jimblom
Member Since: May 8, 2009
Country: United States
Profile
Bio
Grew up in Dillon, CO. Escaped CU-Boulder with a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Built some speakers for a while and eventually landed a sweet gig with SparkFun in ‘09.
Role
SparkFun Engineer/Content Creator
Spoken Languages
English, Espanol
Programming Languages
In order of competency: C/C++, Java, Javascript, Python. Once upon a time: QBASIC, Flash, Matlab, Perl
Universities
Summit High School University of Colorado - Boulder (B.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering 2007)
Expertise
Datasheets and schematics. Eagle PCB Design. SparkFun products!
Interests
Puppies, hiking, baseball, sci-fi,
Websites
http://www.sparkfun.com
Publications
Many SparkFun tutorials! I’ve written some pretty lengthy TS emails too.
How to eschew the Arduino IDE for a combination of and Arduino command-line tool (Arduino CLI) and a professional code editor (Visual Studio Code).
Check out the new and improved, tightened-up SparkFun Eagle libraries - now with uniformity, verified packages and documentation!
New tutorials and Arduino libraries for the DeadOn RTC and Real Time Clock module breakout boards – plus, a fun little analog clock project.
An overview of Espressif's sequel to the ESP8266 - a new WiFi/Bluetooth-enabled system-on-chip, with a massive GPIO count.
In lieu of any cool, new project, I took on the task of updating documentation and example code for the MLX90614 IR Thermometer Evaluation Board (and shaved some yaks in the process).
If you want to write code for the Particle Photon, an online, "cloud" IDE isn't your only option. Check out our "Photon Development Guide" to see how you can set up a Photon development environment of your own.
Exploring sleep modes in two WiFi-connected development boards: the ESP8266 Thing and the Photon.
Meet our new product line centered around Particle's Photon WiFi development board!
The release of Arduino 1.6 has really improved my Arduino-programming life thanks to custom platform support, command line utilities and line numbers!
I've been learning a lot about IoT protocols lately. Come learn the wonders of MQTT and CoAP!
How will you be developing code for the Edison? Here are a few methods we're exploring!
We're really excited about the MicroView -- a new Arduino compatible board with an integrated display! Check out why...
First impressions of the Arduino/Intel-hybrid Galileo board - an x86 Arduino! - a small example project, and our likes and dislikes.
Visual programming languages are a unique way to introduce tyro programmers to thinking like a programmer. Here are some of the great tools we've discovered that enable visual programming for Arduino.
Ultra-cool ultrasonic sensors are a perfect and simple way to add object or distance sensing to your project!
SparkFun WiFi IR Blaster Hookup Guide
December 6, 2018
How to assemble the WiFi IR Blaster and program it using Arduino. You'll be controlling IR devices from the web in no time!
Efficient Arduino Programming with Arduino CLI and Visual Studio Code
December 6, 2018
How to eschew the Arduino IDE for a combination of and Arduino command-line tool (Arduino CLI) and a professional code editor (Visual Studio Code).
nRF52840 Development with Arduino and CircuitPython
November 29, 2018
How to use Arduino or CircuitPython to develop applications for the nRF52840 Cortex-M4 Bluetooth SoC.
nRF52840 Advanced Development With the nRF5 SDK
November 29, 2018
Take your nRF52840 development to the next level -- build your applications with the nRF5 C SDK. This tutorial explains how to set up a development environment based around the GNU Arm Embedded Toolchain.
SparkFun Pro nRF52840 Mini Hookup Guide
November 29, 2018
A hardware overview and hookup guide for the SparkFun Pro nRF52840 Mini -- a breakout for Nordic's impossibly cool Bluetooth/ARM Cortex M4 SoC.
LTE Cat M1/NB-IoT Shield Hookup Guide
November 20, 2018
The SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield equips your Arduino or Arduino-compatible microcontroller with access to data networks across the globe. This shield adds wireless, high-bandwidth cellular functionality to your IoT project!
SparkFun LoRa Gateway 1-Channel Hookup Guide
November 15, 2018
How to setup and use the LoRa Gateway 1-Channel in Arduino.
WiFi IR Blaster Hookup Guide
September 19, 2018
How to assemble the WiFi IR Blaster and program it using Arduino. You'll be controlling IR devices from the web in no time!
ESP32 LoRa 1-CH Gateway, LoRaWAN, and the Things Network
August 14, 2018
Using the ESP32 LoRa 1-CH Gateway as a gateway and device, and pushing data to The Things Network.
Using the A111 Pulsed Radar Sensor with a Raspberry Pi
July 30, 2018
Learn how to download, build, and use the Acconeer A111 SDK with a Raspberry Pi! The tiny A111 pulsed coherent radar (PCR) adds high-precision, cutting-edge distance measurement for speed-, material-, motion-,or gesture-sensing projects! We’re not talking about simple ultrasonic, or even infrared, sensors here, but 60GHz radar!
Using the USB Logic Analyzer with sigrok PulseView
June 25, 2018
A quick primer on using the sigrok signal analysis software with our 8-channel, 24MHz USB logic analyzer.
Makey Makey Classic Hookup Guide
January 11, 2018
Be stoked! The world is your construction kit. How to turn everyday objects into computer inputs with the Makey Makey Classic from JoyLabz.
Choosing an Arduino for Your Project
December 11, 2017
Examining the diverse world of Arduino boards and understanding the differences between them before choosing one for a project.
Ardumoto Kit Hookup Guide
April 14, 2017
Learn how to assemble and drive DC motors using the v2.0 Ardumoto Shield.
9DoF Razor IMU M0 Hookup Guide
December 1, 2016
How to use and re-program the 9DoF Razor IMU M0, a combination of ATSAMD21 ARM Cortex-M0 microprocessor and MPU-9250 9DoF-in-a-chip.
nRF52832 Breakout Board Hookup Guide
November 17, 2016
How to hookup and program (in Arduino!) the nRF52832 Breakout -- a development board for Nordic's BLE/ANT/2.4GHz system on chip.
ESP32 Thing Hookup Guide
October 27, 2016
An introduction to the ESP32 Thing's hardware features, and a primer on using the WiFi/Bluetooth system-on-chip in Arduino.
DeadOn RTC Breakout Hookup Guide
October 6, 2016
An introduction to the DS3234 real-time clock (RTC), example wiring diagrams, and an Arduino library!
Real Time Clock Module Hookup Guide
October 6, 2016
A quick introduction to the DS1307 RTC module and a hookup guide for the SparkFun Breakout.
Multiplexer Breakout Hookup Guide
August 18, 2016
How to use the 74HC4051 multiplexer breakout to drive eight LEDs, read eight button inputs, or monitor eight potentiometers.
Battery Babysitter Hookup Guide
June 23, 2016
An introduction and getting started guide for the Battery Babysitter - a flexible LiPo battery charger and monitor.
Piezo Vibration Sensor Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
How to combine a piezo sensor, high-value resistor, and an Arduino to create a vibration sensor.
Flex Sensor Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
An overview of the flex sensor - a bendable variable resistor. Plus, example circuits and Arduino code to get you started!
Force Sensitive Resistor Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
How to hook a force-sensitive resistor up to an Arduino to measure pressure variances.
SoftPot Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
Equip your Arduino project with a sliding soft potentiometer to monitor position or adding linear control to your project.
Sensor Kit Resource Hub
May 5, 2016
An overview of each component in the SparkFun Sensor Kit, plus links to tutorials and other resources you'll need to hook them up.
Photocell Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
Hook a light-sensing photocell up to an Arduino to create an ambient light monitor.
Reed Switch Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
Magnetically-actuated reed switches are the perfect component for non-contact proximity sensors. This tutorial provides a quick overview and example hook up.
QRD1114 Optical Detector Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
Use this IR LED/phototransistor fusion to sense objects in close proximity or even the color of a surface!
PIR Motion Sensor Hookup Guide
May 5, 2016
An overview of passive infrared (PIR) motion detecting sensors, and how to hook them up to an Arduino.
Cherry MX Switch Breakout Hookup Guide
April 21, 2016
How to assemble and use the Cherry MX Switch Breakout, allowing you to turn a matrix of mechanical switches into a full-size keyboard!
Blynk Board Washer/Dryer Alarm
March 31, 2016
How to configure the Blynk Board and app to notify you when your washer or dryer is done shaking.
Getting Started with the SparkFun Blynk Board
March 25, 2016
How to provision a Blynk Board - get it connected to Wi-Fi and Blynk, so you can start Blynking!
Blynk Board Project Guide
March 25, 2016
A series of Blynk projects you can set up on the Blynk Board without ever re-programming it.
Blynk Board Arduino Development Guide
March 25, 2016
How to get your computer set up with Arduino and the Blynk Board hardware definitions -- so you can start creating Blynk projects of your own!
GPS Logger Shield Hookup Guide
February 11, 2016
How to assemble and hookup the SparkFun GPS Logger Shield. Never lose track of your Arduino again!
SAMD21 Mini/Dev Breakout Hookup Guide
November 12, 2015
An introduction to the Atmel ATSAMD21G18 microprocessor and our Mini and Pro R3 breakout boards. Level up your Arduino-skills with the powerful ARM Cortex M0+ processor.
ESP8266 Thing Development Board Hookup Guide
November 5, 2015
An overview of SparkFun's ESP8266 Thing Development Board - a development board for the Internet of Things.
MLX90614 IR Thermometer Hookup Guide
October 29, 2015
How to use the MLX90614 or our SparkFun IR Thermometer Evaluation Board to take temperatures remotely, over short distances.
Raspberry gPIo
October 29, 2015
How to use either Python or C++ to drive the I/O lines on a Raspberry Pi.
SX1509 I/O Expander Breakout Hookup Guide
September 24, 2015
Learn how you can use the SX1509 to control 16 LEDs or up to 64 buttons with just two pins.
SparkFun Inventor's Kit for Photon Experiment Guide
September 3, 2015
Dive into the world of the Internet of Things with the SparkFun Inventor's Kit for Photon.
Photon RedBoard Hookup Guide
August 27, 2015
Your guide to commissioning, tinkering, and programming the SparkFun Photon RedBoard.
Photon Development Guide
August 20, 2015
A guide to the online and offline Particle IDE's to help aid you in your Photon development.
LSM9DS1 Breakout Hookup Guide
August 13, 2015
A hookup guide for the LSM9DS1, which features a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, and 3-axis magnetometer. It's an IMU-in-a-chip!
ESP8266 WiFi Shield Hookup Guide
July 16, 2015
Interface your Arduino with an ESP8266 to give it inexpensive access to your WiFi network and the Internet!
Photon Battery Shield Hookup Guide
July 2, 2015
The Photon Battery Shield has everything your Photon needs to run off, charge, and monitor a LiPo battery. Read through this hookup guide to get started using it.
Electric Imp Breakout Hookup Guide
June 25, 2015
An electric imp HUG! Provides an overview of the imp card and breakout. Both hardware and firmware subjects are covered.
How to Sell Your Widget on SparkFun
June 10, 2015
Have an awesome electronic widget that you want to get to market? We can help resell, or maybe even manufacture it! Find out how.
ESP8266 Thing Hookup Guide
May 21, 2015
An overview of SparkFun's ESP8266 Thing - a development board for the Internet of...Things. This tutorial explains the circuitry driving the board, and how to get it up and running in an Arduino environment.
MP3 Player Shield Hookup Guide V15
April 6, 2015
How to get your Arduino groovin' using the MP3 Player Shield.
Exploring XBees and XCTU
March 12, 2015
How to set up an XBee using your computer, the X-CTU software, and an XBee Explorer interface board.
SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison - Arduino Block
March 11, 2015
A quick overview of the features of the Arduino Block.
SparkFun Blocks for Intel® Edison - OLED Block
February 13, 2015
A quick overview of the features of the OLED Block for the Edison.
Edison Getting Started Guide
December 5, 2014
An introduction to the Intel® Edison. Then a quick walk through on interacting with the console, connecting to WiFi, and doing...stuff.
Micro OLED Breakout Hookup Guide
October 30, 2014
Learn how to hook up the Micro OLED breakout to an Arduino. Then draw pixels, shapes, text and bitmaps all over it!
Installing a Bootloader on the MicroView
August 22, 2014
Fix your bootloader-less MicroView! This tutorial covers how to: disassemble the MicroView, wire it up to an assortment of programmers, program the bootloader, and test it out.
Digital Sandbox Experiment Guide
July 31, 2014
Your guide to the Digital Sandbox! 16+ experiments that, using a graphical programming language, teach you to blink LEDs, monitor microphones, read temperature, and much more.
Digital Sandbox Arduino Companion
July 31, 2014
Let's take the same examples from the ArduBlock-based Digital Sandbox guide, and implement them using Arduino code.
Alternative Arduino Interfaces
July 29, 2014
We admit the Arduino IDE isn't for everyone. Here are some other options for programming your Arduino boards, including web interfaces and graphical programming languages.
Pocket AVR Programmer Hookup Guide
July 7, 2014
Skip the bootloader and load your program directly onto an AVR with the AVR Pocket Programmer.
Transistors
July 1, 2014
A crash course in bi-polar junction transistors. Learn how transistors work and in which circuits we use them.
MMA8452Q Accelerometer Breakout Hookup Guide
June 11, 2014
How to get started using the MMA8452Q 3-axis accelerometer -- a solid, digital, easy-to-use acceleration sensor.
XBee Shield Hookup Guide
June 5, 2014
How to get started with an XBee Shield and Explorer. Create a remote-control Arduino!
LiPo USB Charger Hookup Guide
May 1, 2014
How to charge your LiPo batteries with the USB LiPo charger. Plus how to modify your charger to set the charge current.
Arduino Wireless Communication via the Electric Imp
April 8, 2014
How to communicate between an Electric Imp and Arduino using serial.
LogicBlocks Experiment Guide
March 31, 2014
Experiments guide for the LogicBlocks kit. Build oscillators, latches, multiplexers and more with the LogicBlocks.
LogicBlocks & Digital Logic Introduction
March 31, 2014
Introducing fundamental digital logic concepts and LogicBlocks
Hexadecimal
March 20, 2014
How to interpret hex numbers, and how to convert them to/from decimal and binary.
LSM9DS0 Hookup Guide
February 27, 2014
How to assemble, connect to, and use the LSM9DS0 -- an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer all-in-one.
How to Use an Oscilloscope
February 25, 2014
How to work the dials and buttons on an oscilloscope, and a glossary of the o-scope lexicon.
Dot/Bar Display Driver Hookup Guide
January 16, 2014
How to hook up the LM3914 or LM3916 to drive a 10-LED display with a lone analog signal.
Setting up Raspbian (and DOOM!)
December 19, 2013
How to load a Raspberry Pi up with Raspbian -- the most popular Pi Linux distribution. Then download, compile, install and run the classic: Doom.
RGB Panel Hookup Guide
December 12, 2013
Make bright, colorful displays using the 32x16, 32x32, and 32x64 RGB LED matrix panels. This hookup guide shows how to hook up these panels and control them with an Arduino.
XBee WiFi Hookup Guide
November 21, 2013
An overview of Digi's WiFi XBees, and a quick how-to on getting them connected and interfacing with the cloud.
Graphic LCD Hookup Guide
November 18, 2013
How to add some flashy graphics to your project with a 84x48 monochrome graphic LCD.
Pro Micro & Fio V3 Hookup Guide
November 8, 2013
An overview of the Atmega32U4-based Pro Micro and FioV3, how to install it, and how to use it with Arduino.
Tiny AVR Programmer Hookup Guide
October 28, 2013
A how-to on the Tiny AVR Programmer. How to install drivers, hook it up, and program your favorite Tiny AVRs using AVRDUDE!
Bi-Directional Logic Level Converter Hookup Guide
October 25, 2013
An overview of the Bi-Directional Logic Level Converter, and some example circuits to show how it works.
IR Control Kit Hookup Guide
October 2, 2013
How to get the most out of the infrared receivers and transmitters included in the IR Control Kit.
LED Light Bar Hookup
September 24, 2013
A quick overview of SparkFun's LED light bars, and some examples to show how to hook them up.
Using the BlueSMiRF
September 16, 2013
How to get started using the BlueSMiRF and Bluetooth Mate Silvers.
Serial Terminal Basics
September 9, 2013
This tutorial will show you how to communicate with your serial devices using a variety of terminal emulator applications.
Using EAGLE: Board Layout
September 5, 2013
Part 2 of the Using Eagle tutorials, this one covers how to lay out a board after designing a schematic.
How to Install and Setup EAGLE
September 5, 2013
Not just how to download and install EAGLE, but how to install the SparkFun EAGLE Libraries and scripts.
ProtoSnap LilyPad Development Simple Hookup Guide
September 5, 2013
Interested in getting into LilyPad? Or maybe it's Arduino that tickles your fancy? Just want to add a little white-blinky-LED zest to your vest? All of the above? The ProtoSnap LilyPad Simple is a great tool to explore any of these subjects.
Using the Arduino Pro Mini 3.3V
September 5, 2013
This tutorial is your guide to all things Arduino Pro Mini. It explains what it is, what it's not, and how to get started using it.
Using the Serial 7-Segment Display
August 13, 2013
How to quickly and easily set up the Serial 7-Segment Display and the Serial 7-Segment Display Shield.
MetaWatch Teardown and Arduino Hookup
August 13, 2013
Tearing down the nifty Bluetooth-enabled MetaWatch. Then building an Arduino sketch to control it.
RedBoard vs. Uno
August 6, 2013
In this tutorial we discuss the differences and similarities between the RedBoard and the Arduino Uno (SMD and PTH). The development platforms
WS2812 Breakout Hookup Guide
July 24, 2013
How to create a pixel string with the WS2812 and WS2812B LEDs!
Analog vs. Digital
July 18, 2013
This tutorial covers the concept of analog and digital signals, as they relate to electronics.
Integrated Circuits
July 15, 2013
An introduction to integrated circuits (ICs). Electronics' ubiquitous black chips. Includes a focus on the variety of IC packages.
How to Read a Schematic
July 12, 2013
An overview of component circuit symbols, and tips and tricks for better schematic reading. Click here, and become schematic-literate today!
Electric Power
June 26, 2013
An overview of electric power, the rate of energy transfer. We'll talk definition of power, watts, equations, and power ratings. 1.21 gigawatts of tutorial fun!
Capacitors
June 19, 2013
Learn about all things capacitors. How they're made. How they work. How they look. Types of capacitors. Series/parallel capacitors. Capacitor applications.
Polarity
June 14, 2013
An introduction to polarity in electronic components. Discover what polarity is, which parts have it, and how to identify it.
What is Electricity?
June 13, 2013
We can see electricity in action on our computers, lighting our houses, as lightning strikes in thunderstorms, but what is it? This is not an easy question, but this tutorial will shed some light on it!
Si4707 Hookup Guide
May 29, 2013
Instructions on hooking up to and communicating with the Si4707 Weather Band Radio Breakout using an Arduino.
Switch Basics
May 7, 2013
A tutorial on electronics' most overlooked and underappreciated component: the switch! Here we explain the difference between momentary and maintained switches and what all those acronyms (NO, NC, SPDT, SPST, ...) stand for.
Resistors
April 1, 2013
A tutorial on all things resistors. What is a resistor, how do they behave in parallel/series, decoding the resistor color codes, and resistor applications.
Binary
February 7, 2013
Binary is the numeral system of electronics and programming...so it must be important to learn. But, what is binary? How does it translate to other numeral systems like decimal?
Serial Communication
December 18, 2012
Asynchronous serial communication concepts: packets, signal levels, baud rates, UARTs and more!
LilyPad Development Board Hookup Guide
July 28, 2011
The LilyPad Development Board is a sewable electronics prototyping board that you can use to learn circuits and programming with Arduino, then break apart to make an interactive fabric or wearable project.
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As the RedBoard doesn’t have a unique USB VID/PID (just uses the standard FTDI ID’s), I’m not sure the board manager will be able to find it.
I was using a RedBoard during the duration of writing this tutorial, though. You should be able to use an Arduino Uno (
arduino:avr:uno) as a substitute for it. -
Great question! The cables are oddly hard to find… This has worked for me.
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I’ve pushed some updates to the GitHub repo – it should make all examples compatible with v1.3.11 of the SDK.
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Thanks for the heads up 134773! We’ll definitely get more links to Hologram.
They’ve got a really maker-friendly service: cool prototyping features like TCP/UDP messaging and webhook-routing. And it’s pretty cost-efficient if you’re not sending too much data.
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You’re right that its getting a lot easier to get data-only plans. Yay! You can get the shield without an included SIM over here and use any plan that supports Cat M1 or NB-IoT.
Why Hologram? Their service supports most carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. They’ve got a cool set of included features: a convenient dashboard to monitor data usage and messages, a bi-directional TCP- or UDP-based cloud messaging service, and handy IoT webhooks to route that data – those help a lot during prototyping. Plus, their pricing is straightforward.
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Unfortunately not, the only examples in the SDK are a distance detector, and how-to’s on using the IQ, power bin, and envelope services. Hopefully Acconeer continues building on the SDK to produce more application-esque examples.
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Thanks for the heads up. I updated the installing instructions here a bit too.
I uninstalled and reinstalled, and it seems to be working for me (following the Windows directions). Make sure you’ve installed the core in your Arduino sketchbook - exactly as specified. The “esp32” folder should reside in “{Sketchbook Location}/hardware/espressif/”.
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Not easily, unfortunately. Unlike a lot of I2C chips, the BQ27441 doesn’t have an address-select pin or otherwise configurable I2C address. In lieu of separate I2C buses you could use an I2C multiplexer (for example) between a microcontroller and the pair of BQ27441’s.
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Arduino’s latest versions of the SAMD board definition’s (1.6.9+) tripped a few things up with the 9DoF Razor’s board definitions. We just pushed a compatible update to the board manager.
Update the “SparkFun SAMD Boards” core to 1.3.2 by following the same steps in the Installing the SparkFun Board Definition section of the tutorial, but instead of clicking “Install” click “Update”. That should fix it.
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Great question! I added our Eagle rules to the GitHub repo’s wiki: https://github.com/sparkfun/SparkFun-Eagle-Libraries/wiki.
I think I’ve heard tell of some Eagle-to-KiCAD library scripts, but haven’t used one personally. (Maybe this might work?)
No public wish lists :(