Project 1

PROJECT 1

Welcome to your first SparkFun Inventor’s Kit project. Each project is broken up into several circuits, the last circuit being a culmination of the technologies that came before. There are five projects total, each designed to help you learn about new technologies and concepts. This first project will set the foundation for the rest and will aid in helping you understand the fundamentals of circuit building and electricity!

In Project 1, you will learn about Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), resistors, inputs, outputs and sensors. The first project will be to build and program your own multicolored night-light! The night-light uses a sensor to turn on an RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED when it gets dark, and you will be able to change the color using an input knob.

New Ideas

NOTE: Each project will introduce new concepts and components, which will be described in more detail as you progress through the circuits.

New Components Introduced in this Project

  • LEDs
  • Resistors
  • Potentiometers
  • Photoresistors

New Concepts Introduced in this Project

  • Polarity
  • OHM’s Law
  • Digital Output
  • Analog vs. Digital
  • Analog to Digital Conversion
  • Voltage Divider
  • Pulse-width Modulation
  • Functions

You Will Learn

  • How to program on your RedBoard IoT
  • Circuit-Building Basics
  • How to Control LEDs with Digital Outputs
  • How to Read Sensors with Analog Inputs

NEXT Step Circuit 1A