Hardware Hacking - Nicolas Collins

Hardware Hacking 7

Chapter 1: Getting Started

You’ll need the following tools and materials to get started, and for most of the
projects in the book

Tools:

• Soldering iron, finest point possible, 25-60 w. Not a soldering gun -- that’s for
  VoTech classes. Don’t get a cheap iron -- it makes it very frustrating to learn
  soldering. Weller makes good ones that are reasonably priced and have
  replaceable, interchangeable tips.


• Solder -- fine, rosin core -- not “acid-core” solder, that’s for plumbers.


• Diagonal cutters, small, for cutting wire and components down by the
  circuit board.


• Wire strippers (unless you have the perfect gap between your front teeth)
  -- simple, adjustable manual kind for light-gauge wire.


• A set of jeweler’s screwdrivers (flat & philips) -- for opening toys with tiny
  screws.


• A pair of scissors.


• A Swiss Army Knife.


• A small saw, utility knife, file, and drill will be useful when you start to
  hack toys and make cases for your circuits.


• A cheap digital multimeter -- test meter capable of reading resistance,
  voltage and current.


• Plastic electrical tape.


• Battery powered mini-amplifier with speaker. The cheapest one I’ve
  found is from Radio Shack (#277-1008, $11.99). You can also find wee
  bitty guitar amps by Fender, Marshall, Dan Electro, etc. -- they look like
  little lunchboxes or the guitarist’s equivalent of shrunken heads. They
  cost more than the Radio Shack amp, but some have the advantages of a
  bigger speaker, a tone control and overdrive/distortion. It’s nice to have a
  lot of gain available, so stay away from those small powered speakers
  they sell for computers or Diskmen.


• Mini jumper cables with small alligator clips at each end, about 20 of
  them.


• A “Sharpie”-style fine-tipped permanent marker.


• Some small spring clamps or clothespins.

Materials

• Lightweight insulated hookup wire, 18-22 gauge, 1 roll stranded, 1 roll
  solid..


• Lightweight shielded audio hookup cable, single conductor plus shield.


• Assortment of standard value resistors, 1/8 or 1/4 watt. Sets are easily
  and inexpensively available from Radio Shack or mail order/web
  retailers.