Metrix Create:Space

Circuit Board Design with KiCAD

plamena-at-metrix — Sun, 12 May 2013 02:25:41 -0400

Do you have basic electronics experience and know what a resistor, capacitor, and diode are and what a schematic looks like?

Do you have a project sitting on a breadboard that you want to make more permanent? Maybe you are ready to turn it into a product to sell.

Then the Circuit Board Design with KiCAD workshop on Sunday, June 2nd (2PM-4PM) is for you!

The tool you need to make your schematic into a PCB is called an electronic design automation (EDA) tool. While there are many choices out there, one of the best free open source options is Kicad. This software suite allows you to design schematics for electronic circuits and printed circuit boards (PCB).

This workshop will cover the user interface, schematic layout, footprint selection, PCB layout, and Gerber file export. You will also learn how to make your own components and footprints. When we are done you should have the knowledge to design your own PCBs and prepare them for production.

The workshop rate ($50) includes 2 hours of instruction. Call (206-357-9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

You should bring a laptop with the current version of Kicad installed (available here: http://kicad-pcb.org) And a mouse with a scroll wheel if you have one as it makes zooming easier, but it is not required.

Intro to Electronics: Tonight!

plamena-at-metrix — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:12:00 -0400

It’s not too late to take the Intro to Electronics workshop tonight (May 7) at 7 PM!

Weather you’ve had a project in mind for awhile or are looking to learn something new, we’ll help you take those first steps towards making your great ideas work. The workshop is designed for complete beginners but it is also a good refresher for those who haven’t done electronics in awhile. We will go over some fundamental electronics components, such as resistors, diodes, capacitors, switches, potentiometers, and simple integrated circuit chips. Through a series of hands-on circuit building exercises we will cover proper wiring, reading circuit diagrams, voltage, and current.

The $50 workshop rate covers all the materials and two and a half hours of instruction. To sign up, give us a call (206 357 9406) or come down to our space on Broadway.

Check out our new weekly event! Learn to with various types of...

defusemetrix — Sat, 04 May 2013 00:15:31 -0400

Check out our new weekly event! Learn to with various types of fabrics on all kinds of levels!

Intro to E-textiles 4/30

fay-at-metrix — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:49:00 -0400

Show someone you care! Sew magnetic hearts that turn on when they snap together. Learn the basics of e-textiles and make a gift just in time for Mother’s Day. Join us for our workshop is Tuesday, April 30th at 7 PM.

What are e-textiles? E-textiles, or electronic textiles, are fabrics with electronics integrated in them. Each heart has a circuit that is sewn together using conductive thread.

No prior knowledge of electronics or sewing required. All materials included for $50. Call 206-357-9406 or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

LilyPad Arduino 4/15 7-9:30 PM

fay-at-metrix — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:29:16 -0400

Join us for the first LilyPad Arduino workshop on Monday, April 15th! This workshop is designed for people new to microcontrollers and interested in e-textiles. The LilyPad Arduino has been developed for sewable microprocessor applications. We will use the LilyPad to learn how to program a microcontroller and interface it with electronic components. No prior knowledge of electronics or programming required, however taking the “Hello World” workshop will give you a good foundation for the programming component. Please bring a laptop with the Arduino IDE and drivers installed (http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/ArduinoLilyPad). All materials are included in the $60 workshop fee. Call (206-357-9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

Intro to Electronics: Today!

plamena-at-metrix — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:50:00 -0400

Are you looking to leap into the world of electronics? Have an awesome project in mind but need to start with the basics?

There are still a few spots left for the Intro to Electronics workshop on tonight (March 26) from 7 PM to 9:30 PM. We’ll help you take those first steps towards making your great ideas work. The workshop is designed for complete beginners but it is also a good refresher for those who haven’t done electronics in awhile. We will go over some fundamental electronics components, such as resistors, diodes, capacitors, switches, potentiometers, and simple integrated circuit chips. Through a series of hands-on circuit building exercises we will cover proper wiring, reading circuit diagrams, voltage, and current.

The $50 workshop rate covers all the materials and two and a half hours of instruction. To sign up, give us a call (206 357 9406) or come down to our space on Broadway.

Hello, World! 4/8

fay-at-metrix — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:33:24 -0400

Join us on Monday, April 8th at 7 PM for our our beginner programming workshop, “Hello, World!”. This workshop is designed for absolute beginners and can be used as a stepping stone to the Intro to Arduino workshop. You will learn basics of programming by running Python examples. Then you will see how these building blocks appear in other languages.

The workshop rate ($50) includes 2 hours of instruction. Please bring a laptop. Call (206 357 9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

Intro to Arduino: Extra!!!

plamena-at-metrix — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:57:37 -0500

Do you keep trying to sign up for the Intro to Arduino class but it’s always full? Are you new to microcontrollers and looking for a way to get started?Just looking for a fun new thing to do on a Tuesday night? This month we’ve added an extra Intro to Arduino workshop! The workshop will be this Tuesday, March 5th at 7 PM.

Arduino is an open source microcontroller platform that combines hardware and software into a user-friendly versatile system that can be implemented for a variety of project scales. The Intro to Arduino workshop is designed for true beginners to the platform. Through a series of hands-on exercises we will go over the hardware of an Arduino Uno board, how to talk to it by writing simple programs, and the basics of the digital and analog input/output set-ups. No previous electronics or programming experience is necessary. The $60 workshop rate covers all the materials for the class, including an Arduino Uno board, as well as two and a half hours of instruction. You will need to bring a computer with the Arduino IDE installed (http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software).

To reserve your spot, give us a call at 206.357.9406 or come down to our shop on Broadway. Space is limited.

Intro to E-textiles 3/17

fay-at-metrix — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:06:43 -0500

Sew a circuit! In this workshop, you will learn the basics of e-textiles by sewing a plush firefly that lights up in the dark. Our next workshop is 2 - 4:30 PM on Sunday, March 17.

What are e-textiles? E-textiles, or electronic textiles, are fabrics with electronics integrated in them. The firefly has a circuit that is sewn together using conductive thread.

No prior knowledge of electronics or sewing required. All materials included for $50. Call 206-357-9406 or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

One day left to sign up for Soldering 101!

defusemetrix — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:00:00 -0500

Soldering 101, hands on instruction for the Beginner or Novice.

Making things requires a lot of skills. Soldering is a key element when it comes to anything electronic. Maybe you want to get your projects off your our valuable breadboard and make them into something more permanent. Or simply want to do some circuit bending or be able to repair something that’s broken. In just a few hours you can learn the fundamentals of soldering! Nothing beats being able to look at a schematic and turn it into a functional layout on a circuit board. Take your prototyping to the next level by making a durable device that can be handled and incorporated into an actual project.

Here at Metrix we have enough silicon and tools to make anything your heart desires. Reserve your seat at our soldering workshop and we can show you how to solder a simple circuit that results in some cool blinking lights. Basic Soldering is a skill that is required if you want to take our upcoming Surface Mount Soldering or Robotics workshops . At only $50 the workshop will fill up quick. Space is limited so be sure to call or give us a visit before the next scheduled class on Tuesday February 26th at 7pm.

It helps to have a small background knowledge of electronics but its not necessary as we will cover some basic material such as polarity and proper assembly.

Give us a call at (206)357-9406, or just stop by and check the shop out!

Design For 3D Printing Workshop - 2/24

brent-rosenburgh — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:04:00 -0500

Join us on Sunday, February 24th 2013 at 7 PM for the first in a series of workshops on design for 3D Printing!

I will explain principles and considerations for the design of a 3D print. No previous 3D printing experience is required as we build a foundation of knowledge for designing models with intent of printing them in plastic on a 3D printer.

3D Printing has made its way to the consumer-level and the significance of this technology is changing the way we think about commerce, consumption, production, hacking, repair and design.

It’s not just for prototypes anymore! With 3D printers dropping in price and improving in print quality, countless people are using 3D printing to create everything from works of art to toys and models; robotic linkages and prosthetic limbs to wall hangars and switch covers. But like all technologies, to get what you want, you need to give the machine what it needs.

In the case of 3D printing, you need to provide the machine with a clean, feasible model to print. 3D printing has its limitations like all manufacturing processes do and you need to know what those are if you want to have consistently successful 3D prints.

This first workshop covers a brief history of the technology, the mechanics of a 3D printer and the physical limitations, quirks and (mis)behaviors of 3D printing with plastic. By the end, 3D printing should be a whole lot less mysterious or intimidating and you can move on to using design software to bring your ideas to life!

The workshop rate ($50) includes 2 hours of instruction. Call (206-357-9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

No supplies are required but taking notes is recommended. If you have an idea of something you are wanting to print, bring it up and we can break it down to determine the ways to make it printable!

Feel free to look at some of my designs and the designs of others on the “Thingiverse” website to get a feel for the kinds of ideas and designs people are coming up with!

http://www.thingiverse.com/ErikJDurwoodII/designs

See you soon!

Brent J. Rosenburgh

(a.k.a. Erik J. Durwood II)

Open SCAD workshop tomorrow 2/17!

fay-at-metrix — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 17:24:00 -0500

Ever wanted to design your own 3D objects? Take our OpenSCAD workshop Sunday 2/17 2-4 PM.

This workshop will teach the basics of OpenSCAD, even if you have little or no CAD or programming experience. We will cover the user interface, basic shapes, transformations and Boolean operations, and exporting for 3D printing. When we are done you should have the knowledge to make basic models and be able to understand other peoples files.

What to bring:

Laptop with OpenSCAD installed. (available here: http://www.openscad.org/)

Mouse with scroll wheel (optional) - a scroll wheel makes zooming easier but it is not required

Target audience: Beginners with little or no 3D modeling experience.

Hello, World!

fay-at-metrix — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 01:38:33 -0500

Join us on Monday, February 25th at 7 PM for our our beginner programming workshop, “Hello, World!”. This workshop is designed for absolute beginners and can be used as a stepping stone to the Intro to Arduino workshop. You will learn basics of programming by running Python examples. Then you will see how these building blocks appear in other languages such as Arduino.

The workshop rate ($50) includes 2 hours of instruction. Please bring a laptop. Call (206-357-9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

Our next Intro to e-textiles class is Monday, February 4th at 7...

fay-at-metrix — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:08:00 -0500

Our next Intro to e-textiles class is Monday, February 4th at 7 PM. This workshop is an introduction to e-textiles and focuses on integrating ordinary electronics into fabric. We will modify ordinary electronic components and sew them together using conductive thread. You will take home a plush firefly that lights up in the dark.

No prior knowledge of electronics or sewing required, but experience helps. All materials included for $50. Call (206-357-9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

February workshop schedule

fay-at-metrix — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:01:00 -0500

We have one workshop left for January! Here it is with most of the February schedule. To reserve your spot in any of these workshops, call the shop (206-357-9406) or drop by. Workshops are $50 and include all materials unless noted. Check out our calendar for more details.

Inkscape for Laser Engraver, Monday, January 28th, 7-9:30 PM. Laptop required with Inkscape installed.

Intro to E-textiles, Monday, February 4th, 7-9:30 PM

Intro to Electronics, Monday, February 11th, 7-9 PM

3D Design with OpenSCAD, Sunday, February 17th, 2-4 PM. Laptop required with OpenSCAD installed.

Intro to Arduino, Monday February 18th, 7-9:30 PM ($60). Laptop required with Arduino IDE installed.

Inkscape for Laser Engraver, Tuesday, February 19th, 7-9:30 PM

“Hello World”: Programming for Beginners, Monday, February 25th, 7-9 PM

Stay tuned for Soldering 101, Circuit Board Design and more!

Hello, New Year! Hello, World!

fay-at-metrix — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 04:26:00 -0500

Join us on Monday, January 21st at 7 PM for our our beginner programming workshop, “Hello, World!”. This workshop is designed for absolute beginners and can be used as a stepping stone to the Intro to Arduino workshop. You will learn basics of programming by running Python examples. Then you will see how these building blocks appear in other languages.

The workshop rate ($50) includes 2 hours of instruction. Please bring a laptop. Call (206 357 9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

Intro to E-textiles on Tuesday, January 8th

fay-at-metrix — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:00:00 -0500

Our next Intro to e-textiles class Tuesday, January 8th at 7 PM. This workshop is an introduction to e-textiles and focuses on integrating ordinary electronics into fabric. We will modify ordinary electronic components and sew them together using conductive thread. You will take home a plush firefly that lights up in the dark.

No prior knowledge of electronics or sewing required, but experience helps. All materials included for $50. Tools are provided, but feel free to bring your own if you like (round nose pliers, round tip pliers, cutters, and fabric scissors). Call (206-357-9406) or come down to the shop to sign up. Space is limited.

Happy New Year!

fay-at-metrix — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:58:00 -0500

Cross off some of those New Year’s resolutions and take a workshop! Call the shop (206-357-9406) to reserve your spot. Workshops are $50 and include all materials unless noted. Check out our calendar for more details.

Soldering 101, Sunday, January 6th, 7-9 PM.

Intro to E-textiles, Tuesday, January 8th, 7-9:30 PM.

Intro to Electronics, Monday, January 14th, 7-9 PM.

Intro to Amateur Robotics, Sunday, January 20th, 7-9:30 PM ($60).

“Hello, World”: Programming for Beginners, Monday, January 21st, 7-9 PM. Laptop required.

Intro to Arduino, Tuesday, January 22nd, 7-9:30 PM ($60). Laptop required with Arduino IDE installed.

Soldering 101, hands on instruction for the Beginner or Novice.

defusemetrix — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 02:46:00 -0500

Here at Metrix we have enough silicon and tools to make anything your heart desires. Reserve your seat at our soldering workshop and we can show you how to solder a simple circuit that results in some cool blinking lights. Soldering is a skill that is required if you want to take our upcoming Synthesizer or Robotics workshops . At only $50 the workshop will fill up quick. Space is limited so be sure to call or give us a visit before the next scheduled class on Sunday January 6th at 7pm.

It helps to have a small background knowledge of electronics but its not necessary as we will cover some basic material such as polarity and proper assembly.

Give us a call at (206)357-9406, or just stop by and check the shop out!

Tonight's Event (12/15)

thirdshiftmetrix — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 17:09:00 -0500

Tonight we will be closed early (6pm) for our “Fancy Holiday Cocktail Party”.

If you would like to come, it starts at 8pm. dress fancy, and perhaps bring something fancy.

Attire is required.