SparkFun Starter Kit for RedBoard - Programmed with Arduino

If you're new to electronics and programming, the RedBoard Starter Kit is a great way for beginners to get their foot in the door. This little guy is essentially a mini SparkFun Inventor's Kit (minus the manual which you can find below) and can be taken straight out of the box to help you make a slew of basic circuits, including:

  • Blinking LEDs
  • Making (bad) music
  • Responding to buttons
  • Twisting a volume knob
  • Detecting ambient light
  • Reading temperature
  • Mixing LED colors
  • And more!

    This version comes with our newest SparkFun RedBoard! Also included is a multitude of parts and sensors so you can start messing around with projects.

    If you are looking for a great starting point into programming or are simply on a budget, look no further than the RedBoard Starter Kit.

  • RedBoard - Programmed with Arduino - The SparkFun RedBoard, fully assembled and tested.
  • SparkFun USB Mini-B Cable - This 6' cable provides you with a USB-A connector at the host end and mini-B connector at the device end.
  • Red Miniature Breadboard - Excellent for making circuits and connections off the Arduino.
  • Male to Male jumper wires - These are high quality wires that allow you to connect the female headers on the Arduino to the components and breadboard.
  • Flex Sensor - Originally designed for the Nintendo Power Glove, now you too can measure flex!
  • SoftPot - Measure position along the softpot by looking at the change in resistance. It's like a touch sensitive volume slider.
  • Photocell - A sensor to detect ambient light. Perfect for detecting when a drawer is opened or when night-time approaches.
  • Thermistor - A sensor for detecting ambient temperature and temperature changes.
  • Tri-Color LED - Because everyone loves a blinky. Use this LED to PWM mix any color you need.
  • Basic LEDs - Light emitting diodes make great general indicators.
  • Linear trim pot - Also known as a variable resistor, this is a device commonly used to control volume, contrast, and makes a great general user control input.
  • Piezo Speaker - Make wonderful, brain splitting noises, alarms, and possibly music!
  • 12mm button - Because big buttons are easier to hit.
  • 330 Ohm Resistors - Great current limiting resistors for LEDs, and strong pull-up resistors.
  • 10k Ohm Resistors - These make excellent pull-ups, pull-downs, and current limiters.

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SparkFun Starter Kit for RedBoard - Programmed with Arduino Product Help and Resources

Core Skill: Programming

If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.

2 Programming

Skill Level: Rookie - You will need a better fundamental understand of what code is, and how it works. You will be using beginner-level software and development tools like Arduino. You will be dealing directly with code, but numerous examples and libraries are available. Sensors or shields will communicate with serial or TTL.
See all skill levels


Core Skill: Electrical Prototyping

If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.

2 Electrical Prototyping

Skill Level: Rookie - You may be required to know a bit more about the component, such as orientation, or how to hook it up, in addition to power requirements. You will need to understand polarized components.
See all skill levels


Comments

Looking for answers to technical questions?

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  • Member #582128 / about 10 years ago / 1

    My budget per student can't accommodate the 100$ per kit price of the SIK. But this kit seems to do a lot of it anyways. Can you say which of the 15 things in the SIK Guide this one covers?

    • 5idget / about 10 years ago * / 1

      It looks like it will make 8 of the 15, but you could easily get some singles of the missing components to make 1 full SIK for teaching purposes. I believe it will build all the circuits except numbers 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 - which require components that are not included. Certainly enough to do both beginning and advanced Arduino programming and introductory circuits.

      • Member #582128 / about 10 years ago / 1

        Also I am kind of annoyed that they included this tiny board instead of a larger one with the veritcal ground and 5V areas. Or at least update the manual to reflect that

        • M-Short / about 10 years ago / 1

          I'm not sure what you are referring to? The description and the picture on this page both clearly show the mini breadboard. There also is no manual for this kit.

          • Member #609436 / about 10 years ago / 1

            The manual in the list above (Documents > SIK Guide) shows a different breadboard than the one that ships with this kit. I'm happy with Spark Fun's prompt and professional order fulfillment, and this kit comes with all the parts listed in the "parts wish list", but the manual (which is what I was drooling over waiting for this starter kit to arrive) shows a more expensive kit. I was a bit crestfallen when my starter kit arrived, as I had somehow thought I'd be able to do more, like the manual shows. However, I can see now that the mistake was mine, and in no way Spark Fun's.

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