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DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

2022-11-25 | By Maker.io Staff

M5Stack

Don’t panic, but it is already that time of year again to start completing your shopping list. Thankfully, DigiKey is here to help with some unique and fun projects. Want to know a secret? YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN ELECTRONIC GURU TO FIND SOMETHING ON OUR LIST. Sorry for shouting, but that is a pretty vital sentiment to get out there. We have cool electronic items that are ready to play straight out of the box, and of course, we have something for makers, tinkerers, and electronic enthusiasts. We will be releasing our gift guide in four installments, so check back here every few days for the next batch of fun products.

First up, we’ve got the TokyMini Kit from TokyLabs that is perfect for the new coding enthusiast in your life. This little kit has more than meets the eye with its ability to scan physical puzzle pieces that snap together and act as a code, allowing the user to program without screens. This also includes a free online academy with a curriculum around designing, building, and coding projects in the realm of music, art, or engineering.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

That’s not all for this first set of products. We’ve also got a load of Raspberry Pi Pico-related items, including the Pico W itself! For those that may not know about the Pico W, it is a low-cost microcontroller with onboard WiFi and Bluetooth. It can be programmed using MicroPython, CircuitPython, and Arduino, making this customizable board easy to implement with multiple language options. To accompany this and help users get started, Kitronik made an Inventor’s Kit specifically geared towards the Pico. The kit includes a detailed tutorial book that contains 10 experiments with various hardware to complete those experiments, such as a breadboard, LEDs, motors, a buzzer, and more. The best part, no soldering is required. So, it’s safe for even the youngest individual on your list. Looking for a kit that comes with the Pico? Look no further than the Enviro Weather Station Kit from Pimoroni. This complete weather station includes wind and rain sensors to accompany the Enviro’s onboard temperature, pressure, humidity, and light sensors. The getting started documentation is thorough enough for any beginner to enjoy the kit as well.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

Haven’t quite found what you need? Just wait. These next two items just make sense together. First is Matterhacker’s Quantum Dual-Color PLA Filament from LulzBot. This series of filament is available in 1.75mm and 2.85mm with multiple color combinations to choose from. What’s so great about it? See for yourself. This filament will take your 3D designs to the next level with the stunning shimmer and color-changing illusion.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

What better to go with this filament than a Limited Edition Red TAZ Sidekick 747 3D Printer? This ready-to-use out-of-the-box printer requires no tools to get started, has a 9” x 9” x 9.25” print capacity, and has multiple upgrades from the base version including a magnetic flexible build plate, a filament runout sensor, and more.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

Last in the second installment is the GameGo Handheld Console from Seeed Technology. This STM32-based game kit utilizes the very user and beginner-friendly MakeCode Arcade programming environment. Need a little more help getting started? GameGo provides over 50 lessons to help you build upon your skills while creating and playing games.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

If these suggestions still didn’t cross someone off your list, then the next items are sure to be the right fit. The first two products in this installment are the Voice-Based STEM Robot from RN Chidakashi Technologies and the BALA2 Fire Self-Balancing Robot from M5Stack Technology. These fun robots offer two different levels play. The voice-based robot is ready to go right out of the box. It is a companion to dance, tell jokes, and learn the user’s moods. Monthly updates will keep this robot “growing” with new content. The Self-balancing robot on the other hand comes pre-loaded with the balancing application, but can be reprogrammed with Python, Blockly-based UIFlow, or Arduino. It is LEGO™ Compatible and controllable by a smartphone.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

Looking for something a little different to add to a current design? Look no further than the ROUNDYFI LCD screen from Sparkfun Electronics This Raspberry Pi expansion board is a unique 1.28”, you guessed it, round display.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

Alright, we have finally arrived at the fourth and final installment of 2022’s holiday gift guide. First up, we have the Small Inductive Coil Kit from Adafruit Industries that comes with a 5V driver board and ten miniature LED inductors. This 70mm coil wirelessly powers the LEDs from up to 3 inches away. The LEDs provided include two of each white, blue, yellow, green, and red. Just imagine the possibilities for adding this into a future design. Now, if that was intriguing but maybe didn’t have enough oomph for your needs, it’s available in a Large 200mm Coil Kit that powers the included LEDs from up to 6” away. To drive this larger coil, they also include a 24V driver board as part of the kit.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

Last but absolutely not least, is a 5V Lipo Rider Plus from Seeed Technologies. This battery charger/booster can quickly charge Lipo batteries up to 5V, 2A, has a 3.3V, 250mA pin header output to provide power to a microcontroller, and can provide a maximum power output of 5V, 2.4A. This small, inexpensive board is definitely one to add to any maker’s arsenal.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

Well, that’s all for this year’s Holiday Gift Guide from DigiKey. Remember, if we didn’t highlight exactly what you’re searching for here, you can also check out some previous year’s gift guides below - DigiKey’s stocking inventory is sure to have a solution for all your gifting and stocking stuffer needs. See what I did there? If you need assistance finding just the right gift, reach out to our technical staff on the TechForum.

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

DigiKey's Holiday Gift Guide - 2022

制造商零件编号 TOKYMINI KIT
SCREENLESS CODING KIT FOR 5-9 YO
TokyLabs
¥412.30
Details
制造商零件编号 SC0918
RASPBERRY PI PICO W RP2040
Raspberry Pi
¥48.84
Details
制造商零件编号 5342
KITRONIK KIT FOR RASP PI PICO
Kitronik Ltd.
¥239.56
Details
制造商零件编号 PIM640
ENVIRO WEATHER (PICO W ABOARD) -
Pimoroni Ltd
¥1,131.47
Details
制造商零件编号 RM-CL0017
MATTERHACKERS QUANTUM DUAL-COLOR
LulzBot
¥249.40
Details
制造商零件编号 RM-CL0008
MATTERHACKERS QUANTUM DUAL-COLOR
LulzBot
¥438.14
Details
制造商零件编号 RM-CL0005
MATTERHACKERS QUANTUM DUAL-COLOR
LulzBot
¥438.14
Details
制造商零件编号 KT-PR0058-BS1MLRP
TAZ SIDEKICK LE RED EDITION
LulzBot
¥11,122.02
Details
制造商零件编号 114992404
GAMEGO - HANDHELD CONSOLE, CODE
Seeed Technology Co., Ltd
¥353.04
Details
制造商零件编号 K014-E
BALA2 FIRE SELF-BALANCING ROBOT
M5Stack Technology Co., Ltd.
¥673.22
Details
制造商零件编号 LCD-19897
ROUNDYFI
SparkFun Electronics
¥579.27
Details
制造商零件编号 5140
SMALL INDUCTIVE COIL AND 10 LEDS
Adafruit Industries LLC
¥121.69
Details
制造商零件编号 5141
LARGE INDUCTIVE COIL AND 10 LEDS
Adafruit Industries LLC
¥243.80
Details
制造商零件编号 106990290
LIPO RIDER PLUS (CHARGER/BOOSTER
Seeed Technology Co., Ltd
¥39.89
Details
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