Learn the tools of making

To make anything, you need imagination, raw materials, and tools. 

We can help you with the tools.

The courses in this page will teach you how to use tools such as the multi-meter, the oscilloscope, the soldering iron, the breadboard, and much more.

Courses related to tools

Oscilloscopes for Busy People

With this course, you will learn how to use the oscilloscope and take your understanding of electronics to the next level.

This is the course I wish I had when I was studying engineering.


This course is suitable for Makers that:

  • ... are ready to ready to move beyond their multimeter.
  • ... are ready to dig deeper and understand what is going on in their circuits over time.
  • ... want to understand what is an oscilloscope and how it works before they purchase one.
  • ... already have an oscilloscope but are not sure how to use it.

The oscilloscope is an amazing instrument that can help you gain a deeper understanding of electronics and how devices work.

Being able to see a capacitor charging, or how a PWM signal’s duty cycle changes, can be a powerful tool in your learning journey.

Beyond learning, an oscilloscope is a very useful tool when you work to verify, maintain and troubleshoot electronic devices.

It addition to the multimeter, it gives you the ability to literally probe a circuit and see it working (or not working). Over time, as you become more proficient in using it, the oscilloscope will allow you to know exactly what is going on in a circuit instead of only guessing.

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Course type: series of mini-projects
  • Dedicated discussion forum.
  • Full lifetime access.
  • Certificate of Completion.
  • Understand the basics of using an oscilloscope.
  • Learn how to measure the characteristics of an RC circuit, PWM signals, sensor outputs, and decode communications.
  • Learn with clear and logical instructions and examples.
  • Downloadable schematic diagram for the test circuits.
  • Downloadable sketches for the Arduino Uno and ESP32 signal generators.

Data acquisition and automation with LabJack

With this video course, you will learn how to use the
LabJack device to perform data acquisition and control (DaQ) operations.

This course is ideal if you want to record a lot of data about the real world from sensors so that you can analyze it later.


For example, you may want to record the volume of water that flows through a pipe, the temperature of a fridge, or the movement of a high-rise building due to winds. And, you may want to do this for ten years without any human intervention.

This course is also ideal if you want to control the environment based on the data collected from sensors.

For example, you may want to adjust the pressure in a water pipe using a variable valve if the pressure sensor shows it is above a certain threshold. Or, you may want to raise an alarm if the temperature of a fridge rises above 0°C.

  • Level: Beginners
  • Course type: series of mini-projects
  • Dedicated discussion forum.
  • Full lifetime access.
  • Certificate of Completion.
  • Learn the basics of data acquisition and control.
  • Learn how to setup your LabJack and Kipling.
  • Learn about LabJack's port basic and extended features.
  • Learn how to program your LabJack using Lua (onboard) and Python (remote).
  • Learn how to connecting your LabJack to simple sensors and actuators.

The Electronics Workbench: a Setup Guide

Setting up your electronics lab at home can be a daunting. This course will help you navigate through the maze of options.

If you are a new Maker, one of the first things you will need to do is to setup your workbench.

This includes setting up your work area, selecting tools and instruments, and sourcing the components, and how to work with electricity and electronic components safely.

This course will show you how to setup your electronics workbench so you can start making your first Arduino or Raspberry Pi gadget with comfort and safety.

  • Level: Beginners
  • Course type: Instructional
  • Dedicated discussion forum.
  • Full lifetime access.
  • Certificate of Completion.
  • Dedicated discussion forum.
  • Perfect for anyone with an interest in electronics, who is purchasing tool for their work bench.
  • Take this course before you buy your first tools and bench equipment.
  • Learn about the basic components of a well-equipped electronics lab for the non-professional.

Basic electronics for Arduino Makers

An introduction to electronics to help you make the most from your Arduino or other prototyping platform.

By the end of this course, you will have learned how to use commonly used components found in Arduino projects. You will also have learned how to do the relevant measurements and calculations to help you select appropriate components for your projects.

To complete this course, you will need a few cheap and common components and tools: resistors, capacitors, transistors, LED, diodes, and batteries. You will also need a multi-meter, a small breadboard and jumper wires. All of these are probably things that you already have.

  • Level: Beginners
  • Course type: series of mini-projects
  • Dedicated discussion forum.
  • Full lifetime access.
  • Certificate of Completion.
  • Understand the concepts of voltage, resistance and current.
  • Use Kirchhoff's Laws to calculate voltage and current.
  • Understand the meaning of and calculate energy and power.
  • Use pull-up and pull-down resistors.
  • Understand the use of capacitors.
  • Understand diodes.
  • Understand how to use a transistor to control low and high power loads.
  • Use the correct voltage regulator for any circuit.

Basic Mathematics for Electronics

Learn the mathematics you need to be able to solve simple electronic circuits for attributes like voltage, current and power.

Even if you haven't solved a single equation since high-school, this book will help you learn (or re-learn) exactly the mathematics you need to be able to comfortably calculate the main attributes of simple (and more complicated) linear circuits.

This skill is vital for anyone wanting to really understand what is going on in a circuit.

We wrote this book specifically for people that are working with simple electronic circuits such as those that you find in Arduino projects.

  • Level: Beginners.
  • eBook, PDF, 123 pages.
  • Dedicated discussion forum.
  • Full lifetime access.
  • 123-page PDF file.
  • Learn how to do the calculations needed to solve equations that describe electronic circuits.
  • Get up-to-speed with Algebra.
  • Learn how to solve 1st, 2nd degree and linear equations.
  • Learn how to solve 2x2 and 3x3 systems of equations.
  • Learn how to solve and plot functions with one or two variables.
  • Apply this knowledge to circuits that contain resistors and capacitors to calculate voltage, current, energy and power.
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