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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 See All

PROJECT
193

How To Build a Custom Macropad

By Zach Hipps

Dive into a full DIY macropad project and learn how to optimize your workflow with hardware and Vial, a flexible alternative to QMK for live shortcut editing.

PROJECT
106

Upgrading My Smart Growth Chart with RFID, LEDs, a Camera, and More!

By Zach Hipps

Upgrade your growth chart with LED animations, RFID scanning, and a Raspberry Pi camera for photo updates for family members.

PROJECT
2,853

No Workbench? No Problem! Make a Portable Soldering Setup

By Zach Hipps

Take your soldering projects anywhere! This build features a lightweight, portable battery-powered iron and custom fume extractor.

PROJECT
80

Build a Smart Growth Chart with ESP32 and Sensors

By Zach Hipps

Learn how to build an automated growth chart that tracks height, logs data, and even sends pictures to grandparents!

PROJECT
241

Building Custom XRP Robot Attachments: Adding a Rotating Gripper

By Zach Hipps

Learn to customize and program your XRP robot, from adding rotating claws to simulating complex tasks. Ideal for students, hobbyists, and robotics ‎enthusiasts!

PROJECT
573

DIY Dust Collection Automation: Smart Blast Gates with Home Assistant

By Zach Hipps

Upgrade your workshop with an automated dust collection system. Discover how to build smart blast gates and integrate them with Home Assistant.

Blogs See All

Image of Eight Things I Wish I’d Known Sooner
BLOG
180

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
295

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
103

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.

Open Sauce 2024 Recap Makers, Creators, and Technology Innovators!
BLOG
269

Open Sauce 2024 Recap: Makers, Creators, and Technology Innovators!

By Zach Hipps

Discover the innovative projects and creative minds at Open Sauce 2024. Join us as we explore the highlights and standout exhibits.

Build Your Own USB-C Powered Breadboard Supply
BLOG
1,339

Build Your Own USB-C Powered Breadboard Supply

By Zach Hipps

Learn how to use KiCAD and 3D printing to design a custom USB-C breadboard power supply for your electronics projects.

Image of How to Crack a Safe's Combination with a Robotic Auto Dialer - Part 3
BLOG
264

How to Crack a Safes Combination with a Robotic Auto Dialer - Part 3

By Zach Hipps

Fine-tuning and modifying a safe cracking robot to successfully test over 80 thousand combinations.

Tutorials

How Do Buck Converters Work?
TUTORIAL
4,697

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
2,216

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.

How to Save Your Project with Multiplexing When You Don’t Have Enough GPIO Pins
TUTORIAL
1,257

How to Save Your Project with Multiplexing When You Don’t Have Enough GPIO Pins

By Zach Hipps

Discover how multiplexing can solve GPIO pin shortages in your projects. Learn practical designs for controlling LEDs and buttons, ensuring efficient design.

Designing a Project with Multiple Voltage Levels
TUTORIAL
500

Designing a Project with Multiple Voltage Levels

By Zach Hipps

Learn about voltage dividers, regulators, and logic level shifters in this article to ensure seamless compatibility between your electronic components.

How to Select a Power Supply for Your Project
TUTORIAL
586

How to Select a Power Supply for Your Project

By Zach Hipps

Don't let power supply selection be a mystery. Dive into batteries, AC sources, and PCB alternatives to power your project with confidence and efficiency.