Maker.io main logo

Zach Hipps

  • About Me

    I'm an electrical engineer, maker of ridiculous things, and I have a YouTube channel called byte sized engineering. I suffered through years of engineering school so you don't have to. I help people like you bring your project ideas to life and inspire you to unleash your inner maker.

  • Skills

  • Interests

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • GitHub

Projects Alles zien

PROJECT
435

Automating Resistor Sorting with Arduino Uno Q

By Zach Hipps

Use Arduino Uno Q and OpenCV to detect resistor color bands with computer vision and automatically calculate resistance values.

PROJECT
156

Gamepad-Controlled XRP Robot with LiDAR Sensing

By Zach Hipps

Combine LiDAR sensing and game controller input to create an XRP robot that navigates safely while providing haptic feedback alerts.

PROJECT
254

DIY Solder Stencil Vacuum Table with Shop Vacuum

By Zach Hipps

Learn how to build a reusable DIY solder stencil vacuum table jig with a shop vacuum to make applying solder paste easy, fast, and accurate.

PROJECT
278

Pixel Path: The Magnetic PCB Tile Game - Part 2

By Zach Hipps

Zach upgrades his modular PCB game with tighter connectors, cleaner boards, and slick Arduino logic for smarter tile gameplay.

PROJECT
118

I Hacked the NES Zapper to Win Duck Hunt Every Time

By Zach Hipps

I hacked the Nintendo Zapper with a microcontroller and magnet ring to cheat at Duck Hunt. My friend never stood a chance.

PROJECT
1.077

Designing Interactive LED Game Tiles from Scratch

By Zach Hipps

Watch how I turn magnetic PCB tiles into an interactive board game with ATtiny3217 microcontrollers and RGB LEDs.

Blogs Alles zien

Image of I’m Reviving the Openwheel Project!
BLOG
130

I’m Reviving the Openwheel Project!

By Zach Hipps

Follow the revival of an open-source self-balancing skateboard with upgraded motor, VESC controller, and improved design.

Final Build Reveal: The Pixel Ball Showdown
BLOG
108

Final Build Reveal: The Pixel Ball Showdown

By Zach Hipps

Check out the final game rules, mechanics, and full gameplay test of Pixel Ball—powered by RP2040 and RGB LEDs.

My 100th Video Was a Total Mystery Build Challenge
BLOG
73

My 100th Video Was a Total Mystery Build Challenge

By Zach Hipps

For my 100th video, my team sent me mystery parts—no plan, just chaos and LEDs. Here’s how I tried to turn it into a working game.

Image of Eight Things I Wish I’d Known Sooner
BLOG
310

Eight Things I Wish I’d Known Sooner

By Zach Hipps

Learn the top tools and techniques that every engineer should know to make projects more efficient and less frustrating.

Image of How I Organize and Keep Track of My Inventory
BLOG
523

How I Organize and Keep Track of My Inventory

By Zach Hipps

Maximize efficiency in your workshop with these DIY tips! Organize your bins, track parts with Binner, and create a creative-friendly workspace.

Fix or Toss? How to Know If Your Electronics Are Worth Fixing
BLOG
196

Fix or Toss? How to Know If Your Electronics Are Worth Fixing

By Zach Hipps

Is it worth fixing your electronics? Learn tips for assessing laptops, earbuds, and more before spending hours on repairs.

Tutorials Alles zien

Image of Mastering Oscilloscope Triggers and Capture
TUTORIAL
99

Mastering Oscilloscope Triggers and Capture

By Zach Hipps

Learn how to use oscilloscope triggering, single capture, and protocol decode to debug analog and digital signals with confidence.

Image of Introduction to LiDAR Sensors for Precise DIY Robot Navigation
TUTORIAL
338

Introduction to LiDAR Sensors for Precise DIY Robot Navigation

By Zach Hipps

Learn how LiDAR enables precise 360° scanning, high-speed sampling, long-range detection, and simple integration for robotics and maker projects.

Image of Beginner’s Guide to Logic Gates and Flip-Flops
TUTORIAL
194

Beginner’s Guide to Logic Gates and Flip-Flops

By Zach Hipps

Learn how logic gates and flip-flops form the foundation of digital electronics. See AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR gates in action with truth tables.

Image of A Beginner’s Guide to Oscilloscope Basics
TUTORIAL
1.674

A Beginner’s Guide to Oscilloscope Basics

By Zach Hipps

Learn oscilloscope basics to measure and troubleshoot signals in your circuits. Find out what channels, bandwidth, and sample rate are and why they're important.

How Do Buck Converters Work?
TUTORIAL
9.172

How Do Buck Converters Work?

By Zach Hipps

Operation and design principles of buck converters explained. Learn how inductors, capacitors, and feedback loops work together to regulate power efficiently.

How to Read and Use Encoders
TUTORIAL
3.210

How to Read and Use Encoders

By Zach Hipps

Measure the speed of a spinning shaft using rotary encoders and microcontrollers. Learn how to calculate rotations and achieve accurate motion control.