Make It With Matty

  What a Capacitor Does A capacitor is like a tiny rechargeable bucket for electric charge it stores energy when connected to a voltage source and releases it when needed. Charging : Voltage across the capacitor rises as it fills with charge. Discharging : Voltage drops as it gives up that stored charge. The charging/discharging curve is not linear,  it follows an exponential curve described by the time constant . Capacitance Values & Ratings Capacitance is measured in Farads F. Common value ranges can be seen below: - µF (microfarads) 1 µF = 1,000 nF nF (nanofarads) 1 nF = 1,000 pF pF (picofarads) The voltage rating is the maximum safe voltage before the capacitor can fail. Always choose at least 25–50% above your circuit voltage . Polarised vs. Non-Polarised Polarised (e.g., electrolytic capacitors): Must be connected the right way round (+ and – marked). Non-polarised (e.g., ceramic): Can be connected either way. RC Timing Basics The time constant ...

Introduction Ever wanted to make an LED blink with just a push of a button? In this post, we’ll explore how to use two kinds of transistors NPN and PNP to act as electronic switches for LEDs. You can follow along with just the parts in most beginner electronics kits. Why Use a Transistor as a Switch? A transistor is used for the following reasons: - Control large currents with small currents (your button or microcontroller pin doesn’t need to handle the LED’s full load). Act as an electronic gate  (when a small base current flows, the transistor “connects” the LED to power or ground.) Enable logic control   NPN Transistor Switch How it works: In an NPN transistor, current flows from the collector to the emitter only when there’s a small current into the base. This means we can connect the LED to +V through a resistor, and let the transistor connect it to ground. Parts needed (from your collection): 1 × NPN transistor (e.g., 2N2222 or C945 ) 1 × LED 1 ×...

  DIY Guitar Pedal Prototyping Platform If you’ve ever tried to breadboard a guitar pedal, you know the pain, dangling wires, floating potentiometers, a switch that’s always in the wrong place, and a mess of patch cables threatening to pull everything apart. This project walks you through making a simple  dedicated pedal prototyping station with: Guitar input & amp output jacks Footswitch for bypass Built-in breadboard Neat, stable mounting on acrylic with 3D-printed supports When we’re done, you’ll have a clean, reusable platform for experimenting with pedal circuits before committing them to a PCB or enclosure. Parts You’ll Need ¼" mono jacks (2x) 3PDT footswitch 2x breadboard Acrylic sheet 200x150mm 3D printed brackets Wires Double sided sticky tape Step 1 Plan Your Layout Step 2 Print the Brackets Design small, U-shaped bracket that: Holds the two ¼" jacks firmly in place Keeps the footswitch stable I then took this basic sketch and replicat...

  Introduction: Why Circuits Matter Electricity is the invisible train delivering energy where it needs to go but the “tracks” (circuits) come in different layouts. Two of the most common are series and parallel . Understanding them is essential because: They determine how much voltage and current each component gets. They affect what happens if one component fails. They’re used everywhere, from Christmas lights to your phone’s battery management. Series Circuit Components connected end-to-end so there’s only one path for current. The same current flows through each component, but the supply voltage is divided among them. It's like a conga line — if one person stops, everyone stops.  One failure stops the whole circuit. Simple circuit diagram: Below is a simple series circuit diagram of a circuit you can make yourself Series Example Calculation : Given: Supply voltage: 9V Red LED forward voltage: ~2V each Desired LED current: 20mA (0.02A) Step 1:   To reach...