These are tools, places, magazines, and hardware that has made my journey into robotics very pleasant. I would like to know yours. -Migs
Please add yours in the following format. (Description, why you recommend it, Model, Where to get it [on different lines])
Note: This is not a place to argue merits, but simply to share with others things that really made a better experience in your path to robotics. Embed your additions with humor and a touch of your personality please! (Makes them more fun to read).
Soldering station:
Mine works like a dream, and its not too expensive. Get some extra thin tips for it too.
Aoyue Soldering Station Variable Temperature 70W – Digital
sparkfun.com/commerce/produc … ucts_id=85
Rework station
(blows air hot enough to melt several solder points at once and thereby remove chips and components easily. Highly recommended.)
Aoyue Hot-air Rework Station - Digital HR852
sparkfun.com/commerce/produc … ucts_id=74
Solder Vacuum
Heat up the solder and this vacuums it off. Much better than shaking the board onto the floor!
sparkfun.com/commerce/produc … ucts_id=82
Learining about micro controllers
Parallax Board of Education is a nice product because its documentation is the best. Not as fast as the Atom or some Atmels, but you want to learn first by playing with LED’s first right? There are cheaper things out there, but this is as user friendly as it gets.
BASIC Stamp Discovery Kit (USB)
parallax.com/Store/Microcontroll … fault.aspx
Programming PICs in Basic
A good page comparing Basic compilers used to program microcontrollers:
downtowninternet.com/elprodu … rison.html
Robot Magazine
Just awesome coverage of the subject. Too bad it isn’t monthly. Highly recommended.
botmag.com/
Servo Magazine
Also a great magazine along with its sister publication “Nuts and Volts†You will learn a lot here.
servomagazine.com/
LED Wizzard
Helps you calculate the circuit and resistors for your first projects.
led.linear1.org/led.wiz
Type 9, 2, 20, 4 and wiring diagram (click the ? mark for sample values)
watch it draw it for you. Simple. Cool.
Screenkeys
The coolest button (switch) you might ever use
screenkeys.com/
CircuitShell
The COOLEST enclosures for your electronics projects. Makes you want to make something worthy of the box!
circuitshell.com/
Request HotBits
Need a Swiss atomic site to generate a random sequence of bits (or a password) for you? Browsing around to see how they come up with your bits is way cool. Then again, maybe I’m institutionally committable already.
fourmilab.ch/hotbits/secure_generate.html
Mallory Sonalert II® Audible Signal Device
The loudest beeper for your robots. As loud as your smoke alarm!
goldmine-elec-products.com/p … ber=G13545
Rare Earth Magnets (neodymium iron boron)
"can snap together with enough force to break a finger "
indigo.com/magnets/rare-earth-magnets.html
Sinister 7
How to tell if you’ve gone mad with this addiction. (Or to drool at being able to put something like this together) When you do something like this you’re pretty close to loosing all ties with sentient beings. In short, electronics has taken over your life.
sparkfun.com/commerce/presen … =Sinister7
**Now its your turn to add useful stuff **(if the last item was useful I don’t know but…)