Electronics Course for Beginners

Welcome to the Start Electronics Now! electronics course for beginners. Follow the course parts in this index for an easy introduction to electronics. Each part of the course must be completed in order from top to bottom, as shown in the index below on this page.

Electronics Course for Beginners Index

This electronics course for beginners has been designed for absolute beginners in electronics. Start by reading the introduction article called Learn Electronics for Beginners. Navigate to, and complete the next part of the course after the introduction. See below for the full course index.

1. Learn Electronics for Beginners

A very brief overview of this course. This overview explains the very basics of how electronics is taught in the articles and tutorials that follow.

2. Breadboards for Beginners

How to choose a solderless electronic breadboard for beginners in electronics. This article looks at basic types of electronic breadboards useful to beginners, as well as jumper wires used for building circuits on breadboards.

3. Beginner's Tools for Starting in Electronics

Basic tools needed by beginners in electronics. These are an electronic breadboard and wire, side-cutters, pliers, a multimeter, and optionally a soldering iron.

4. Beginner's Components for Starting Electronics

An Arduino Uno board and electronic components are needed by anyone who is starting electronics and following along with this electronics course.

5. Beginner's Shopping List

When starting your new electronics and Arduino hobby, you will need to buy some electronic components and tools so that you can build the circuits and projects. This section contains a shopping list of parts to buy.

Tutorial 1: Building a Circuit on Breadboard

This tutorial shows you how to build a very simple circuit which lights up a single Light Emitting Diode (LED).

Tutorial 2: Transistor Timer Circuit

When this transistor timer circuit is powered by a 9V battery, the LED switches on. A switch (or link on the breadboard) is closed to start the timer causing the LED to switch off for a time period. After the time period is over, the LED switches on again.

Tutorial 3: Starting with Arduino

In this tutorial, a program is loaded to the Arduino Uno board that flashes the on-board LED on and off. An external LED is then connected to the Arduino using a breadboard. A new program is loaded to flash the external LED on and off.

Tutorial 4: Arduino Knight Rider

In this tutorial, eight LEDs are interfaced to the Arduino Uno board. A program is then loaded to the Arduino that turns the eight LEDs into a "Knight rider" display.

Tutorial 5: 555 LED Flasher

A 555 (triple five) timer IC (integrated circuit) is used in this tutorial to flash an LED on and off.

Tutorial 6: Rising Pitch Siren

A two transistor circuit that produces an audible rising pitch on a loudspeaker.

Tutorial 7: Arduino Melody

A very easy tutorial that uses only two components. The Arduino plays a short melody on a loudspeaker. The program to load to the Arduino is one of the programs that is built into the Arduino IDE.

Tutorial 8: Dual LED Flasher

A two transistor circuit that flashes two LEDs on and off alternately.

Tutorial 9: Using the Arduino Serial Port

The Arduino Uno can send data (such as a text message) to the PC over the USB cable. The Arduino IDE has a serial monitor window that can be opened and will receive and display the data sent from the Arduino board. Data can also be sent to the Arduino board from the serial monitor.

Tutorial 10: Ten Arduino Projects for Absolute Beginners

This tutorial features ten Arduino Projects for absolute beginners. The projects have been selected from the Arduino IDE built in examples, so no code needs to be downloaded – all programs can be loaded to the Arduino straight from the IDE.

Tutorial 11: Light Activated Alarm

When enough light falls on the LDR in this circuit, an alarm tone is played on the loudspeaker. This is a four transistor circuit.

Tutorial 12: Arduino LCD

Connect a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) to the Arduino Uno and then run the Arduino LCD example programs that are built into the Arduino IDE.

Tutorial 13: Wailing Siren

A wailing siren that plays a tone that increases and decreases in pitch. The circuit is built from two 555 timer ICs and some additional electronic components. The wailing tone is played on a loudspeaker.

Tutorial 14: Arduino LCD Thermometer

A temperature sensor (MCP9700 linear active thermistor IC) and LCD are connected to the Arduino in this tutorial. The Arduino reads the temperature from the MCP9700 on analog pin A0 and displays the temperature on the LCD.

Tutorial 15: Arduino Serial Thermometer

The Arduino reads temperature from a MCP9700 temperature sensor IC and displays the temperature in the Arduino IDE serial monitor window.

Tutorial 16: Arduino Clock

In this tutorial, the Arduino displays the time and date on a LCD (optional) and in the Arduino IDE serial monitor window. A PCF8563 real time clock (RTC) IC is used to generate the time and date.

Tutorial 17: Electronic Dice

This circuit simulates a dice being thrown. Pressing the button "throws" the dice. One of six LEDs lights up after the throw.

Tutorial 18: Two Wire Arduino Knight Rider

This tutorial shows how to interface eight LEDs to an Arduino using only two Arduino pins. This is made possible by using a PCF8574 I/O expander IC. A "Knight Rider" display is shown on the LEDs.

Tutorial 19: Arduino Dice

In this tutorial you build a dice that is shaken by holding the button in and thrown by releasing the button. The shake, throw and number thrown are animated and displayed on a seven segment display.

Tutorial 20: Automatic Light

In this electronic circuit, when the ambient light level drops below a certain level, the LED switches on automatically.