Shopping Cart 0 items
log in register
Today's Deals Forum Desktop Site
All Categories
Featured
Brands
Development
Sensors
Tools
Miscellaneous
Components
E-Textiles
Robotics
Wireless & IoT
Audio

Creative Commons images are CC BY 2.0

Favorited Favorite 10
Wish List

mbed Starter Kit

The mbed Starter Kit (mSK) is a great way to get into user created projects created by ARM to assist with rapid prototyping on microcontrollers. The mSK, which utilizes the LPC1768 by ARM, includes everything you need to complete 10 circuits that will teach you how to create a USB host, draw text and shapes on an LCD, log temperature data, and more. We recommend that you do have some previous programming or electronics experience before using this kit.

The on-line sMK Experiment Guide (in the Documents section below) contains step by step instructions of how to connect each circuit with the included parts. Full example code is provided and explained and even includes fritzing diagrams and the required components.

The kit does not require any soldering and is recommended for anyone with an intermediate to advanced knowledge on programming. We've essentially designed this kit to be the next step up from the SIK. So if you are looking for a new challenge check out the mbed Starter Kit!

Note: All SparkFun branded breakout boards listed in the Kit Includes section come with headers pre-soldered on.

  • Circuit 1: Blink an LED
  • Circuit 2: Buttons and PWM
  • Circuit 3: Graphic LCD
  • Circuit 4: Accelerometer
  • Circuit 5: Internet Clock
  • Circuit 6: USB Host and Threading
  • Circuit 7: USB Device
  • Circuit 8: Temperature Logging
  • Circuit 9: PWM Sounds
  • Circuit 10: Hardware Soundboard

mbed Starter Kit 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.

3 Programming

Skill Level: Competent - The toolchain for programming is a bit more complex and will examples may not be explicitly provided for you. You will be required to have a fundamental knowledge of programming and be required to provide your own code. You may need to modify existing libraries or code to work with your specific hardware. Sensor and hardware interfaces will be SPI or I2C.
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.

3 Electrical Prototyping

Skill Level: Competent - You will be required to reference a datasheet or schematic to know how to use a component. Your knowledge of a datasheet will only require basic features like power requirements, pinouts, or communications type. Also, you may need a power supply that?s greater than 12V or more than 1A worth of current.
See all skill levels

Comments

Looking for answers to technical questions?

We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.

Customer Reviews

5 out of 5

Based on 4 ratings:

Currently viewing all customer reviews.

1 of 1 found this helpful:

Excellent

by verified purchaser

The perfect kit to start doing so much things !

mbed is a great platform to quickly do complex things (like writing in an SD card through SPI for example) or just learn by yourself on how low level protocols works.

A great bonus would be to add a .zip archive of all component documentations and guides. On some project, you have to code in the wild (understand with no internet). In this case, a doc pack is awsome.

Thanks Sparkfun for this cool kit !

A great successor to the SparkFun Inventor's Kit

by verified purchaser

The components in this kit are very high quality, and the experiments are fun and interesting. I especially like the ideas for modifications/exercises to try at the end of each lab.

The LPC1768 feels much more powerful than the Arduino Uno, and I'm really looking forward to networking it with Ethernet, learning more about USB and making some sounds using the D/A converters.

I also really like the mbed development environment and libraries for quick prototyping. And once you've compiled, downloading and then copying a binary seems very natural and easy. The option of exporting the code as individual files and using ARM gcc on your local machine is also nice if you want to develop larger programs with a text editor or IDE. This feels like a kit that you won't outgrow.

Great kit

by verified purchaser

This kid is perfect for getting started with the mbed controller. I haven't even begun to make a dent in all the possibilities. The LCD display is so cool!

Excellent kit for starters

by verified purchaser

Best purchase possible, although a little expensive!!