Basic Electronics

Using a Buck switching power converter makes powering all the different parts of your project a breeze. Do you need 12V for a display and 5V for your Raspberry Pi and Arduinos but you don't want multiple supplies plugged into the wall? One of these high powered converters could be the solution to your problem. More...

I've been looking for a simple, low power, method to generate long time delays so that I can power up a datalogger at regular intervals to take measurements then shut it off again to save battery. I found that the humble 555 timer integrated circuit is more than up for this challenge. More...

If you are a complete beginner to electronics then this is the book for you. It takes you right from the time that you had your first curious thought about how things work right through to building your own circuits on breadboards. There's no time wasted getting there either. It's a no nonsense, straightforward guide to getting started with your hobby without taxing you to understand loads of theory. More...

When you pass a current through a resistor it gets hot. The hotter it gets the more it can adversely affect the circuit that it's a part of. If it gets too hot then it can burst into flames before eventually failing completely. If this happens then it can have catastrophic consequences so it's a good idea to understand why components get hot and design circuits that don't overload the components used. I set about to destroy a resistor and demonstrate what happens when you dissipate too much power in a component. And I wanted to blow something up. More...

Here is a simple two transistor darlington transistor touch switch that you can build easily on a solderless breadboard. This build follows on from the single transistor touch switch project to significantly increase the sensitivity of the touch sensor. More...

Here is a simple one transistor touch switch that you can build easily on a solderless breadboard. Learn how to build a circuit that turns on an LED lamp simply by placing your finger across two wires.

This project illustrates how you can use a transistor as a solid state switch. No moving parts. Exept for your finger of course. More...

How to do a simple science project with your kids. I was clearing out the loft the other day when I came across an experiment in electricity that I did with my daughter when she was nine years old.

It's a very simple electric circuit but we managed to combine the fun of learning about electricity with the fun of making a work of art. I can't believe that we kept it all these years but I thought that you might like to see it before it gets thrown out.

It's very simple to make so you can easily try it out on your kids too. More...

Snap Circuits Extreme electronics kits for kids make an excellent gift for a wide age range. The videos on this page demonstrate how much kids love the kits. I got started in electronics with a kit very similar to these. Not only did it provide me with endless hours of fun back then but it also propelled me on my career in electronics and I have never looked back. Take a look at what these kits have to say about it. More...

Resistors are the most basic building block of any electronic circuit. Luckily they are not difficult to understand and work with once you understand a few simple things. Resistance is measured in Ohms using the greek symbol called Omega Ω More...

Forget the latest video games, smartphones and action figures. Give your kids something to bring out the electronics engineer within them. I might be biased because I am an engineer but I also like to think that everyone has an engineer in them somewhere just waiting to be unlocked. Unlock the scientist inside your children by encouraging them to build stuff.