Fritzing!

I just found a great new resource for robot hobbyists called Fritzing. The folks there have created a great software that lets a hobbyist create visual or technical schematics of their circuits. Ideally, it will allow me to work on mapping out the electronics and ensuring their integrity without ever having to touch a wire. It should greatly increase my efficiency  as I'll be able to do the most difficult part of building circuits at school - planning the circuit out. 

Below is the schematic I just made for the 'Magic LEDs' project - it makes the wiring very clear.

For anyone interested, you can follow the link to download the software (which doesn't even require an install) here.

I will continue to use this software to map out any projects I work on in the future, including the main robot. You'll be able to see them on the project page (soon to replace the code page) which will include schematics, code, and links the the respective blog posts.

Fritzing also has compiled their starter kits for arduino boards, their own accessories, and great guides that utilize the community using their software. Check them out in the links page.

Also, look forward to future posts - I'll be working with an accelerometer for the Arduino and I'll launch a survey for your input into what kind of robot I should make.