There are many blogs on this topic, but I’ll give you my take on it.
The thought of beginning a new journey into something new can be daunting, and with a whirlpool of web information, there isn’t really a direct guidance on the matter… and where there claims to be, there’s usually a paid service or promotion with it… or it’s plain boring. My attention span is very short, and if by chance yours is too, I’ll put this simply for convenience.
This is what I personally recommend you learn if you’re a beginner venturing into electronics or microcontrollers:
1. Know how to short out a battery, so as to avoid this in your projects. Surprises aren’t always fun, especially when it comes to an unexpected fizzing sound or burnt chemical smell. The risk is never zero. Batteries have the potential to leak, explode or catch fire, so please be aware of all ways in which to avoid these hazards.
2. Know all the ways in which something can go wrong, and develop a sense of worry or anxiety about it. Humans didn’t survive this Earth without the help of emotions, most particularly fear, which drives caution. Never be too confident, as this may produce a false sense of security and increase your risk of accident. If worry is preventing you from trying something, do more research until you’re more secure, and have measures in place to account for an accident.
3. Know how electricity flows, and how current can reverse, even by accident or mistake.
4. Learn all the ways in which components fail. It’s important to be able to identify if a component’s failure is a direct result of your doing or if it’s a manufacturing issue. Knowing when and how to check each component for proper functionality prior to using it is key to preventing hiccups in your projects and/or learning.
5. Become comfortable with confusion, worry, stress, fear of loss and failure. This is not to contradict #2, but to point out the balance we must have with confidence and caution. Emotion on either extreme can become a hinderance to success. Failure isn’t failure when you’re learning, it’s just you finding a way that something won’t work. Nikola Tesla said it best,
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
-Nikola Tesla
6. Don’t get too invested in your equipment, start off small and cheap. This most especially helps those who are OCD or anxiety-ridden naturally, and they’re also most likely to be the ones who procrastinate or buy products and never use them, giving up altogether. Like Nike’s Moto, Just. DO IT!!! hah!
7. Don’t frantically google things until you run into a problem. Balance your time with research and hands-on experimenting. If you’re unsure which board to get, just buy the most common, cheapest & powerful one. Buy a board, any development microcontroller board, and run with it. Don’t start off with something you can’t risk losing. It’s important to not get caught up in rabbit holes of “if, ands or buts”… manage time wisely and stick to quick, short accomplishments when getting started. The brain loses motivation without small achievements, leading to procrastination.
8. Stick with Arduino’s IDE, this is the easiest, most trustworthy IDE that I’ve ever used, and I’ve used practically all of them. I personally still continue to use Arduino’s IDE, it’s my favorite.
9. Don’t stress about learning the code! The code knowledge comes along after continuous bug fixing, hah, believe me, you’ll learn REAL quick if you’ve got an issue. It’s through the process of error handling where we learn to code, and you’ll never be expected to be perfect at it, many forums online offer solutions to most problems you’d face (especially now) so dive right in to a project!
10. Don’t feel the need to perfect or master C/C++, C# or Python before diving into the realm of microcontrollers. Code is always changing / updating, so don’t waste time “mastering” a programming language, you’ll find deprecations left and right. Just know the task at hand and use example libraries to guide you.
In sum, it’s always best to heir on the side of caution when working with any type of charge or electricity. The potential risks are everywhere, but it’s important to know how the risks stack up against your ability to detect and prevent them.
Have a sharp mind, keen attention to detail, and ensure your safety precautions are put in place for any accidents. Know your surroundings and analyze your workspace with helpful questions like: are you working over carpet / rugs that can catch fire if hot solder or something were to land on it? Does the carpet create static electricity that affects your project(s) and need to be grounded? Is there any liquid that can spill? Is electricity fully enclosed in a circuit? Are there any conductive materials touching components that shouldn’t be?
Hi, I’m Rita! As a lifelong learner and creative tech hobbyist, I believe technology shouldn’t be difficult to learn. As such, I’ve compiled this collection of knowledge to provide you the most relevant and accurate info you need to help with tech & electronics projects. I hope it helps!
