Welcome to the Circuit Crush electronics & computer resources section, a curated list of the tools and websites I strongly recommend for geeks, nerds, tinkerers, hackers, makers, and anyone interested in electronics and/or computers.
I either currently use or have used the tools on this page and am recommending them because I’m satisfied with them.
Online resistor color code calculator
Learn Electronics
You know what they say — you gotta crawl before you run. Arduino and microcontrollers can do amazing things, but you gotta connect stuff to them and you need to understand electronics, electricity, components and how they work to do that.
This course offers you a structured, cohesive way to learn about electronics so you can start connecting things to your board of choice, controlling your world, designing your own projects and understanding how they work.
Get Started with Arduino in 1 Day or Less
Once you have the basics down, dive on into the wonderful world of Arduino and microcontrollers. I’ll show you how to get started with Arduino in 1 day or less. Low cost eBook makes a great gift for the aspiring maker in your life also.
Video Editing & Recording
Camtasia
Easy to use yet powerful, Camtasia is the quickest way to start editing video on your PC. Can record the screen and/or edit any video imported into it. Comes with all sorts of capabilities such as sound editing, video quizzes, and more. 30-day free trial.
Audio Editing & Recording
Audacity
It’s amazing the kind of audio you can create & edit on your computer these days, especially with a free tool like Audacity.
Schematic & PCB Design Tools
Produce professional looking schematic diagrams with this free online schematic drawing tool.
Automatically Backup Your Whole Computer
Acronis True Image
Having a good backup of your computer is just as important as protecting it from viruses and hackers (the bad ones), but who’s got time to think about that? Acronis’ automated backups copy your complete system: Windows, programs, files, settings and all for a quick, complete restore in the event of a dead hard drive or virus infection. Be up and running again in an hour or less like nothing ever happened.
A Solid Anti-virus Program
AVG antivirus
AVG is an award winning antivirus program that won’t slow you down like some of the other big names on the market. And, you can save 30% by using the link above! They also have a free, albeit watered-down version.
More Useful Resources
Here’s an excellent free C compiler, IDE and more.
This online equation solver makes complicated math easy. It even shows you the steps!
Need an obsolete part for your project or repair job? These guys may be able to help.
The most comprehensive online database for robots and their builders.
Open-source software for mobile robot control. Includes obstacle avoidance, localization, path planning & more!
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that I have experience with all of these tools, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something.
