https://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/element14 Presents with new video episodes every Wednesday and Friday on electronic build projects, programming tutorials, and moreen-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/project-videos/w/documents/3748/project-video-release-archiveThu, 29 Oct 2026 14:09:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:59ab0abe-b32d-47f9-b00c-4b73b01f3bd8e14sbhargavProject Video Releases element14 presents | Meet the Hosts Episode 738: Can an ESP32 Tell When a Saxophone Is Out of Tune? Episode 737: Fundamentals of Electronics: Understanding Resistors, Capacitors and Inductors Episode 736: DIY Test Equipment: Building a Modular 32-Channel Python SCPI Logic Monitor Episode 735: Combining Zigbee, Raspberry Pi and Computer Vision for a Smart Family Planner Episode 734: Fundamentals of Electronics: Understanding Electricity, Voltage, and Current Episode 733: Building a Claude-Inspired Monitor Companion with an ESP32 and Mechanical Bell Episode 732: Building a Network-Aware RGB LED Strip with Open Hardware and Python Episode 731: Building an Arduino UNO Q Cyberdeck Inside a Puppet Episode 730: Building a True Power-On Multiturn Position Sensor with the ADMT4000 and MicroPython Episode 729: Building a Customisable Handheld Arduino Thermal Imaging Camera Episode 728: Building a DIY PLC with PocketBeagle 2: Finding Out Why Industrial Controllers Cost So Much Episode 727: Designing a Mobile Robot Platform with Differential Drive, PID Control and Wireless Mapping Episode 725: Clem's Workbench Upgrade to Automated Lab with Programmable Instruments and Python Episode 724: Building and Programming a SCARA Industrial Robot Arm – An Introduction to Robotics Episode 723: Building a Privacy-First Workshop Security Camera with PocketBeagle 2 Episode 722: PID Control, Motion Profiles and ROS Explained - An Introduction to Robotics Episode 721: Designing a Smarter Workbench: Inside Mark’s 8-Channel Power Monitoring System Episode 720: Building the Foundations of Your First Robot - An Introduction to Robotics Episode 719: Turning a Broken Robot Vacuum into a Network-Controlled Raspberry Pi 5 Rover Episode 718: Creating a Multi-Function ESP32 Desk Pet with Custom PCB and Audio Processing Episode 717: Simulating Prey Vision with Raspberry Pi 5: A Dual Camera Perception Experiment Episode 716: Designing a Mobile Robot Platform with Inverse Kinematics and Wireless Control Episode 715: How to Build a Reaction-Based Catch Game Using Arduino and Relays Episode 714: Find EMI Fast with a Low‑Cost, Automated Way to See Where Your PCB Radiates Episode 713: How to Make an LED Sculpture React to Sound with micro:bit Episode 712: Designing a More Capable Dual Motor Driver Beyond the L298N (What worked and what didn't) Episode 711: Modern Edge AI on Raspberry Pi 5 for an Animatronic Tracker: Vision Acceleration with AI Hat+ and AI Camera Episode 710: Your First Real PCB in KiCad : An Arduino Compatible Board Designed from Scratch Episode 709: Was that my Number!? Fixing Café Order Chaos with a Raspberry Pi Announcer Episode 708: Reviving a Vintage LED Sign with Arduino and PS/2 Control Episode 707: Building a Circuit Sculpture with LED Filament Episode 706: ESP32 + RFID = Smart Access Control in a Simple DIY Build Episode 705: Building a Super Smooth Z-Scale Train Controller with Arduino Episode 704: Hacking an IKEA Desk into a Programmable Electric Workstation Episode 703: How to Set Up the Raspberry Pi 5: Complete Beginner Step-by-Step Guide Episode 702: Build Your Own USB Looper for Serial Debugging and File Transfer Episode 701: From Snooze to Launch: The Arduino-Powered LEGO Alarm Clock Inspired by Artemis 2 Episode 700: How Voice Recognition Works on Raspberry Pi (and Why It’s Easy to Break) Episode 699: GimmeGPIO: A Simple Way to Get GPIO on Laptops and Desktops Episode 698: Building a Practical Electronics Workbench for Makers and Engineers Episode 697: A Smart, Safe 3D Printer Cabinet Using Raspberry Pi and Node-RED Episode 696: How a Pulse Metal Detector Works, and How to Build One Episode 695: A DIY Test and Programming Rig Built for Small-Batch Electronics Production Episode 694: Earn Your Fitness Reward with a Smart Cookie Jar Using Strava and ESP32 Episode 693: Open-Source Multicolour 3D Printing Upgrade: Clem’s 3D Chameleon Remix Episode 692: Build Your own ESP32 Fitness Heart Rate Monitor / Tracker Episode 691: How Accurate Is Bluetooth Channel Sounding? A Deep Dive with the nRF54L15 Episode 690: Meet the PlatypusBot: Now Powered by Raspberry Pi & ROS Episode 689: How Clem Built a Handheld Sci-Fi Communicator That Really Works Episode 688: Building the Cylon Pumpkin: Combining a Larson Scanner and Vocoder for Halloween Episode 687: Turning a $10 Air Fryer into an Arduino powered Filament Dryer Episode 686: Creepy Motion-Activated Painting You Can Build Yourself Episode 685: When Your Body Becomes the Instrument: Clem Builds the “Dröne” Synth Episode 684: Building an Audio Reactive LED Matrix with a micro:bit and NeoPixels Episode 683: How to Make a Portable Emergency Radio with an Arduino Nano in a Mint TinT Episode 682: DIY RF Modulator + Raspberry Pi Pico = Gaming on a Sony Watchman FD-10A CRT Episode 681: Turn anything into an Arduino Module: Reusing Everyday Electronics Episode 680: From Kit to Custom Design: Building a Tube-Based FM Radio Episode 679: ESP32 Duolingo Owl Project: Never Miss a Lesson Again Episode 678: Open Source ATtiny3226 Arduino Calculator – Hardware, Case & Code Build Episode 677: Make Your Own Vocoder with Teensy 4.0 - Voice of a Cylon?! Episode 676: I Tried Building 16 ATtiny Robots with Vibration Motors – It Was a Disaster Episode 675:Avoid Conflict with this ESP32 Defcon Task Tracker Episode 674: Building an Open Source Blood Pressure & Heart Signal Monitor Episode 673: Building an ESP32 Powered Warhammer 40k Rhino with Dynamic LED Effects! Episode 672: Building an Autonomous LEGO Train with CircuitPython and LIDAR Episode 671: PlatypusBot - Scavenging for Robotics Parts Episode 670: Build your own Larson Scanner Episode 669: Creating an ESD (Or Lightning!) Detector! Episode 668: Designing an Arduino PID Controlled Micro Drone Episode 667: Emulating a Speech Synthesis Chip with an ESP32 Episode 666: How Far Can I2C Go? Episode 665: Raspberry Pi AI Tracking Eye of Sauron - AI AL Barad Dur Episode 664: Learn how to Make a Photo Booth with the ESP32 and Telegram Automation! Episode 663: Upcycling a Vintage Microphone into an Emergency Radio System Episode 662: Making a Stronger Affordable DIY Robot Arm with 3D Printing with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 661: Clem makes his own LED Wristwatch Episode 660: LoFi Beats to Solder To Episode 659: DIY Single Board Computer with ESP32 and Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 658: A Smart Youtube Counter With An Audio Analyzer Episode 657: How to Control a LEGO Mindstorms kit with AI and Raspberry Pi 5 Episode 656: DIY Jig for your Laser Cutter with Custom Arduino Automation Episode 655: DIY Hot Plate for SMD Soldering Using Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 654: How Do BattleBots Work? In the Pit with HyperShock Episode 653: Edge-lit 7-Segment Display Clock Using Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 652: Smart Windows and Blinds with Arduino and Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 651: Design for Manufacturing - Project to Product by Modifying Off-the-Shelf Cases Episode 650: Using Nordic's nRF7002, My Dehumidifier Tells Me When It's Full! Episode 649: Giant Retro Gaming Magic Mirror with a Raspberry Pi 5! Episode 648: Home AI Image Generation Server with LattePanda and Stable Diffusion Episode 647: Building an Open-Source Tool for Cave Surveying Episode 646: Creating a Digital Roulette Table with an ESP32 DevKit Episode 645: Practical DIY Pi Pico Current Load Circuits Episode 644: Turning a Raspberry Pi Pico into a GPU! Episode 643: Making a Tribble that Detects Klingons Episode 642: Making a Time-lapse Camera with a Raspberry Pi 5 Episode 641: Moon Phase Display with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 640: Tinkering vs Engineering: Can You Build a Laptop from Scratch? Episode 639: Off-Grid Remote Generator Starter? Episode 638: RP2040 PCB: Design, Turn-On, and Debug - How Hard Could It Be? Episode 637: Making Music with a Lego Guitar and Capacitive Touch Episode 636: Creating an IMU based 3D Mouse with an ESP32-S3 Episode 635: Vintage Electronics Exploration with a Bally Cypress Gardens Bingo Machine Episode 634: Craft a Festive LED Christmas Sweater Featuring the ATtiny416 Episode 633: Spying Under the Christmas Tree with an Arduino-powered Ornament Episode 632: Revamping Old School Pinball with an ESP32 Episode 631: All-Purpose Debugging: A Practical Universal Screen with LCD Displays Episode 630: Mega IIe: First Fully Functional Computer built around the Apple Mega-II Chip Episode 629: Backpack Splash: Mark's Water Gun Upgrade for Epic Outdoor Water Wars! Episode 628: Affordable DIY Robot Arm - A Deep Dive into 3D Printing and Servo Motors Episode 627: Creating sudostick - From Prototype to Product Episode 626: Catching you Up on Bonesnapper Ridge - Off-Grid Maker Shop Episode 625: Interactive Magic - Creating an Enchanted Cauldron Episode 624: Modding A Smoke Machine to Add Motion Detection Episode 623: How to Run Linux on an ESP32 Episode 622: Building Spooky Fun: Halloween Sound Pranks with nRF 5340 BLE Audio Episode 621: Color Sensor-Based Water Quality Tracker: DIY Environmental Monitoring Episode 620: Stey-by-Step Guide to Creating your own Speaking Animatronic Hat Episode 619: How to Build an Open Source Bluetooth Mechanical Keyboard Episode 618: Upgrading My Racing Sim with a Force-Sensitive Keyboard Episode 617: Simplify Network Monitoring: Building an ESP32-Powered Solution Episode 616: Mastering Oven Control: Precision Resin Curing with DIY Modifications - How Hard Can it Be? Episode 615: Building a Unique USB Card Reader: From Idea to Prototype Episode 614: Using PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) in Robotics - How Hard Could It Be? Episode 613: Building a Magic Wand Talking Sound Board Episode 612: Handheld BASIC computer in Badge Format with the Arduino Uno Episode 611: How to Run the Distance to the Moon with Strava Data and a Pico W Board Episode 610: How to Embroider with Circuits and Conductive Thread Episode 609: Updating a Fujitsu N860-2500-T111 Keyboard to Work with a PS2 Standard Episode 608: Making the Simplest DIY Wind Energy Generator - How Hard Could it Be? Episode 607: From Strava to Motion: Creating an Arduino-Powered Arcade Game with Running Data Episode 606: How to Use LoRaWAN to Launch Model Rockets Wirelessly Episode 605: Arduino and LEDs Make Solitaire Easier to Solve Episode 604: Charlieplexing Buttons and LEDs at the Same Time - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 603: Create Your Own Air Hockey Table with Arduino Scoring Episode 602: DIY AC Dimmer Circuit: Control Your Lights with a Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 601: How to Reverse Engineer Electronics: Building a Developer Board for a Coding Class Episode 600: Building My Dream Digital Clock: DIY 7 Segment Display with a Cute Robot Twist! Episode 599: How to Build a Spectrum Analyzer with Lego Bricks & Discrete Electronics Episode 598: How To Build a Portable, Solar-Charged Off-Grid Power Station Episode 597: How to Build a Robot that Celebrates Good Grades with Arduino Episode 596: How to Build Your Own Voice Assistant with MyCroft AI - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 595: Member Challenge Accepted - Universal LANC Controller for DSLR cameras Episode 594: Repairing a Neewer 660 Studio light - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 593: Playing 3D Famicom Games Wirelessly on the NES - How Hard Could It Be? Episode 592: Lamptopus: Spinning LED Desk Lamp Episode 591: Building A Bluetooth Speaker in 5 Minutes - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 590: Seven Kingdoms Open Source Bartop Arcade Episode 589: Upgrading the iMac G4 With a NUC Episode 588: Highlights from element14 presents 2022 Episode 587: Create Your Own Talking Stress Indicator Episode 586: DIY Open Source Bluetooth Headphones Episode 585: Enhancing a Magnifying Headband with Auto Sensing Light Episode 584: Going Beyond Periodic Wakes: Using WiFi to Revive a Sleeping Device Episode 583: Epic Neopixel Birthday Cake Episode 582: Smart Christmas Decoration with Raspberry Pi Pico and MQTT Episode 581: Bee-Saving Electronics Prototype Episode 580: DIY Low Cost Capacitance Meter Using a 555 Timer Episode 579: How to Make a Basketball Auto Score Keeper Using Colour Sensing Episode 578: Build your Own Bat Detector with Analog Parts Episode 577: The Game Guy Mini, Upgrading the Unportable Game Boy! Episode 576: Build your own Underwater Drone with 3D Printed Parts Episode 575: How to Make a Secured Parcel Pickup Box with Arduino Episode 574: Ghost Rider Halloween Costume Episode 573: Using a Pi Pico to Convert Keyboard Input to Morse Code Episode 572: How to Use an ESP32 & Camera to Know You've Got Mail! Episode 571: Using Dead Batteries to Test for Dead Batteries Episode 570: Making a WiFi Connected Audio Spectrum Analyzer with ESP32 Episode 569: Multi-Spectrum UV Resin Curing Station with Würth LEDs Episode 568: How to Make a Custom Soundboard with the STM32F4 using FreeCAD Episode 567: Synced NeoPixel Mickey Mouse Ears Episode 566: How to Automate Industrial Welding Positioners with Arduino Episode 565: Measuring Destructive Testing Force with a 20 Ton Hydraulic Press Episode 564: Build a VU Meter with LED Pixelated Nixie Tubes Episode 563: Creating Augmented Reality Circuits with Meta Quest 2 and Unity Episode 562: Pi Home Temperature Monitoring System Episode 561: WiFi to Parallel Port Ascii Art Dot-Matrix Printer Episode 560: Raspberry Pi Controlled Lego Train with Build HAT Episode 559: Create a Magic Makeup Mirror with Pose Detection Episode 558: 3D Object Rendering Using an FPGA Episode 557: Create your own Handheld Serial Monitor for Project Debugging Episode 556: Hacking a Hotel POS Tablet - How Hard Can it Be? Episode 555: Dance Central Pose Estimation Game with Tensorflow and Raspberry Pi Episode 554: Arduino Uno Mini Limited Edition LED Necklace Episode 553: Adding a Parallel Printer Port to an Android Phone Episode 552: Magical Potion Bottle Rack Episode 551: Can We Rebuild a 1930s Accounting Machine? Episode 550: DIY Electronic Controlled Motorized Wheelchair Episode 549: Using a Teletype Machine as a USB Printer with Arduino Episode 548: Electronic Fidget Cube, Building Your Ideas! Episode 547: Creating a “Mummy” Wake Word Detector with Raspberry Pi and Edge Impulse Episode 546: Mapping the Outputs of a 1960s Teletype Machine - How Hard Can it Be? Episode 545: Designing a Custom PCB for Microsoft Jacdac Episode 544: Reviving the 1984 IBM 5155 - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 543: Lego Spike Prime Weather Station with Raspberry Pi Episode 542: A Noise-Free DIY Switching Power Supply - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 541: Vintage Laptop Battery Replaced with USB Power - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 540: Object Detection for Smart Recycling Episode 539: Training a Machine to Recognize Objects - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 538: How to Build a Quadruped Robot - NO MATH! Episode 537: Build a Phonograph Preamplifier - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 536: Interactive Light-Up Window with Pose Detection using a Raspberry Pi and micro:bit Episode 535: Repair a Sega Game Gear - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 534: Open Source Inventory Warehousing System Episode 533: Jumbo DIY LED Episode 532: World’s First Single-Chip Apple II Boots! Episode 531: Game Guy - The Unportable Game Boy Episode 530: MQTT controlled LED Christmas Baubles with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 529: UPDI Program for new ATTiny Episode 528: Let's Build an Electronic Fidget Cube! Episode 527: Interactive Light Up Window using a Raspberry Pi and micro:bit Episode 526: CNC Router Remote Control Episode 525: DIY Helmholtz Snow Globe Episode 524: Arduino IoT Cloud Weather Station Episode 523: Make your Own Auto-Sensing Solder Fume Extractor Episode 522: Siren Head Halloween Wearable Costume Episode 521: DIY Static Grass Applicator Episode 520: Adding Android Auto as Non-Permanent Add-On with Raspberry Pi Episode 519: Make Your Own Ye Olde Book Nook Diorama with Arduino Episode 518: Guitar Vacuum Tube Distortion Pedal Episode 517: Emulate an EPROM - How Hard Could it Be? Episode 516: Modding a Wireless Doorbell with Raspberry Pi and ESP8266 Episode 515: Upcycling a Lenovo PC into a Raspberry Pi WiFi Access Point Episode 514: Making a 3D Graphics Card for the Atari 800 XL Episode 513: Bike Speedometer with Arduino and GPS Episode 512: You Cannot Buy This Vacuum Tube Tester. You Build It! Episode 511: Raspberry Pi Powered Cheeseball Launcher Episode 510: Laser Cutter Command Station Episode 509: DIY Discrete Logic LED Countdown Timer Episode 508: Raspberry Pi FPV Rover Easy Robot Arm Upgrade Episode 507: Massive Raspberry Pi Episode 506: DIY Star Trek Tricorder from Build Inside the Box Episode 505: Super 8 Camera Digitizer Episode 504: DIY Sump Pump Alarm Episode 503: Meet Cheesoid - The Robot That Smells! Episode 502: Make Your Bike a Pokebike! Episode 501: Raspberry Pi NFC Button-Free Music Player Episode 500: Build Inside The Box Challenge! Episode 499: DIY Four Channel Arduino Servo Tester Episode 498: Raspberry Pi Smart Water Dispenser Episode 497: RFID Pocket Money Keeper Episode 496: Compute Module 4 Powered 3D Printer Board Episode 495: Magic GIF Ball Powered By Raspberry Pi Episode 494: Keyboard Shortcuts Keypad with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 493: NeoPixel 7 Segment Display Clock Update Episode 492: Arduino vs 555 Timer - Tiny Slot Car Racers Episode 491: Arduino Single-Wheel Balancing Robot Episode 490: DIY Raspberry Pi Pico Fizz Buzz Multiplication Game Episode 489: Build An FPV Rover with Raspberry Pi Episode 488: DIY Raspberry Pi Cyberdeck Episode 487: DIY MagSafe Battery Charger Episode 486: Make The Ultimate Phone Charging Camping Flashlight Episode 485: How To Make A Custom PCB From Design To Assembly Episode 484: Raspberry Pi Bird Watching Camera Episode 483: DIY Miniature Multimeter Episode 482: Gigantic 3D Printed 7 Segment Display Clock Episode 481: DIY LOST Swan Station Split Flap Display Timer Episode 480: DIY Toothbrush Timer Episode 479: Raspberry Pi 2XL Robot Assistant Part 2 Episode 478: Upgrading A Christmas Train Episode 477: Metal Plate Your 3D Prints with a DIY Galvanizing Machine Episode 476: IoT Arduino NTP World Clock with SPI Display Episode 475: DIY Wall Mounted Arduino Barometer Episode 474: Continuum Robot Tentacle Prototype Episode 473: Mendel 3D Printer Upgrade and Maintenance Episode 472: DIY Hydration Reminder System Episode 471: DIY Dance Dance Revolution Mat Episode 470: Voice Activated Inspector Gadget Hat Episode 469: Nintendo Super Scope Modded For Modern Televisions Episode 468: Socially Distanced Halloween Candy Dispenser Episode 467: Repairing the World's First Laptop! (Epson HX-20) Episode 466: Arduino-powered Hexadecimal Color Code Clock Episode 465: Lego Raspberry Pi HQ Camera Episode 464: Particle Voice Recognition for Home Appliances Episode 463: Raspberry Pi Speech to Text LED Face Mask Episode 462: Joycon Controlled Electronic Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots Episode 461: Portal 2 Security Camera with Raspberry Pi 2 Episode 460: Trinamic Open Source Ventilator (TOSV) Teardown Episode 459: Raspberry Pi 4 VR Conference Call Assistant Episode 458: DIY Arduino Automated Metal Bending Machine Episode 457: Raspberry Pi 4 Animatronic Rosie the Robot from the Jetsons Episode 456: Unhackable Arduino Switch Matrix Episode 455: Arduino Unit Conversion Calculator Episode 454: Soldering Up the rc2014 Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit Episode 453: Build an Anti-Troll Bot Using TensorFlow and Arduino Episode 452: Raspberry Pi 4 Experimental Resin 3D Printer Updated! Episode 451: Build an Off Grid Wikipedia with Raspberry Pi Episode 450: Sega GameGear Rebuild with LEDs Episode 449: DIY Tamagotchi - Build a Virtual Pet Episode 448: DIY Raspberry Pi 4 Boxing Game Episode 447: DIY Stop Motion Rig with LattePanda Episode 446: Raspberry Pi 2XL Robot Assistant Part 1 Episode 445: Raspberry Pi 4 Animatronic BD-1 Companion Robot Episode 444: Raspberry Pi 4 DVR Episode 443: Arduino Uno RC Remote - Can It Be Done? Episode 442: Make Your Own Giant Servo Episode 441: Raspberry Pi 4 International Space Station Tracker Episode 440: DIY Arduino Helicopter Collective Joystick Control Episode 439 - Mechanical Arcade Game with Barebones Arduino Episode 438: Smartphone Controlled DIY Rover Using Websockets Episode 437: DIY Motorized Zoom for Your DSLR Episode 436: Automated Raspberry Pi Planet Tracking GOTO Telescope Episode 435: Raspberry Pi 4 Music Player w/Analog Controls Episode 434: Infineon Smart City Model Episode 433: Arduino Based Love Tester Episode 432: Super FX Sword using the BBC micro:bit Episode 431: Room-Sized Studio Light Speakers Combo Episode 430: Flaming Xylophone Rubens' Tube Episode 429: YouTuber "On Air" Light with Particle Mesh Network Episode 428: Raspberry Pi 4 CRT-based VR Headset Episode 427: DIY Retro Gaming Portable on a Budget! Episode 426: Retro TV Ads Holiday Ornament Episode 425: Make Your Own Raspberry Pi 4 Photobooth! Episode 424: DIY Escape Room Puzzle Episode 423: Programmable Arduino Synthesizer Watch Episode 422: Raspberry Pi E-Ink Task Organizer Episode 421: Raspberry Pi 4 Commodore SX-64 Inspired Portable Computer Episode 420: DIY Shapeoko CNC Pendant Episode 419: Altair 8800 Laptop Episode 418: Animatronic Terminator Skull with BeagleBone ® AI Episode 417: #Pipboy 2000 Mk II Episode 416: DIY #3DPrinted Label Spooler Episode 415: Iron Man Helmet Heads Up Display Episode 414: Raspberry Pi 4 Experimental Resin 3D Printer Episode 413: Animatronic Claptrap Case Mod Part 2 Episode 412: Get to Know Your ADC with a DIY Temperature Probe Episode 411: Animatronic Claptrap Computer Case - Part 1 Episode 410: MacPro G5 Cheese Grater with Raspberry Pi 4 Episode 409: Commodore SX-64 Restoration Episode 408: Hand Soldered LED Oscilloscope Episode 407: The Ultimate Raspberry Pi 4 Laptop Episode 406: Automated Robot Artist Episode 405: RC Ornithopter Concept Episode 404: Arduino Powered Close Encounters Midi Light Board Episode 403: Upcycled IoT Coffee Pot Ramen Maker Episode 402: PiPhone++ The Giant Raspberry Pi Flip Phone Episode 401: Matrix Voice Controlled Robot Episode 400: The Ultimate Raspberry Pi Stress Test Episode 399: Candle-Powered Robotl Episode 398: Let Me Out Hooman! 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Episode 386: Xybernaut Wearable PC Episode 385: 20 PCB Design Pitfalls Episode 384: Retro Gaming Handheld Without a PCB Episode 383: Gameboy Wireless Link Cable (DMG1) Episode 382: Modding a Super 8 Camera into a Digital Episode 381: Reverse Music Box Episode 380: NES Zapper on RetroPie Episode 379: Macroscope Soldering Tool Episode 378: Invader ZIM Animatronic GIR Episode 377: Altair 8800 Replica Episode 376: 4D Gaming with the Matrix Creator Episode 375: Hacked Fetal Detector Music Synthesizer Episode 374: Raspberry Pi Donkey Kong Holiday Ornament Episode 373: Raspberry Pi Fallout Terminal PC Episode 372: Raspberry Pi Auto Etch A Sketch ™ Episode 371: FPGA "Game Genie" for Atari 2600 Episode 370: Raspberry Pi NOAA Satellite Receiver Episode 369: Recreating the Atari Portfolio Episode 368: Arduino Automatic Wire Cutter and Stripper Episode 367: Most Useless IoT Device Ever - Part 2 Episode 366: Infinity Icosahedron Episode 365: Twilight Zone Fortune Telling Machine Episode 364: Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality Arcade #VR Episode 363 - Add a Motor to your Bike with Arduino Episode 362: Most Worthless IoT Device Ever Pt. 1 Episode 361: R.O.B Rebuild and Upgrade Episode 360: Make Your Own Raspberry Pi Cell Phone Episode 359: Make Your Own CNC Pyrography Wood Burner Episode 358: The Shrimp of Terror! Episode 357: Raspberry Pi Asteroid Tracker Episode 356: Bank to the Future with Arduino & TI Episode 355: Raspberry Pi Pirate Radio Episode 354: Tiny Vacuum Forming Machine Episode 353: Program Your Own FPGA Video Game Episode 352: Pripyat - DIY Geiger Counter Episode 349: Raspberry Pi Selfie Rocket See All Previous Episodesepisode releasesfriday_release_archiveelement14 presentsproject videosepisodesfriday releasesepisode release archiveepisode archivefriday release archiveproject_videoshttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/b/projects/posts/can-an-esp32-tell-when-a-saxophone-is-out-of-tuneThu, 29 Oct 2026 12:55:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:988200a8-68d2-4321-aa79-94544df2e3e8cstantonForget squinting at a tiny instrument tuner! Mark Donners combines an ESP32, microphone, addressable LEDs and glass building blocks to create a giant colour-changing tuner for his saxophone Time to Make Beautiful Music with Mark! players.brightcove.net/.../index.html Playing saxophone in a local Big Band and making instrumental YouTube videos took up a good deal of Mark Donners' time when he was younger. Playing the right note is one thing, but getting it properly in tune is another. Instrument tuners and phone apps can certainly help, but neither is particularly convenient when somebody is holding a saxophone and trying to keep an eye on a tiny display at the same time. And, as Mark points out, the passing years haven't made tiny displays any more appealing. His answer was suitably difficult to miss: make the tuner much, much bigger. The resulting project combines an ESP32 DevKit V1, an INMP441 MEMS microphone and a strip of WS2812 addressable RGB LEDs with an unusual display made from glass building blocks. Instead of concentrating on a little needle or a handful of pixels, the musician gets a large illuminated indication of whether the note is flat, sharp or in tune. "Not just any tuner... this time we're going to build an instrument tuner." Although Mark built and programmed it with woodwind instruments in mind, including tenor, alto and soprano saxophone and B-flat clarinet, there is nothing about the basic principle that limits it to those instruments. As Mark suggests, the same approach could be adapted into a guitar tuner or used for other instruments where a highly visible tuning indicator would be useful. The Electronics The electronics are deliberately fairly modest. At the centre is an ESP32 DOIT DevKit, chosen in typically practical fashion because Mark already had several of them and they are inexpensive. Another ESP32 could be substituted, although the GPIO assignments in the firmware would then need checking and possibly changing. "You could use actually any ESP32, but you might have to change the setup of the pins in your software." The audio input comes from an INMP441 MEMS microphone module using the ESP32's I2S peripheral. In Mark's configuration the microphone is powered from 3.3 V, its L/R pin is pulled to ground to select the left channel, SD is connected to GPIO33, SCK to GPIO26 and WS to GPIO25. The LED data output meanwhile comes from GPIO27 through a 300Ω series resistor. The WS2812 strip itself is powered from the 5 V supply. The distinction between the microphone's 3.3 V supply and the LED strip's 5 V supply is worth paying attention to when recreating the wiring. The finished circuit might have relatively few components, but getting the supplies and I2S connections right is important. The project schematic provides the clearest reference for checking the physical build before power is applied. Some basic supply conditioning is provided too. The BOM specifies a 100 nF TDK FG18X7R1H104KNT00 X7R capacitor rated at 50 V, Farnell order code 3772381, together with a 100 µF Wurth Elektronik 860130273002 aluminium electrolytic capacitor rated at 10 V. The 300Ω LED data resistor is a Vishay MBA02040C3000FRP00 metal-film component rated at 0.4 W with a 1% tolerance. There is also a 22 µF capacitor associated with the ESP32 enable line. The BOM specifies Wurth Elektronik part 860160272001, a 22 µF, 10 V radial electrolytic rated for 4,000 hours at 105°C. Mark added this after considering a problem that can crop up while programming some ESP32 boards. "If you have problems programming, put a capacitor to ground and the enable." The board itself is built on prototyping PCB. Mark first positions the ESP32 sockets and supporting components, trims the PCB to the required dimensions and removes copper where necessary before completing the point-to-point wiring. This is a compact practical build rather than an elaborate custom PCB, which also makes it reasonably approachable to reproduce. One construction lesson is particularly worth retaining. Mark notes that component leads and wires should ideally be cut before soldering so that the subsequent mechanical action does not put unnecessary stress on a completed solder joint. He admits that he did not follow his own advice everywhere on this build because the alternative was easier, but it is nevertheless a useful practice for a more permanent version. A Tuner You Can See Across the Room The electronics solve the measurement problem, but the distinctive part of the project is the display. Mark had wanted an excuse to experiment with the sort of translucent glass building blocks commonly found in walls and decorative architectural features. Stacking several of them creates something considerably larger than a conventional instrument tuner. A WS2812 addressable LED strip runs behind the blocks. Recovering the strip from a previous build also gave Mark an opportunity to reuse hardware rather than buying another length merely for the project. The glass proved less forgiving. "I dropped it while recording... Things happen, sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst. But we'll make the best of it." One of the blocks cracked during filming, reducing the original collection of three pristine blocks to two plus a damaged one. Rather than abandoning the display, Mark glued the blocks together and carried on. Once assembled and illuminated, the damage was far less significant than it first appeared. Simply placing visible WS2812 LEDs behind the glass did leave another aesthetic problem. It produced a line of distinct bright emitters rather than the broad coloured areas Mark wanted. In his words, it looked rather like a "giant flux capacitor". Enter the diffusers. Mark 3D printed thin PLA sheets, around 0.3 mm thick, and placed them between the LED strips and the glass. The material spreads the light sufficiently to turn a conspicuous string of LEDs into a much more even glowing panel. Builders without a 3D printer need not abandon the idea either, as a suitable piece of paper can provide a simple alternative diffuser. The firmware is currently configured for 42 WS2812 pixels, using the Adafruit NeoPixel library, with the LED brightness set to 80. The whole strip changes colour together: red means the detected note is too low, green means it is considered in tune and orange means it is too high. Turning Sound into Pitch There is more going on inside the ESP32 than the simplicity of the display suggests. This is not merely code looking for the loudest frequency bin and choosing a colour. The firmware samples the INMP441 at 16 kHz and uses a 1,024-sample analysis window. Each new analysis retains half of the previous buffer before adding another 512 samples, giving 50% overlap between windows. At 16 kHz, that 512-sample hop corresponds to 32 ms, helping the display react quickly enough for live playing rather than feeling heavily damped or delayed. #define SAMPLE_RATE 16000 #define BUFFER_SIZE 1024 #define HOP_SIZE 512 #define MIN_FREQUENCY 80.0f #define MAX_FREQUENCY 2200.0f The configured 80 Hz to 2.2 kHz detection range was selected to cover the intended saxophones and B-flat clarinet while retaining some headroom for higher registers and altissimo playing. Before analysing pitch, the ESP32 calculates the average of the audio buffer and subtracts it from every sample to remove its DC component. At the same time it calculates the RMS amplitude. Signals below the configured RMS threshold are treated as silence, which prevents random low-level noise from repeatedly changing the giant display. Pitch detection uses a Normalized Square Difference Function, or NSDF, an approach related in principle to the McLeod Pitch Method. Rather than looking only at spectral magnitude, the routine searches the sampled waveform for strong periodicity. For each possible lag, it measures the relationship between samples and their delayed counterparts, normalising that measurement against their energies. float denominator = energy1 + energy2; if (denominator > 0.0f) { nsdf[tau] = 2.0f * acf / denominator; } The firmware then hunts for local maxima in the NSDF. An important detail is that it deliberately prefers the first sufficiently strong periodic peak instead of blindly accepting whichever peak happens to be largest. The threshold for that initial selection is 0.72. This is useful with instruments such as saxophones and clarinets because their waveforms contain plenty of harmonic information. A pitch detector can otherwise become attracted to a harmonic and report a note an octave away from the intended fundamental. Mark tackles that problem a second time with explicit octave validation. Having calculated a potential fundamental, the firmware checks whether there is sufficiently strong periodic evidence one octave lower. Crucially, that lower candidate has to be stronger, rather than merely similar: if ( lowerScore > currentScore + 0.005f) { return lowerFrequency; } That small distinction helps prevent a genuine 440 Hz tone being casually converted into 220 Hz simply because there is also periodic structure at the longer period. The detected peak is refined using parabolic interpolation before the period is converted into frequency. The frequency then goes into a deliberately short, three-reading history. The firmware uses the median when three readings are available, which gives some rejection of an occasional bad estimate without building up a long smoothing delay. This is a useful compromise for the intended application. A tuner for sustained laboratory tones could afford heavy averaging, but a tuner intended to follow live saxophone playing needs to settle quickly as the musician changes notes. Once a stable frequency is available, the ESP32 converts it into the nearest MIDI note using A4 = 440 Hz as the reference. From that target note it calculates the tuning error in cents: float cents = 1200.0f * log2f(frequency / targetFrequency); A reading below -10 cents turns the display red, a result between -10 and +10 cents turns it green, and anything over +10 cents turns it orange. Those boundaries are also easy to alter if somebody rebuilding the tuner wants a stricter or more forgiving indication. Programming and Debugging the ESP32 For builders who want to investigate or change its behaviour, Mark provides the Arduino sketch. It uses version 1.12.3 of the Adafruit NeoPixel library and was written around version 2.0.17 of Espressif's ESP32 Arduino support. There is also a considerably simpler route for anyone who just wants to build the hardware and get the tuner working. The compiled firmware can be installed through Mark's browser-based installer . A compatible browser such as Chrome or Edge can connect to the ESP32's serial port and flash the device without requiring the complete Arduino development environment. "You hook up your ESP32 and you press install. And then you have to select the COM port that your device is connected to." Mark did run into a programming failure during the demonstration. His practical workaround was to hold the ESP32's BOOT button while reconnecting/selecting the serial port and beginning the installation. After doing so, programming proceeded normally. There is another useful debugging feature hidden behind all the glowing glass. The program continuously writes diagnostic information to the serial port at 230400 baud. That output includes RMS level, detected frequency, note name, distance from the target pitch in cents and pitch-detection confidence. "You will have the volume, the frequency that it detects... if it's too high or too low, and that's a constant output. So you can also use that one instead of the light." That serial stream is particularly useful while building or modifying the tuner. If the LEDs do not appear to behave as expected, it gives the maker a way to separate audio-detection problems from display problems. It also makes the project useful without the complete glass display, since the ESP32 and microphone can still operate as a serial-output pitch detector. Parts for the Build The supplied BOM combines readily sourced components with a few modules and mechanical items that Mark already had or obtained separately. The principal electronics are: ESP32 DOIT DevKit V1 INMP441 I2S MEMS microphone module WS2812 addressable RGB LED strip Vishay 300Ω metal-film resistor TDK 100 nF, 50 V X7R radial capacitor Wurth Elektronik 22 µF, 10 V aluminium electrolytic capacitor Wurth Elektronik 100 µF, 10 V aluminium electrolytic capacitor Harwin 15-position sockets, quantity two Multicomp Pro 3-position sockets, quantity two TE Connectivity AMP 2-position and 3-position headers Prototyping board, wire and connectors The resistor is not simply recorded as "300 ohm" in the catalogue. Farnell identifies it as Vishay MBA02040C3000FRP00, a 300Ω, 400 mW, ±1% metal-film through-hole resistor rated to 200 V. Similarly, the 100 nF component is TDK's FG18X7R1H104KNT00, a radial X7R MLCC with ±10% capacitance tolerance and a 50 V DC rating. These details are useful if you need to substitute parts or trying to reproduce the build from components already in the workshop. More Than a Big Green Light The finished tuner is perhaps deliberately excessive, but underneath the illuminated glass is a useful example of embedded audio processing. An I2S microphone provides digital audio directly to the ESP32, NSDF processing extracts pitch, a little filtering keeps the output responsive without making it too erratic, and an addressable LED strip turns the result into something that can be seen while actually playing an instrument. It also fits neatly alongside Mark's other experiments with large-format audio displays. His element14 Presents biography highlights previous open-source projects including an acrylic-tile audio spectrum analyser, a 64-channel spectrum analyser and a twin audio visualiser. That makes his closing idea for this project perhaps unsurprising. "Imagine I had 50 of those glass building blocks. What do you think I should do with them? The only thing I can think of is build a giant analyzer." With enough blocks, individual illuminated cells could form the basis of a genuinely enormous spectrum or audio visualiser. The tuner has already dealt with several of the useful ingredients: capturing digital audio, processing it in real time, driving addressable LEDs and diffusing their light into large illuminated areas. For now, though, the three-block version has a simpler job. Play flat and it glows red. Get the note within ten cents and the tower turns green. Go sharp and it switches to orange. No squinting at a phone screen, no tiny meter hidden behind a saxophone, and just enough giant-flux-capacitor styling to make tuning practice considerably harder to ignore. Supporting links: Supporting Code ESP32 browser firmware installer Bill of Materials Product Name Manufacturer Quantity Buy Kit Resistor 300ohm Vishay 1 Buy Now Capacitor 100nf /50v TDK 1 Buy Now Electrolyt Cap 22uf 10V Wurth Elektronic 1 Buy Now Electrolyt cap 100uf / 10V Wurth Elektronic 1 Buy Now socket 15p Harwin 2 Buy Now socket 3p Multicomp Pro 2 Buy Now header 2p TE CONNECTIVITY - AMP 1 Buy Now header 3p TE CONNECTIVITY - AMP 3 Buy Now Additional Parts Product Name Manufacturer Quantity ESP32 DEVKIT V1 Pixelled Strip WS2812 Wires MEMS Mic INMP441 Breadboarddiy instrument tunerreal time pitch detectionINMP441 microphonearduino music projectaddressable led displayi2s microphoneDIY electronics projectesp32 projectsaxophone tuneresp32 music tunerelement14 presentselectronic music tunerWS2812 LED projectwoodwind tunere14presents_markdonnersfriday_releasepitch detectionhttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/m/files/151965Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:55:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:1929ac74-db61-4baa-aee6-b22550b5158bcstantonContains: MusicTuner.ino flash.html Files for: Can an ESP32 Tell When a Saxophone Is Out of Tune? Snapshot of: https://github.com/donnersm/MusicTuneresp32arduinohttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/m/managed-videos/151964Wed, 28 Oct 2026 17:13:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:c475f9b4-8caa-4efd-ad0a-7a84d008248ecstantonhttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/b/projects/posts/fundamentals-of-electronics-understanding-resistors-capacitors-and-inductorsThu, 22 Oct 2026 13:35:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:9b2a479f-3fd9-4abb-9b5a-044ace834c9ecstantonRobin tackles the “Holy Trinity” of electronics: resistors, capacitors and inductors. Discover how these three fundamental components work, why they appear in so many circuits, and the principles every budding electronics engineer or maker should know. Charge Up with Robin! players.brightcove.net/.../index.html Electronics can quickly become a world of integrated circuits, microcontrollers, sensors, transistors and thousands of increasingly specialised components. Before getting lost amongst all of those parts, however, it helps to understand three much simpler building blocks: the resistor, capacitor and inductor. Following his introduction to electricity, voltage, current and ground, Robin continues his introduction to electronics by concentrating on these three passive components. They appear throughout electronic design, from a simple LED circuit to power supplies, filters, amplifiers and radio-frequency systems. “Of all the components we use in electronics, there are three that are absolutely fundamental… and they are the resistor, the capacitor and the inductor.” Robin affectionately calls them the “Holy Trinity” of components, and even gives them a suitably over-the-top musical introduction. Behind the joke is a useful way of organising some important ideas. A resistor restricts current and dissipates energy; a capacitor stores energy in an electric field and resists rapid changes in voltage; an inductor stores energy in a magnetic field and resists rapid changes in current. Starting with resistance and Ohm’s law The resistor is Robin’s starting point because its basic behaviour is comparatively straightforward. A resistor has two terminals separated by resistive material. As charge moves through it, the material provides resistance to the flow of current. Robin illustrates this with people walking through a corridor. A very narrow corridor restricts the number of people able to pass at once, while a wide corridor lets many more through. Increasing the resistance in an electrical circuit similarly reduces the current that can flow for a given applied voltage. Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω), while current is measured in amperes (A). For the small circuits a beginner is likely to encounter, current will frequently be expressed in milliamperes (mA), with 1 A equal to 1,000 mA. This leads Robin to one of the most useful relationships a beginner can learn: I = V / R where I is current in amperes, V is voltage in volts and R is resistance in ohms. “Voltage, resistance and current are all directly connected. If you know any two of them, you can calculate the third.” This is Ohm’s law, more conventionally written as V = IR . Robin deliberately rearranges it as I = V/R to encourage a particular way of thinking about a simple resistive circuit: apply a voltage across a resistance and the combination determines the resulting current. For example, putting 5 V across a 1 kΩ resistor gives: I = 5 / 1,000 = 0.005 A = 5 mA That simple calculation becomes useful almost immediately when selecting current-limiting resistors, designing potential dividers and eventually working with considerably more complicated circuits such as operational-amplifier designs. There is some nuance waiting further down the road. Ohm’s law describes the proportional voltage-current relationship of an ohmic conductor, and real components do not all have a constant resistance under every operating condition. For an introduction to electronics, however, a resistor and Ohm’s law provide an exceptionally useful starting point for understanding what happens when voltage is applied to a circuit. Capacitors: charge, voltage and electric fields The capacitor introduces another important idea: circuits can store energy. At its simplest, a capacitor can be thought of as two conductive plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric . Robin demonstrates that the principle does not require an exotic component: two pieces of conductive foil separated by paper already form a rudimentary capacitor. When a DC voltage is first connected across a capacitor, charge accumulates on its plates. As the capacitor charges, the voltage across it rises towards the supply voltage. Once steady-state conditions have been reached, current no longer flows continuously through the dielectric. “The important thing is that the two plates are electrically isolated from each other.” Remove the supply and that separated charge can remain, allowing the capacitor to store energy in its electric field. Connect it into an appropriate circuit again and that stored energy can be released. Unlike a battery intended for comparatively long-duration energy storage, an ordinary capacitor can respond extremely quickly. The amount of capacitance is measured in farads (F) . One farad is very large for many conventional electronic circuits, so beginners will more commonly encounter microfarads (µF) and nanofarads (nF), along with picofarads (pF) as they progress further into electronics. Robin uses a 470 µF capacitor as a tangible example of how physical size does not necessarily correspond to a conveniently large number of farads. A particularly important use follows directly from this ability to respond quickly. A processor or other digital IC can alter its current demand extremely rapidly as internal circuitry switches. The power source and PCB connections are not ideal and cannot necessarily supply that instantaneous change without some disturbance to the local supply voltage. A decoupling capacitor positioned close to an IC's supply pins can act as a small local energy reservoir, helping provide transient current and keeping the supply voltage more stable. It is one of those ideas that reappears almost everywhere once someone starts building practical electronic circuits. Capacitors can also form filters and couple changing signals between parts of a circuit while blocking a steady DC component. Robin deliberately leaves the deeper explanation of capacitive coupling for later, rather than piling frequency, impedance and calculus onto the first explanation of what a capacitor actually does. “For now, just remember: capacitors store energy in an electric field, they resist sudden changes in voltage, and they can be incredibly useful for filtering, coupling and stabilising electronic circuits.” Inductors: where electricity meets magnetism The third member of Robin’s trio is the component he describes as the “weirdest” of the three: the inductor . An inductor is commonly formed from a coil of wire, sometimes wound around a magnetic material such as iron or ferrite and sometimes constructed without a magnetic core. Pass current through the winding and it produces a magnetic field. The coiled geometry concentrates that field. The interesting part begins when the current changes. An increasing current produces an increasing magnetic field. That changing magnetic field induces a voltage which opposes the change that produced it. Consequently, an ideal inductor resists an abrupt change in current. If the current subsequently becomes constant, the magnetic field also becomes constant and the induced opposing voltage falls away. In a DC steady state an ideal inductor therefore approaches the behaviour of a short circuit, although a real winding still has resistance and other non-ideal characteristics. “An inductor doesn’t like its current changing suddenly. The faster you try to increase that current, the stronger this opposing voltage becomes.” The reverse process is equally important. Interrupt the current and the stored magnetic field begins to collapse. That changing field generates a voltage which attempts to keep current flowing. The magnetic energy stored by the inductor is being returned to the circuit. This behaviour is immensely useful, but it also explains Robin’s warning that inductors can be damaging to a circuit if their stored energy is not handled appropriately. Switching an inductive load can create a large voltage transient as the magnetic field collapses, one of the reasons protection components are often required when switching coils, relays and motors. Inductance is measured in henries (H) . As with the farad, a whole henry is comparatively large for many electronic applications, so millihenries (mH) and microhenries (µH) commonly appear in practical designs. Inductors have important roles in power electronics and filtering. Together with capacitors they can create frequency-selective and resonant circuits. In RF electronics, carefully chosen inductance and capacitance can create circuits which respond strongly around a particular frequency, providing the underlying principle behind familiar applications such as selecting one radio channel from many occupying different frequencies. Three components, three useful ways to think There is considerably more to learn about each component, but Robin's introduction provides three useful mental models to carry forward: Resistor: opposes the flow of current and allows current and voltage to be controlled. Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω). Capacitor: stores energy in an electric field and resists abrupt changes in voltage. Capacitance is measured in farads (F). Inductor: stores energy in a magnetic field and resists abrupt changes in current. Inductance is measured in henries (H). Those concepts provide a route into much more of electronics. Resistors lead naturally into current limiting and voltage dividers. Capacitors introduce timing, coupling, decoupling and filtering. Inductors connect circuit behaviour with electromagnetism and lead towards power conversion, filtering and RF design. Combining the three eventually leads into RC, RL and RLC networks, frequency response and resonance. Real components add another layer. Practical capacitors possess equivalent series resistance and inductance, practical inductors have winding resistance, parasitic capacitance and magnetic-core limitations, and even an ordinary resistor acquires parasitic properties at sufficiently high frequencies. Those behaviours become much easier to understand once the ideal versions are familiar. “These three components are absolutely fundamental to electronics.” Rather than simply memorising what each component looks like on a schematic, Robin's approach is to understand what it does to voltage, current and stored energy . That gives a beginner something much more reusable when encountering an unfamiliar circuit. The next step is to take the simplest member of the trio and examine it properly. Robin will return to resistors to explore how they work in practical circuits and, importantly, how to work out the value of the resistor sitting on the bench when all there is to go on is a collection of coloured bands or component markings. Continue learning Fundamentals of Electronics: Understanding Electricity, Voltage and Current – revisit the previous episode covering the electrical concepts used throughout this introduction. Passive Components on the element14 Community – explore Community resources covering resistors, capacitors, inductors and their practical applications. Decoupling Capacitor Experiments – see the effects of power-supply decoupling investigated in a practical logic circuit. Ideal vs Real Inductors: Part 1 – Understanding the Inductor – go beyond the ideal model and explore how practical inductors behave, including their use at RF. A Comprehensive Guide to Capacitors – explore capacitor construction, technologies and practical applications in greater depth. Ohm's law – additional background on the relationship between voltage, current and resistance.learn electronicsresistors capacitors and inductorselectronic components explainedhow inductors workhow resistors workohm's law explainedelectronics fundamentalsunderstanding electronic componentselectronic circuits for beginnersintroduction to electronicspassive electronic componentselectronics engineering basicshow capacitors workresistance capacitance and inductancebasic electronics for beginnersfriday_releasehttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/m/managed-videos/151903Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:38:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:ebaf3b7a-b49e-4afd-9c6f-eadcb754dab5cstantonhttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/project-videos/m/managed-videos/151902Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:53:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:ff3c10a9-36a3-477d-baae-9987c52f4808cstantonprodcommunityhttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/project-videos/w/documents/72057/your-first-real-pcb-in-kicad-an-arduino-compatible-board-designed-from-scratchTue, 20 Oct 2026 12:53:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:e3f585e3-4b21-4fda-b99d-ca01605d83b5cstantonClem takes on the challenge of designing a fully Arduino Uno–compatible development board using KiCad, guiding viewers through the entire process from template selection to a manufacturing-ready PCB. Instead of abstract theory, the video focuses on real design decisions, including choosing an ATtiny3226 that doesn’t yet exist in an Uno form factor, handling USB‑C power and data safely, integrating UPDI programming, and avoiding common schematic and layout mistakes that can derail a first board. Along the way, Clem highlights practical hurdles—such as matching symbols to real footprints, managing logic-level compatibility, routing USB data lines, and running proper design rule checks—while explaining how KiCad’s tighter schematic-to-PCB integration makes iteration easier. The result is a clear, hands-on walkthrough that shows not just how to use KiCad, but how to think like a PCB designer when building reliable, reproducible hardware. Watch the Full Unedited KiCad Tutorial players.brightcove.net/.../index.html A Hands‑On, Step‑by‑Step Introduction to KiCad Designing a printed circuit board can feel intimidating at first, especially if you’ve never used a professional‑grade CAD tool before. KiCad exists to lower that barrier. KiCad is a free, open‑source, cross‑platform PCB design suite that brings schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D visualisation, and manufacturing outputs into one integrated workflow. Clem uses KiCad exactly as it’s meant to be used: not as a collection of isolated tools, but as a complete, end‑to‑end design environment. Clem walks through the full design of a real, buildable board, following the same workflow you’d use on an actual engineering project. “Rather than focusing on theory, this is something useful that you could use in your electronics journey if you follow along.” You can follow along with this blog, but the meat of the guide is in Clem's extended video. Why KiCad, and Why This Project? KiCad is chosen because it: Keeps schematic and PCB views tightly linked Allows one‑click updates from schematic to layout Has built‑in electrical and design rule checking Is supported directly by modern PCB manufacturers That makes it especially well‑suited to beginners who want professional results without commercial licensing costs. Just as importantly, Clem chooses a real project: an Arduino Uno compatible development board. Arduino’s hardware is open source, which means you’re allowed to design your own versions. “Arduino is open source, so you can make your own version. I’m going to use one that doesn’t exist yet.” The board uses an ATtiny3226, a modern AVR that can run at both 3.3 V and 5 V — a decision that influences almost every design step that follows. Step 1: Start Smart - Create a Project from a Template Instead of starting with a blank canvas, Clem uses project templates. In File → New Project from Template, KiCad offers ready‑made templates for platforms like: Arduino Raspberry Pi BeagleBone Other common form factors Clem selects the Arduino Uno template, which immediately locks down: Board outline Mounting hole positions Header spacing and alignment “If you want to adhere to a specific pinout or standard of board… you choose a new project from template.” This eliminates an entire class of mechanical errors before any schematic work begins — shields will fit, headers will line up, and the board will physically behave like an Arduino. Step 2: Understand KiCad’s Two Core Editors At this point, Clem pauses to explain how KiCad is structured. KiCad is made up of several tools, but two matter most here: The Schematic Editor This is where electrical intent lives: What connects to what Power distribution Signal naming Functional grouping The PCB Editor This is where those electrical connections become: Pads Tracks Vias Copper planes A key KiCad improvement is how tightly these are linked . Clem keeps both open at the same time, often on separate screens. Clicking a component in one highlights it in the other. That feedback loop is what makes KiCad feel fast instead of fragile. Step 3: Schematic First - Think Function, Not Appearance Clem’s first real design rule is simple: “Don’t think about how the board will look when you’re doing the schematic. This is only about the function.” In the schematic editor, he: Places all required components first Uses labels instead of long wires to keep things readable Uses global labels for power nets Marks unused pins with no‑connect flags These habits work directly with KiCad’s Electrical Rules Checker (ERC), which will later flag: Missing connections Forgotten pins Ambiguous nets This is where a lot of beginners go wrong, and where KiCad actively helps you catch mistakes early. Step 4: Design Power with Flexibility in Mind Instead of hard‑coding a single operating voltage, Clem designs for choice . The ATtiny3226 can run at either 3.3 V or 5 V , so Clem adds: A USB‑derived 5 V rail A regulator to generate 3.3 V A jumper that selects which voltage powers the microcontroller “This chip can do both if you want to… I want to have adjustable operating voltage, which in turn changes the logic levels.” Because the board is USB‑powered only , this decision affects: Regulator choice USB protection Logic‑level compatibility across the board This step shows how early architectural decisions ripple forward into later design stages. Step 5: Add USB‑C — but Keep It Sensible USB‑C often scares people off. Clem deliberately avoids that by targeting USB 2.0 only . That keeps routing manageable while still delivering modern connectivity. Key points Clem covers: Correct CC resistors so the board actually gets power A Schottky diode to prevent back‑powering a PC Choosing a USB‑to‑UART bridge that tolerates both 3.3 V and 5 V logic “One thing I always check in the datasheet is: can this part really work with the different logic levels that I want?” Because the ATtiny3226 doesn’t natively support USB, the USB‑to‑UART chip becomes a realistic, well‑explained trade‑off. Step 6: Build UPDI Programming Directly Onto the Board Instead of relying on an external programmer, Clem integrates UPDI programming directly. Using a dual‑throw switch, the same USB connection can be switched between: UPDI programming mode Normal UART operation “We’re building our programmer directly into the board… this lets us choose between UPDI mode and normal operation.” This section highlights an important engineering habit: reusing proven design patterns, but understanding why they work instead of blindly copying them. Step 7: Assign Symbols and Footprints That Match Reality Once the schematic is complete, Clem moves into a step that beginners often underestimate: footprints . Rather than trusting generic placeholders, he: Downloads manufacturer‑provided symbols and footprints Imports them into KiCad Cleans them up so pin names and orientation match the real parts “It’s better to have a symbol and a footprint that actually belong to each other.” This dramatically reduces the risk of assembly errors later and plays directly to KiCad’s strong library‑management tools. Step 8: Push the Schematic into the PCB Editor With footprints assigned, Clem clicks Update PCB from Schematic. All components appear on the board, connected by thin lines called the ratsnest. Nothing is routed yet, this is KiCad showing what must eventually connect . This is where schematic decisions start paying off. Step 9: Place Components Before Routing Clem doesn’t route immediately. Instead, he: Places the microcontroller first Moves connectors to board edges Keeps decoupling capacitors close to their ICs Groups related circuitry together “I get them in the general area first, and then I move them while I’m routing.” Good placement makes routing easier, cleaner, and less frustrating. Step 10: Route the Board Iteratively Routing starts with the easy connections and builds up. Clem demonstrates: Slightly thicker traces for power (for visibility as much as current) Differential‑pair routing for USB data Short ground connections dropped straight into vias Gradual refinement rather than perfection on the first pass Although the board could be routed with two layers, Clem switches to four layers for EMC reasons. “Four layer boards are usually done because of EMC… even if you don’t really require them for routing.” Step 11: Ground Planes, Stitching, and “Good Enough” EMC Ground planes are added and stitched together with vias. Clem’s philosophy here is pragmatic: Solid ground connectivity is almost always beneficial Via stitching is cheap Modern PCB fabs don’t penalise you for doing it properly This isn’t about theoretical perfection, it’s about robust, real‑world boards. Step 12: Label, Document, and Sanity‑Check Everything Before ordering, Clem: Adds clear silkscreen labels (front and back) Adds version numbers Adds licensing information (CC BY‑SA, matching Arduino) Then he runs KiCad’s Design Rules Checker. “That would have been a really bad mistake.” Several issues are caught here — exactly the kind that are easy to miss by eye. Step 13: From KiCad to Manufacturing Finally, Clem uploads the native KiCad project files directly to a PCB manufacturer. No Gerber export required. “It’s very easy to go from a finished design to an order‑ready PCB.” This reflects a modern workflow where design, checking, and manufacturing are tightly linked. Getting Used to Repeatable Process Check out Clem's schematics below, inspect every decision, and recreate the project step by step alongside the video or out of your own curiosity. “If this was too fast for you, check out the full unabridged version… recreate the tutorial side by side.” - Clem If you'd prefer a more abridged version, you can find it on our YouTube Channel . By keeping the focus on real decisions, honest trade‑offs, and KiCad’s modern workflow, Clem delivers something more valuable than a feature tour: hopefully a practical way to start designing PCBs with confidence. Supporting Files and Links - Austroduino Github Repository ( Mirror Snapshot ) Bill of Materials Product Name Manufacturer Quantity Buy Kit Attiny3226 microchip 1 Buy Now Molex usb-c molex 1 Buy Now MCP1825s33 microchip 1 Buy Nowattiny3226 development boardarduino uno compatible pcbe14presents_mayermakeskicad tutorialkicad templates arduinokicad schematic workflowpcb layout and routing basicsfour layer pcb designusb-c pcb designcustom microcontroller boardusb to uart interface designkicad 10 tutorialkicad symbol footprint librariesPCB design for beginnerskicad 9 tutorialfriday_releaseopen source hardware arduinoupdi programming attiny