Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Alright, so you got a pretty standard embedded electronics kit here. Not a big deal - pretty much anyone can go online and buy a breadboard, some LEDs/wire/resistors, and an ATmega168, but that's about all this kit has in common with those cheaper kits. Coming from a software development background, I wanted to become more "in touch" with the hardware side of things, and so after seeing a post from one of the Nerdkits team members on Slashdot I decided to support their efforts and buy one.
Kit arrived in a few days in a generic brown shipping box, with parts in plastic baggies - not all that impressive. I had to register my kit online and download some tools and documentation. Then I saw the PDF. Woah. This is different. Actual work was put into this. Not just slapping parts together. These guys sat down and actually made a miniature "intro to embedded programming" book. Now THAT'S worth the money!
After skimming through the first few sections of the book, I was eager to get started with my kit. I assembled it together and turned it on. Nothing. Redid it again. Nothing. Freaked out. Posting on their forums got me a response in only a matter of hours - a quick email later and it turned out I had selected the wrong resistor for the contrast on the screen. Oops :)
Currently I am building an LED marquee, one of the many projects listed on their website that you can do with probably just about $10 of extra parts. Very cool. The thing I really like best about this is that Nerdkits has very fast and intelligent support. Keep up the great work guys!
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Challenge yourself: learn by doing. A NerdKit is a combination of electronic parts and wisdom, which together will teach you about digital electronics, embedded systems, and how to bridge computers with the "real world". The electronics world has changed dramatically in the past few decades. We want to make sure that it's still easy to get involved with modern technology, and to experience a challenging and rewarding hobby! Our kits are based around an Atmel ATmega168 microcontroller (MCU). These are powerful, industrial grade MCUs, and we help you build a full system around them. Each has a CPU, permanent storage (flash memory), temporary storage (static RAM), and inputs and outputs. The most significant feature which sets us apart from other kits is that we include a LCD screen with your kit, capable of displaying 24x2 characters. For any projects that require a person to interact with the circuit, an LCD screen is an essential device. Once you get the kit, you can register on our members website, and get access to The Official NerdKits Guide and other materials. The Official NerdKits Guide is an 82-page color PDF document, which walks you through setting up a temperature sensor project and two other smaller projects, giving you all the knowledge you need to tackle your own projects along the way. Additionally, we have lots of project ideas, source code, and free videos on our website! Most importantly, the NerdKits team is always available to help you if you get stuck. We have happy customers around the world and are ready to welcome you into the growing NerdKits community. A computer with a USB port and Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux is required. Additionally, you will need wire strippers and a screwdriver. A multimeter can be helpful as well.
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