This is quite literally the "curriculum" I've put together that's helped me understand the basics of electronics! Consider this list of topics and resources as the starting point for anyone looking to dip their toe into electronics. I've personally vetted every book, article, video, course, and product listed below. As I keep learning and finding new resources, I'll add them here — so bookmark this page and check back often!
Disclaimer: I'm not an engineering professional by any means. Therefore, there may be some topics missing from this page that'll get you to where you'd like to be. Keep in mind that this isn't an exhaustive list of everything that you should know.
What You’ll Need
These are the supplies that have gotten me pretty far over the past year. You can find some of these as part of a kit but all supplies can be purchased individually.
Note: Some of the links in this list are affiliate links. What that means is that I'll earn a tiny morsel of commission if you choose to purchase directly via the link provided.
Prototyping & Basics
The breadboard staples — get these first.
Power
Batteries, and the holders that get them into a circuit.
Measuring
For measuring voltage, resistance, conductivity, etc.
Soldering
Everything for a joint that outlasts a breadboard.
Boards & Motion
The microcontrollers and servos for adding logic and movement.
The Path
Electricity Fundamentals
Before worrying about components, PCBs, or microcontrollers, it's worth taking the time to understand what's actually happening inside a circuit. You'll learn concepts like voltage, current, resistance, and power, and more importantly, how they all work together. This isn't about memorizing formulas just to pass a quiz. It's about building intuition so that when something doesn't work, you'll have a better idea why.
- Read
- Make: Electronics
- Ch. 1 — The Basics
- Make: Wearable Electronics
- Ch. 2 — Circuits
- Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics
- Ch. 1 — Basic Physics
- Ch. 2 — Electrical Units
- Ch. 4 — Direct-Current Circuit Basics
- Ch. 5 — Direct-Current Circuit Analysis
- Ch. 6 — Resistors
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
- Ch. 1 — Electrons in Motion
- Ch. 5, pp. 107–121 — Power Sources
- Make: Electronics
Reading Schematics
At first, schematics can feel like a page full of strange symbols and lines. But once you learn what each symbol represents and how components connect together, they become surprisingly approachable. Being able to read a schematic means you can recreate other people's projects, troubleshoot your own, and eventually design circuits from scratch.
- Read
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
- Appendix B — Schematics
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
Soldering
Good soldering isn't about having perfectly beautiful joints on day one. It's about learning proper technique, understanding heat, and developing confidence with every board you assemble. You'll make messy solder joints along the way; I definitely have! But each one teaches you something. With enough practice, soldering becomes one of the most satisfying parts of building electronics.
- Read
- Make: Wearable Electronics
- Ch. 1, pp. 8–10 — Soldering — How to: Soldering Wires
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
- Ch. 4, pp. 70–74 — Soldering and Desoldering
- Make: Wearable Electronics
Microcontrollers
This is where hardware starts feeling interactive. You'll learn what a microcontroller is, how it controls components like LEDs and sensors, and why boards like the Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino are so popular. You don't need to understand everything immediately. Just getting comfortable uploading simple programs and watching your hardware respond is enough to unlock an entirely new world of projects.
- Read
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
- Ch. 29 — Microcontrollers
- Ch. 30 — Arduino
- Arduino Documentation
- Raspberry Pi Pico Documentation
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
Switches & Inputs
This stage is about the difference between momentary and latching switches, why pull-up and pull-down resistors exist, and what "debouncing" means the first time a single tap registers as six presses. Understanding switches is what turns your board from something that just runs code into something that actually listens.
- Read
- Make: Electronics
- Ch. 2 — Switching
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
- Ch. 6 — Switches
- Make: Wearable Electronics
- Ch. 4 — Switches
- Make: Electronics
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
Pulse Width Modulation lets you control things that seem analog, like LED brightness or motor speed, using digital signals. It's a technique you'll encounter constantly as you build more advanced projects. Rather than treating it like abstract theory, focus on experimenting with it and seeing the results in real time.
- Read
- Make: Electronics
- Ch. 4, p. 141 — PWM
- Make: Electronics
Servos
If you've ever wanted to build something that moves, this is a great place to start. Servos let you precisely control angles and positions, making them perfect for robotics, animatronics, and interactive builds. They're surprisingly beginner-friendly once you understand the basics. Before long, you'll find yourself looking at everyday objects and wondering what you could automate.
- Read
- Make: Wearable Electronics
- Ch. 8, p. 221 — Motion — Servos
- Make: Wearable Electronics
Multimeter Usage
When something doesn't work, and eventually something won't, a multimeter helps you figure out why. You'll learn how to measure voltage, continuity, resistance, and current so you're not left guessing what's happening inside your circuit. Think of it less as another tool to learn and more as your detective for debugging.
- Read
- Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics
- Ch. 3, p. 43 — Multimeters
- Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics
Basic CAD
Eventually you'll build something that deserves a custom enclosure, mount, or bracket instead of a breadboard sitting on your desk. That's where CAD comes in. You don't need to become a mechanical engineer. You just need enough to turn your ideas into printable parts. It's an incredibly empowering skill because it lets you stop asking, "Does this exist?" and start asking, "Could I design it?"
- Read
- A Beginner's Guide to 3D Modeling
- Ch. 2 — Parameters, Features, and the Fusion 360 Workspace
- Ch. 3 — Designing Your First Model
- Ch. 4 — Revolving a 2D Sketch into a 3D Object
- A Beginner's Guide to 3D Modeling
Projects to Build
Where the nine stages above stop being separate skills and start being one build.
LED Blink Badge
A coin cell, an LED, a slide switch, and a soldered scrap of protoboard, clipped to your bag with a small printed backing.
Draws on: electricity fundamentals, switches & inputs, soldering, basic CAD.
Breadboard Traffic Light
Three LEDs, three resistors, and an Arduino cycling red → yellow → green on realistic timing.
Draws on: electricity fundamentals, reading schematics, microcontrollers.
Breathing Mood Lamp
An LED (or three, in parallel with proper resistors) fading in and out via PWM, tucked inside a small printed diffuser dome that sits on a shelf.
Draws on: PWM, microcontrollers, basic CAD.
Servo Sign Flipper
A single SG90 flips a printed “Open / Closed” (or “In / Out”) tile when a button is pressed.
Draws on: switches & inputs, PWM, servos, basic CAD.
Wi-Fi Notification Flag
A Pi Pico 2 W polls a public API (weather, GitHub stars, transit). When something crosses a threshold, a servo raises a printed flag on your desk.
Draws on: microcontrollers, PWM, servos, basic CAD.
Combination Lock Box
Three buttons, one PIN sequence, one servo-driven latch on a small printed lid.
Draws on: switches & inputs, microcontrollers, PWM, servos, basic CAD.
Further Reading
- Make: Electronics
- Make: Wearable Electronics
- Make: Physics
- Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics
- Practical Electronics: Components and Techniques
- A Beginner's Guide to 3D Modeling
- Machinery's Handbook: Toolbox
- Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition