Guide: Kit Inventory

Parts kit

Each student is given a parts kit containing the materials needed for the course assignments and labs. The kit is packed into a plastic box and contains:

• a flamingo pink Mango Pi MQ-Pro https://mangopi.org/mqpro
• a 4-port USB-A data hub with individual on/off switches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BWF5U0M
• a USB adapter plug to convert USB-C to USB-A https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255799820011261.html
• a short USB data cable (A to C) https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805079140338.html
• a HDMI adapter plug to convert mini-HDMI to full-size https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832819936069.html
• a CP2102 USB-to-serial breakout board https://www.taydaelectronics.com/cp2102-serial-converter-usb-2-0-to-ttl-uart-ftdi.html
• a 4-digit 7-segment display http://www.lanpade.com/7-segment-led-dot-matrix/5461as.html
• a full-sized breadboard https://www.jameco.com/z/WBU-202-R-Jameco-Valuepro-830-Point-Solderless-Breadboard-6-5-x-2-125-_20723.html
  • Jameco is solid! sometimes cheaper breadboards have flaky connection points, best to avoid
• jumpers (5-20 of each) https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32891879068.html
  • female-female
  • female-male
• a handy reference card (custom designed by Anna Mistele)
• a mini-box of small components:
  • resistors (how resistance is encoded in band color, color code calculator)
    • twenty 1K resistors (for leds, 4-digit display, transistors) https://www.taydaelectronics.com/resistors/1k-ohm-1-2w-5-carbon-film-resistor.html
    • four 10K resistors (for push buttons) https://www.taydaelectronics.com/10k-ohm-1-2w-5-carbon-film-resistor.html
  • eight LEDs https://www.taydaelectronics.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=led+5mm+ultra+bright
  • four tactile pushbuttons and colored button caps https://www.taydaelectronics.com/electromechanical/switches-key-pad/tact-switch/tact-switch-12-12mm-7-3mm-through-hole-spst-no-4-pins.html https://www.taydaelectronics.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=tactile+switch+caps
  • four 2N3904 transistors (BJTs) https://www.taydaelectronics.com/2n3904-npn-general-propose-transistor.html
  • mini claw clips (for cable management) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TWN8DQZ

Lab tools supplement

Doing the labs also requires a few hand tools and supplies, which will have available for use in the lab room.

Hand tools and supplies for breadboarding:

• wire stripper, needlenose pliers, and angled cutter (if you interested in having your own set of tools, see recommendations in our guide to hand tools)
• solid core wire, 22-24 AWG
• male-male jumpers, various lengths
• multimeter

For keyboard lab:

• PS/2 keyboard and mouse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0758BF15X
• inexpensive, low-speed USB logic analyzer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LSG5P2
• PS/2 breakout board
  • we source a custom board from https://www.pcbway.com/
  • other options from Adafruit https://www.adafruit.com/product/804 or Digikey https://www.digikey.com/short/ptjt5f4b
  • can simply wire jumpers directly into keyboard plug (we did this for years and it works fine)

For graphics lab:

• any display (monitor, tv, projector) that accepts HDMI input
• HDMI cable

Sources for parts

We have found that parts from Tayda Electronics are a good value, especially when purchasing in bulk, although it will take a few weeks to arrive. Ordering from the Ali Express marketplace can be even more economical, but customer service and quality can vary by individual seller – buyer beware!

We often purchase boxes from Daiso because their physical stores have very good quality boxes that are quite reasonably priced.

If looking to buy parts for your personal use, we also recommend Jameco, Pololu, Adafruit, and Sparkfun for their high-quality products and excellent customer service.