Electronics & Fabrication Equipment Inventory
The following lists are the available electronics components, fabrication tools, sensors, actuators, and accessories commonly used in digital fabrication labs, makerspaces, and embedded systems prototyping environments recommended by my instructor.
| Equipment |
Image |
Description |
Intended Use |
| Xiao ESP32 C3 |
 |
Compact ESP32-C3 microcontroller with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE |
IoT projects, embedded systems, wireless prototyping |
| FR1 PCB (Phenolic Paper) |
 |
Copper-clad phenolic paper PCB substrate |
PCB milling and rapid electronics prototyping |
| 1/64” Square Endmill |
 |
Fine uncoated carbide 2-flute square endmill |
Milling PCB signal traces |
| 1/32” Square Endmill |
 |
Medium-detail carbide endmill |
PCB traces and outlines |
| 1/8” Square Endmill |
 |
Large carbide endmill |
Cutting boards, wood, acrylic |
| 1/8” Ball Endmill |
 |
Rounded tip carbide endmill |
3D surface finishing |
| 1/64” Tapered Endmill |
 |
Strong tapered stub endmill |
Durable PCB milling with reduced breakage |
| Equipment |
Image |
Description |
Intended Use |
| Tactile Button |
 |
Momentary push-button switch |
User input and control |
| Hall Effect Sensor |
 |
Magnetic field sensing device |
Proximity and rotation sensing |
| Hall Sensor Module |
 |
Hall sensor mounted on breakout board |
Easy magnetic sensing integration |
| Potentiometer |
 |
Variable resistor |
Analog input and tuning |
| Temperature Sensor |
 |
Measures ambient temperature |
Environmental monitoring |
| PIR Sensor |
 |
Passive infrared motion detector |
Motion and presence detection |
| LDR Sensor |
 |
Light-dependent resistor |
Light intensity measurement |
| MPU9250 Sensor |
 |
Accelerometer and gyroscope module |
Motion tracking and robotics |
| ESP32 Camera |
 |
ESP32 with integrated camera |
Vision-based IoT applications |
3. Output Devices & Actuators
| Equipment |
Image |
Description |
Intended Use |
| SMD LED (1206) |
 |
Surface-mount LED |
Status indicators |
| OLED Display |
 |
Small graphical display |
Data visualization and UI |
| Servo Motor MG90S |
 |
Metal gear micro servo motor |
Robotics and positioning |
| NEMA17 Stepper Motor |
 |
High-precision stepper motor |
CNC machines and 3D printers |
| Stepper Driver Board |
 |
Motor driver module |
Stepper motor control |
| 8Ω Mini Speaker |
 |
Compact audio speaker |
Sound output and alerts |
| Solenoid |
 |
Electromagnetic actuator |
Locking and linear motion |
| 5V Relay Module |
 |
Electrically controlled switch |
High-power device control |
4. Power & Wiring Components
| Equipment |
Image |
Description |
Intended Use |
| Bench Power Supply |
 |
Adjustable DC laboratory power supply |
Circuit testing and debugging |
| Li-Ion Charger Module |
 |
Battery charging circuit |
Portable electronics |
| 18AWG Wire |
 |
Thick gauge electrical wire |
Power distribution |
| 22AWG Wire |
 |
Medium gauge wire |
General wiring |
| 24AWG Wire |
 |
Thin gauge wire |
Signal connections |
| Wire Connector Kit |
 |
Assorted wire connectors |
Secure wiring joints |
5. General Electronics Components
| Equipment |
Image |
Description |
Intended Use |
| SMD Resistors (1206) |
 |
Surface-mount resistors |
Current limiting |
| SMD Capacitors (1206) |
 |
Surface-mount capacitors |
Filtering and decoupling |
| 3.3V Regulator |
 |
Voltage regulation IC |
Powering microcontrollers |
| 5V Regulator |
 |
Voltage regulation IC |
Stable 5V supply |
| Slide Switch |
 |
Mechanical on/off switch |
Power control |
| Terminal Block |
 |
Screw-type connector |
Secure wire termination |
| SMD Diodes (1206) |
 |
One-way current component |
Protection and rectification |
| 2.54mm Header Pins |
 |
Male and female pin headers |
Board-to-board connections |
| Heat Shrink Tubing |
 |
Insulating shrink tube |
Wire insulation and protection |
| Equipment |
Image |
Description |
Intended Use |
| Wire Stripper (20–30AWG) |
 |
Insulation removal tool |
Wire preparation |
| Precision Tweezers |
 |
Fine-tip tweezers |
SMD handling and assembly |
Refernces
- List of the inventory for fabrication equipment is from my Instructor and the equipment details in my lab is the centers resources inventory
- The tabular format is checke with chatGPT to check for error and generate the correct tabular .md format with the following prompt
Index Softwares resoures
Source: >https://fabacademy.org/2026/schedule.html
purpuse: own reminder
Fab Academy 2026 – Software Used by each Week
refer to specific week for details and learning steps in assignments Assignments
This document lists the main software tools used during each Fab Academy week, including their purpose, advantages, and download linksvfor own notes.
Week 01 – Principles & Practices / Project Management
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Git |
Version control |
Tracks changes, collaboration, backup |
https://git-scm.com/downloads |
| GitLab |
Repository hosting |
Cloud version control and CI/CD |
https://gitlab.com |
| VS Code |
Code editor |
Lightweight, extensions, Git integration |
https://code.visualstudio.com/download |
| Markdown Editors |
Documentation |
Simple syntax for technical writing |
https://typora.io |
Week 02 – Computer Aided Design (CAD)
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| FreeCAD |
3D parametric design |
Open-source, parametric modeling |
https://www.freecad.org/downloads.php |
| Fusion 360 |
Advanced CAD/CAM |
Professional modeling and simulation |
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360 |
| Inkscape |
2D vector design |
Perfect for laser cutting designs |
https://inkscape.org/release |
| Blender |
3D modeling |
Advanced rendering and animation |
https://www.blender.org/download |
Week 03 – Computer Controlled Cutting
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Inkscape |
Vector editing |
Open-source, precise vector tools |
https://inkscape.org |
| Adobe Illustrator |
Professional vector design |
Industry standard for vector graphics |
https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator |
| RDWorks |
Laser cutter control |
Direct interface with laser machines |
https://rdworks.software |
Week 04 – Embedded Programming
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Arduino IDE |
Microcontroller programming |
Easy libraries and board support |
https://www.arduino.cc/en/software |
| PlatformIO |
Embedded development |
Advanced debugging and project management |
https://platformio.org/install |
| Wokwi |
Circuit simulation |
Online microcontroller simulator |
https://wokwi.com |
Week 05 – 3D Scanning & Printing
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Ultimaker Cura |
3D printing slicer |
Easy slicing and printer profiles |
https://ultimaker.com/software/ultimaker-cura |
| PrusaSlicer |
Advanced slicing |
High customization and print optimization |
https://www.prusa3d.com/page/prusaslicer_424 |
| MeshLab |
Mesh editing |
Cleaning and repairing 3D scans |
https://www.meshlab.net |
| Blender |
3D modeling |
Powerful mesh editing tools |
https://www.blender.org |
Week 06 – Electronics Design
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| KiCad |
PCB design |
Open-source professional PCB design |
https://www.kicad.org/download |
| EasyEDA |
Online PCB design |
Browser-based, integrated components |
https://easyeda.com |
| LTspice |
Circuit simulation |
Powerful analog simulation |
https://www.analog.com/en/design-center/design-tools-and-calculators/ltspice-simulator.html |
Week 07 – Computer Controlled Machining
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Fusion 360 CAM |
CNC toolpath generation |
Integrated CAD/CAM environment |
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360 |
| VCarve |
CNC machining software |
Easy toolpath creation |
https://www.vectric.com/products/vcarve |
| EstlCAM |
CNC control software |
Lightweight and simple |
https://www.estlcam.de |
Week 08 – Electronics Production
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| KiCad |
PCB design preparation |
Professional PCB design workflow |
https://www.kicad.org/download |
| FlatCAM |
PCB milling toolpaths |
Converts Gerber to CNC toolpaths |
http://flatcam.org |
| BotFactory SV2 Interface |
PCB printing control |
Direct additive PCB fabrication |
https://botfactory.co |
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Arduino IDE |
Microcontroller programming |
Sensor integration support |
https://www.arduino.cc/en/software |
| Processing |
Data visualization |
Easy interface and graphics |
https://processing.org/download |
| Python |
Data processing |
Large libraries for sensor analysis |
https://www.python.org/downloads |
Week 10 – Output Devices
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Arduino IDE |
Control actuators |
Motor and display libraries |
https://www.arduino.cc |
| Processing |
Visual outputs |
Interactive visual programming |
https://processing.org |
| MATLAB |
Data processing and control |
Advanced engineering analysis |
https://www.mathworks.com/downloads |
Week 11 – Networking & Communications
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Arduino IDE |
WiFi / Bluetooth programming |
ESP32 support |
https://www.arduino.cc |
| MQTT Explorer |
IoT communication testing |
Visual MQTT debugging |
https://mqtt-explorer.com |
| Node-RED |
IoT workflow automation |
Visual programming for IoT |
https://nodered.org |
Week 12 – Mechanical Design / Machine Design
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Fusion 360 |
Mechanical design |
Professional parametric design |
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360 |
| FreeCAD |
Parametric design |
Open-source mechanical CAD |
https://www.freecad.org |
| SolidWorks |
Advanced mechanical engineering |
Industry standard CAD |
https://www.solidworks.com |
Week 13 – Molding & Casting
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Fusion 360 |
Mold design |
Parametric modeling |
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360 |
| Blender |
Sculpting |
Organic modeling |
https://www.blender.org |
| Meshmixer |
Mesh editing |
Prepare models for molds |
https://meshmixer.com |
Week 14 – Interface & Application Programming
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Processing |
UI design |
Visual programming |
https://processing.org |
| Python |
Application programming |
Extensive libraries |
https://python.org |
| Node.js |
Web interfaces |
JavaScript backend |
https://nodejs.org |
Week 15 – System Integration
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Arduino IDE |
Embedded system integration |
Easy debugging |
https://arduino.cc |
| PlatformIO |
Professional embedded development |
Multi-platform support |
https://platformio.org |
| Python |
System control |
Automation and scripting |
https://python.org |
Week 16 – Wildcard Week
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Any specialized software |
Depends on project |
Flexible experimentation |
Depends on tool |
Week 17 – Applications & Implications / Project Development
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| CAD tools |
Final project design |
Integrated workflows |
See previous tools |
| Programming tools |
Firmware development |
Flexible platform support |
See previous tools |
Week 18 – Invention, Intellectual Property & Income
| Software |
Purpose |
Advantages |
Download |
| Google Docs |
Documentation |
Cloud collaboration |
https://docs.google.com |
| Overleaf |
Technical documentation |
LaTeX collaboration |
https://www.overleaf.com |
| Canva |
Presentation design |
Easy visual layouts |
https://www.canva.com |
generally
Fab Academy requires a combination of design, programming, and manufacturing software tools.
The most commonly used software across the course includes:
- KiCad for electronics design
- Fusion 360 / FreeCAD for mechanical design
- Arduino IDE / PlatformIO for embedded programming
- Inkscape / Blender for digital fabrication design
- Git & GitLab for documentation and version control
Together these tools enable me to design, fabricate, program, and document digital fabrication projects throughout the Fab Academy program.