Electronics, Arduino, microcontrollers, and DIY projects from the workshop. Companion blog to the Garage Geek Guy YouTube channel.https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/adafruit-gfx-library-arduino-oled-lcd/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/adafruit-gfx-library-arduino-oled-lcd/How the Adafruit GFX library works — coordinate system, screen buffer, and every drawing primitive from drawPixel to drawTriangle, demonstrated on a 128x64 SSD1306 OLED.Thu, 15 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-ds3231-real-time-clock-lcd-i2c/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-ds3231-real-time-clock-lcd-i2c/The DS3231 is the upgrade from the DS1307: a temperature-compensated RTC that drifts only a few seconds per year and needs no external pull-up resistors. Full walkthrough of wiring, library setup, time-setting, and displaying formatted time on an I2C LCD.Wed, 14 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-i2c-lcd-1602/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-i2c-lcd-1602/The parallel 1602 LCD needs 12 wires and a headache. The I2C version needs four. Here is how to wire it, install the library, and get text on screen in under ten minutes.Tue, 03 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-nokia-5110-lcd-display-clock/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-nokia-5110-lcd-display-clock/The Nokia 5110's 84×48 monochrome LCD is surplus from one of the best-selling phones in history, which is why you can get five of them for $15 shipped. Full wiring guide, Adafruit PCD8544 library setup, and a sweeping clock-face demo.Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-oled-display-096-128x64-ssd1306/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-oled-display-096-128x64-ssd1306/The 0.96" OLED display gives you 128×64 pixels on an I²C bus for about $6. This post covers wiring, library installation, address scanning, and getting the Adafruit example running.Mon, 12 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-play-super-mario-bros-tone/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-play-super-mario-bros-tone/Arduino's built-in tone() function is all you need to play melodies — no libraries, no shield, just a speaker and a few lines of code. This post covers the basics and gets the Mario Bros theme running on your board.Tue, 06 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-potentiometer-led-volume-bar/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-potentiometer-led-volume-bar/Turn a potentiometer into a 19-LED volume bar indicator — a hands-on intro to analogRead, the map() function, and the for-loop pattern every analog Arduino project needs.Sat, 03 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-real-time-clock-ds1307-rtc/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/arduino-real-time-clock-ds1307-rtc/The Arduino loses track of time the moment you unplug it. The DS1307 RTC module fixes that with a coin-cell backup and an I2C interface simple enough to share a bus with your LCD. Full walkthrough from address scan to LCD display.Sun, 22 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/first-arduino-project-hello-world-3-leds/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/first-arduino-project-hello-world-3-leds/The classic Arduino Hello World blinks one LED. What happens when a first-timer decides to add two more? A quick tour through variables, wiring, and a bug that teaches more than the working version ever would.Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/fix-arduino-uno-serial-port-mac/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/fix-arduino-uno-serial-port-mac/Arduino clone not showing a serial port in the IDE on macOS? The fix is a CH340 driver install plus one terminal command. Here is exactly what to do.Tue, 23 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/fix-nintendo-wii-disc-read-errors/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/fix-nintendo-wii-disc-read-errors/The dreaded "Unable to read disc" error on a Nintendo Wii is almost always the optical drive — and a $20 replacement from overseas plus one very specific screwdriver will fix it in about 35 minutes.Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/hack-towerpro-mg995-continuous-rotation/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/hack-towerpro-mg995-continuous-rotation/Turn a sub-$10 metal-gear hobby servo into a high-torque gear motor that runs straight off an Arduino — no motor driver required. Full walkthrough of the physical mod, the resistor-divider trick, and the calibration step nobody warns you about.Sun, 19 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/l298n-motor-driver-arduino-pwm/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/l298n-motor-driver-arduino-pwm/Everything you need to wire and code the L298N dual H-bridge motor driver with Arduino — IN1-4, ENA/ENB, common ground, PWM speed control, and the stall-current trick nobody documents.Sun, 29 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/measure-distance-arduino-hcsr04/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/measure-distance-arduino-hcsr04/The HC-SR04 is dollar-store radar for your Arduino — four pins, a library, and a few lines of code give you distance readings in centimeters. Here is how to wire it, code it, and deal with its quirks.Thu, 26 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/program-launchpad-msp430-energia/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/program-launchpad-msp430-energia/The TI MSP430 LaunchPad costs $4.30 and runs on the same code as an Arduino — thanks to Energia, a community-built IDE that ports the Arduino framework to TI microcontrollers.Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/ti-99-4a-av-cable-diy/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/ti-99-4a-av-cable-diy/Skip the RF modulator. A 5-pin DIN connector, a spare RCA cable, and an hour at the bench gives your TI-99/4A a clean composite video signal into any modern TV.Thu, 03 May 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/ti-msp430-led-jack-o-lantern-energia/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/ti-msp430-led-jack-o-lantern-energia/Replace a fake pumpkin's incandescent bulb with 6 individually-controlled LEDs and program the whole thing with the TI MSP-430 Launchpad and Energia — which is basically the Arduino IDE with a red color scheme and TI chip support.Wed, 30 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/use-pir-sensor-motion-detection-arduino/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/use-pir-sensor-motion-detection-arduino/The HC-SR501 PIR sensor is one of the most practical components you can add to an Arduino project. Three wires, a handful of configuration options, and you have reliable motion detection for under $2.Wed, 28 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/use-rgb-leds-arduino/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/use-rgb-leds-arduino/RGB LEDs pack three LEDs into one package and unlock the full color spectrum with PWM. This post covers the hardware, wiring, and three progressively interesting sketches to get you mixing colors.Fri, 09 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMThttps://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/welcome-to-the-blog/https://garage-geek-guy.pages.dev/blog/welcome-to-the-blog/A written companion to the YouTube channel — build logs, schematics, and project notes you can actually skim.Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT