Articles · Learning path · Beginner

Maker electronics for beginners

10 lessons: multimeter, soldering, breadboards, picking an ESP32 board, power, lithium batteries, buttons, WS2812 LEDs, servos and sensors.

10 lessons · about 57 min in total

  1. 1 Multimeter basics: voltage, continuity, resistance and current, safelyMultimeter basics for ESP32 and low-voltage builds: voltage, continuity, resistance, current in series without blowing the fuse, and checking USB cables and batteries. 7 min read
  2. 2 Soldering basics: iron temperature, flux, tinning and good vs cold jointsIron temperatures for leaded and lead-free solder, what flux does, tinning the tip, one joint step by step, good vs cold joints, and staying safe from fumes and lead. 6 min read
  3. 3 Breadboards and jumper wires: what connects, and why ESP32 boards don't fitHow a breadboard is wired inside: rows of five, the centre gap, split power rails. Why an ESP32 DevKit leaves no free holes, the fix, and common wiring mistakes. 5 min read
  4. 4 Which ESP32 board? Classic, S3, C3 and C6 compared for makersOriginal ESP32, S3, C3 and C6 compared: cores, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Classic vs LE, native USB, pin counts. Small boards vs DevKits, and picking a board per project. 5 min read
  5. 5 Powering an ESP32: USB, the 5V pin, the 3V3 pin and battery-life mathUSB 5 V versus the 3V3 pin, why the LDO needs headroom, the current budget when Wi-Fi transmits, and battery life with deep sleep worked out step by step. 6 min read
  6. 6 Using LiPo and Li-ion batteries safely in DIY buildsWhat 3.0–4.2 V means for a lithium cell, chargers with protection, setting charge current, why a puffed battery means stop, storage, and batteries in 3D-printed cases. 6 min read
  7. 7 Reliable buttons on an ESP32: pull-ups and debounce with millis()Why a floating input reads garbage, pull-up vs pull-down, how long switches bounce, a millis() debounce sketch, and the strapping pins to keep buttons off. 6 min read
  8. 8 WS2812 LEDs on an ESP32: power budget, brightness limits and a stable data lineA WS2812 draws up to about 60 mA at full white. Size the supply, cap brightness, add the data resistor and capacitor, and deal with 3.3 V data into 5 V pixels. 5 min read
  9. 9 SG90 and MG90S servos with ESP32: 50 Hz PWM and a separate power supplyMicro servos move to a 1–2 ms pulse sent every 20 ms. How to wire one to an ESP32, why it needs its own power and a shared ground, stall current, and ESP32Servo vs LEDC. 5 min read
  10. 10 Sensors for ESP32 toys: button, PIR, ultrasonic, light, soil, IMU, temperatureCommon sensors for toys and DIY builds: how each talks to the board (digital, analog or I2C), 3.3 V vs 5 V, and which signals must be reduced before the ESP32. 6 min read