Brockwell Park, London, SE24 9DB | Joely - 07835 769 480 | Really nice people, fast and good work |
| Blueprintmodelshop | Laser cutting services | [http://www.blueprintmodel.co.uk/](http://www.blueprintmodel.co.uk/) | Really cheap but not good quality (20% off on material for students0 | ||
| Cut Plastic sheeting | Cutting services for plastic | [http://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/](http://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/) | Cut Plastic Sheeting, Unit 1, Ash Court, Pennant Way, Lee Mill Ind Estate, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 9GE | 01752 897921 | |
| Neon and Sign Makers | Vinyl cutting | [http://neonandsignmakers.com/](http://neonandsignmakers.com/) | Unit 6, 278, Cambridge Heath Rd, London, E2 9DA | 020 8981 3323 | |
| Hobart | Acrylic and laser cutting | [https://hobarts.com/](https://hobarts.com/) | |||
| CutLaserCut | All kinds of laser cutting | [http://www.cutlasercut.com/](http://www.cutlasercut.com/) | Camberwell, London | Can pick up in person. |
| Supplier | Material | Website | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aisler | PCB | [https://aisler.net/](https://aisler.net/) | Germany based and good at being contactable regarding design. Have upgraded their interface and also have many more options for production now so you can do different levels of manufacturing. Good for low number , small runs and quick turn arounds. |
| JLC PCB | PCB | [https://jlcpcb.com/](https://jlcpcb.com/) | Very cheap, pretty fast turn around even for worldwide shipping. Roughly 2 weeks sometimes much faster (5 days) if its a simple design. Communication sometimes tricky. |
| PCBtrain | PCB | [http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk](http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk) | Super fast turnaround, but a bit pricey |
| PCBcart | PCB | [http://www.pcbcart.com](http://www.pcbcart.com) | |
| SEEED | PCB | [http://www.seeedstudio.com](http://www.seeedstudio.com) | Very slow, but crazy cheap and high quality PCB production and assembly. |
| OSHPark | PCB | [https://oshpark.com/](https://oshpark.com/) | US based, now make flex PCBs. Good if you were needing a design assembled + populated with parts mainly manufactured in the US. |
| Ragworm | PCB | [https://ragworm.eu/](https://ragworm.eu/) |
| Business | Material | Website | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas&Vines | Flocking Service, Flock Sellers | [http://www.flocking.co.uk](http://www.flocking.co.uk) | 01923775111 |
| Category | Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csmetal fabrication | [http://www.csmetalfabrication.co.uk/](http://www.csmetalfabrication.co.uk/) | 405 Mentmore Terrace, Hackney, London, E8 3PN | 020 8533 7005 | ||
| AJ METAL FABRICATIONS LTD | 21 Walthamstow Business Centre, Clifford Rd, London, E17 4SX | 020 8527 4860 | |||
| Benson-Sedgwick Engineering | Metal polishing and welding assembly etc (Barry) | [http://www.benson-sedgwick.co.uk/](http://www.benson-sedgwick.co.uk/) or [http://www.highgradepolishers.co.uk](http://www.highgradepolishers.co.uk) | Dagenham | 02085937314 | |
| Sand casting | Novacast | [https://www.novacast.co.uk/services/casting/sand-casting/](https://www.novacast.co.uk/services/casting/sand-casting/) | 44 (0)1225707466 | ||
| water jet cutting | London waterjet | [http://londonwaterjet.com/](http://londonwaterjet.com/) | Unit 10, Network 4, Lincoln Road, Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3RF |
| Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I.makr | [http://www.imakr.com/en/](http://www.imakr.com/en/) | 79 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1R 5AR | 02074818184 | ||
| Digits to widget | 3d printing and scanning services | [http://www.digits2widgets.com/](http://www.digits2widgets.com/) | D2W Studios, 61 – 63 Rochester Place, London, NW1 9JU | 020 3697 7969 | |
| Prototype project | 3D printing and general prototyping | [http://www.prototypeprojects.com/](http://www.prototypeprojects.com/) | |||
| Chalk Studios | Objet printing | [http://www.chalkstudios.co.uk/](http://www.chalkstudios.co.uk/) | 14 Windsor Street, London, N1 8QG | 020 7354 1206 | Objet printing, but local to London, you can do next day am collection |
| I.Materialise | [http://i.materialise.com/](http://i.materialise.com/) | Materialise HQ, Technologielaan 15, 3001 Leuven, Belgium | Big machines and good range of finishes | ||
| Ultimaker | [https://ultimaker.com/](https://ultimaker.com/) |
| Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color Company | fast turn around printing services | [http://www.color.co.uk/](http://www.color.co.uk/) | 27a Poland Street, London, W1F 8QW | 020 7287 4387 | There are a couples in London |
| OvernightPrints | Prints from business cards to banners | [http://www.OvernightPrints.co.uk/businesscards](http://www.OvernightPrints.co.uk/businesscards) | |||
| Moo | business cards and flyers | [http://uk.moo.com/](http://uk.moo.com/) | really good services, fast and medium cheap | ||
| GF Smith | Paper and book making | [https://www.gfsmith.com/](https://www.gfsmith.com/) | G . F Smith, Six Bridges Trading Estate, Marlborough Grove, London SE1 5JT | 020 7394 4660 | |
| London graphics | paper and art material | [http://www.londongraphics.co.uk/](http://www.londongraphics.co.uk/) | 16-18 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JL | 020 7759 4500 | |
| Paper shake | origami services | [http://www.papershake.com/](http://www.papershake.com/) |
| Category | Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protolabs | general machining | [http://www.protolabs.co.uk/](http://www.protolabs.co.uk/) | Proto Labs, Ltd. Halesfield 8, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QN | 01952 683048 | Injection moulding in small production runs, CNC. Useful for generating online quotes quickly. | |
| CNC | First Cut | Fast turnaround | ||||
| Ormiston Wire | Specialist Wire Manufacturers & Suppliers | |||||
| OMNI | Bermondsey | Digitally print onto any material, other normal and large format printing services. | ||||
| Rocket Print | Watford | Can digitally print on to most materials. Large format printing services (architectural scale) |