Writing

Guides from the workbench

Practical articles on 3D printing, PCB design, microcontrollers and the occasional finished build — written from hands-on projects, not theory.

A four-stage build log — FreeCAD assembly, KiCad board, bare PCBs, and the finished, illuminated product.

Bringing a classic 8-bit CPU to life by hand — clock, reset, memory, buses, and single-stepping.

The tools I actually reach for — power supply, oscilloscope, multimeter — and why each earns its space.

Tiny plug-in PCBs with an SMD LED and integrated resistor — cleaner prototyping, and a great first KiCad project.

What this astonishingly cheap 32-bit microcontroller offers and how to start programming it.

The repeatable process I follow to take a circuit from schematic capture to a board a fab can build.

The most popular IC ever made, its three operating modes, and when to reach for each.

When parametric CAD beats mesh modelling for 3D printing — and when it's the other way around.

What assembling a printer from a kit taught me about rigidity, calibration, and first-layer adhesion.

One of my web projects: a live on-screen keyboard & mouse visualizer with multiple layouts and special-key support. Press a key, watch it light up.

Try KeyTest ↗