| I am a little unclear about your question. Are you asking how to get the kind of real hardware skills that you think is missing from school? I think the much harder problem is figuring out what to make, not how to make it. If the question is really about how, then I would say to just dive in. Think of your own fun project, and build the hardware/software to work with it. I think there is a lot more work involved in a good hobby project than there is even in most senior design projects in undergrad. I recommend thinking full one full project to invest a little time/money into. Plan everything from the enclosure to the hardware and software. For example: make a dorm room security system that displays the time since the last person was in your room. Now you will know if someone snuck in while you were in class. Start with a box[1], layout[2] and order[3] a pcb. Interface with some hardware[4], and then write the software to tie it all together. If you want a little help with the soldering then you can also have seeed solder on the microcontroller for you for just a few dollars more. Sparkfun also has some great resources if you need tips on how to layout PCBs. Don't be surprised if you actually need a few revisions on the board before you get it working, especially on your first one. Its easy to forget something like the programming port... Starting from scratch, doing a full buildup, and having a professional looking finished product will give you a lot of confidence. If your question was what to make then you are on your own. I have no clue. [1] http://serpac.com/wm031x.aspx [2] http://www.cadsoftusa.com/download-eagle/ [3] http://dirtypcbs.com or http://www.seeedstudio.com/service/index.php?r=pcb [4] https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13285 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9261 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9393 https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11993 and https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9276 |