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| IMAGE: Electronics Kit. Chris Glass, FLICKR |
In the 'olden days' learning introductory electronics meant unwrapping your Christmas present to excitedly reveal something resembling the kit in the picture above. In my case I didn't get one, but luckily my older brother did, and he was kind enough to occasionally share it with me.
Each component was mounted to the board and attached to metal springs which made for the easy connection of components using the supplied wires (or in case of emergency, bits of wire trimmed from the ends of your Dad's hi-fi system's speaker cables).
By following the instructions in the provided manual, analogue circuits could be made and the basics of electronics could be learnt.
Things have certainly come a long way.
The Arduino platform adds the element of a computer programmable micro-controller to the mix of an electronics kit. Moving electronics from the analogue into the digital realm allows for a much, much greater level of complexity. With a minimum of coding skill coupled with relatively inexpensive components, building your own robot, automated mechanical system, or even a high-altitude data-gathering balloon are all within easy reach. The sky is no longer your limit - literally.
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