Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

SparkFun Electronics

2016-08-17T14:45:08Z

Sparkfun: Updated the 'Key people' section with the new CEO information

{{Infobox company
|name = SparkFun Electronics
|logo = [[File:Sparkfun logo.svg|175px]]
|type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
|key_people = (CEO) Glenn Samala 2016 - Present<ref>https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2162</ref>
Nathan Seidle 2003 - 2016<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB27mY5QXWE</ref>
|industry = [[Electronics manufacturing]] and education
|num_employees = 150+ (2015) <ref>https://www.sparkfun.com/static/about</ref>
|slogan = Sharing Ingenuity
|homepage = [http://www.sparkfun.com/ sparkfun.com]
|foundation = 2003
|location = [[Niwot, Colorado|Niwot]], [[Colorado]], [[United States]]
}}
'''SparkFun Electronics''' (sometimes known by its abbreviation, '''''SFE''''') is an [[electronics]] [[Retailing|retailer]] in [[Niwot, Colorado|Niwot]], [[Colorado]], [[United States]]. It manufactures and sells [[microcontroller]] development boards and [[breakout board]]s. All products designed and produced by SparkFun are released as [[open-source hardware]].

==History==
SparkFun Electronics was founded in 2003 by Nathan Seidle. Its first products were Olimex [[printed circuit board]]s.<ref>[http://www.sparkfun.com/static/about History of SparkFun Electronics.]</ref> The name 'SparkFun' came about because one of the founders of SparkFun was testing a development board, and sparks flew out; ''Fun'' was chosen because the company's self-stated aim is to educate people about electronics. In January 2011, an education department was formed to outreach to local schools, [[hackerspace]]s, and events.

==Open-source hardware==
During the Open Source Hardware summit in October 2010, SparkFun was one of the contributors in drafting the first OSHW definition.<ref>{{cite web|first=Nate|last=Seidle|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Open Source Hardware|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/456|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Emcee|last=Grady|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=OSHW Definition V1.0|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/550|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref> All products designed and produced by SparkFun are released as [[Open-source hardware]] (OSHW),<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Engineering TV|title=SparkFun Electronics and Open Source Hardware|first=curtis|last=Ellzey|url=http://www.engineeringtv.com/video/SparkFun-Electronics-and-Open-S;Only-Engineering-TV-Videos|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref> with schematics, eagle files, and datasheets posted on each product page. Product images are licensed under the [[Creative Commons#Types of Creative Commons licenses|Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0]]<ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Clark|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Open Source ALL the Things!|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/735|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref>

==Contests==

===Antimov===

This contest was based upon violating the 2nd and 3rd [[Three Laws of Robotics|laws of robotics]], where a fully automated robot would destroy itself after interacting with props and objects in a performance. The competition was retired in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|first=Emcee|last=Grady|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Antimov!|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/462|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Warren|last=Riddle|publisher=Switched|title=Self-Destructing Robot Carnage at the Antimov Competition|url= http://www.switched.com/2010/10/21/antimov-competition-results-in-self-destructing-robot-carnage/|accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/9975</ref>

===AVC===

The Autonomous Vehicle Challenge is a recurring contest held annually by SparkFun. The objective is to build an [[vehicular automation|automated vehicle]] that can circumnavigate a course without human interaction. As of 2015, aerial vehicles are not allowed.<ref>{{cite web|first=Emcee|last=Grady|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Announcing the 2012 Autonomous Vehicle Competition|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/767|accessdate=30 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Anton|last=Olsen|publisher=Wired|title=SparkFun To Host 3rd Annual Autonomous Vehicle Competition|url=http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/03/sparkfun-to-host-3rd-annual-autonomous-vehicle-competition/|accessdate=2 May 2012|date=14 March 2011}}</ref><ref>https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1751</ref>

==Projects==
SparkFun has become one of the favoured suppliers for those without mainstream suppliers as well as the increasingly popular "[[Maker Faire|Maker]]" community, particularly for the [[Arduino]] and related devices.<ref>{{Cite book
|title=Programming Interactivity
|last=Noble |first=Joshua
|publisher=O'Reilly
|year=2009
|isbn=0-596-15414-3
|page=399
}}</ref>

Whilst many of the non-component products sold by SFE are from other manufacturers, it does manufacture and sell some of its own complete products:
* The Port-o-Rotary phone<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/24/technology/24phone.html|title=Answer the Phone, and Amaze Your Friends |last=Biggs|first=John|date=August 24, 2006|publisher=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=2008-11-21}}</ref>
* Picture Frame Tetris<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9718741-1.html|title=A wall version of Tetris for the ultimate fan|last=Yamamoto|first=Mike |date=May 13, 2007|work=Crave|publisher=[[CNet]]|accessdate=2008-11-21}}</ref>
* Giant NES controller

==Legal disputes==

===Trademark dispute with [[SPARC International]]===
On October 16, 2009, [[SPARC International]] sent a [[Cease and Desist]] letter demanding SparkFun stop using the "SparkFun" name and immediately transfer ownership of sparkfun.com to SPARC International. The letter claimed the SparkFun trademark was too visually and phonetically similar for companies in the same industry.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Seidle|first1=Nate|title=SparkFun Gets a Cease and Desist Letter|url=https://www.sparkfun.com/news/300|website=SparkFun|accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Marco|first1=Meg|title=Trademark Wars: SPARC International Tells Small Electronics Website To Stop Existing|url=http://consumerist.com/2009/10/26/trademark-wars-sparc-international-tells-small-electronics-website-to-stop-existing/|website=Consumerist|accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref>

The two companies signed a [[Trade mark coexistence agreement|trademark coexistence agreement]] on April 2, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Seidle|first1=Nate|title=Coexistence Agreement In Place|url=https://www.sparkfun.com/news/344|website=SparkFun|accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref>

===Fluke trademark infringement===
On March 7, 2014, [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] informed SparkFun that a shipment of multimeters meant for sale on SparkFun's website had been seized. The Port of Denver deemed that the yellow protective jackets on the imported multimeters too closely resembled the [[trade dress]] of [[Fluke Corporation]]'s competing multimeters. Rather than pay the cost of shipping the imported multimeters back, SparkFun chose to have them destroyed.<ref>https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1428</ref> In a letter to SparkFun, Fluke announced that they would be supplying the company with a shipment of genuine Fluke products and equipment as a gesture of goodwill and support for the [[Maker culture|maker movement]], which SparkFun accepted.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Fluke Responds to Trademark Problems - News - SparkFun Electronics|url = https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1430|website = www.sparkfun.com|accessdate = 2015-12-07}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Digi-Key]]
*[[Mouser Electronics]]
*[[Adafruit Industries]]
*[[Jameco Electronics]]
*[[Element14]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.sparkfun.com/ SparkFun]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparkfun Electronics}}
[[Category:Electronic component distributors]]
[[Category:Companies based in Boulder, Colorado]]
[[Category:Companies based in Colorado]]
[[Category:Online retailers of the United States]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in Colorado]]
[[Category:Open-source hardware]]

SparkFun Electronics

2008-02-05T17:31:21Z

Sparkfun: Typo fix

{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = SparkFun Electronics |

company_type = [[Private Company|Private]]|
company_slogan = Sharing Ingenuity|
foundation = [[2002]] Boulder, [[Colorado]]|
location = Boulder, [[Colorado]]|

industry = [[Technology]]|
products = Port-o-Rotary, Giant NES Controller, Picture Frame Tetris|
homepage = [http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php sparkfun.com]
}}

'''SparkFun Electronics''' is a company based in [[Colorado]] that sells microcontroller development boards that they have made. They make breakout boards for popular devices and sell them via their website.

==History==
SparkFun Electronics was created in 2002 when a group of students working on a project involving waterproof sports equipment, needed a cheap manufacturer of printed circuit boards. They settled on [http://www.olimex.com/ Olimex], in Bulgaria. They then started to sell their products on the website. The founding students graduated and now they run Sparkfun full time as a launching point for product development and consulting. <ref>[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=aboutus History of SparkFun Electronics.]</ref>

===Name===
The name 'SparkFun' came about because someone was making a board up, they tested it and sparks flew, hence the name 'SparkFun'. The 'Fun' bit in the name is because SparkFun aims to educate people about electronics.

==SparkFun Now==
SparkFun has a growing customer base located within 93 countries. Their products and designs are regularly used by the average hobbyist and professional electrical engineer as an easy way to buy items that would not usually be available or be difficult to make.

==Projects==
SparkFun embarks on projects that use electronics in a unconventional way.
Some of the projects that SparkFun have made are:
* '''The Port-o-Rotary phone''' An old-fashioned rotary phone put together with a cellular module and a PIC microchip.
* '''Picture Frame Tetris''' A Tetris game scaled up in size.
* '''Giant NES controller''' An [[NES]] Controller scaled up in size.
* '''Hotplate Reflow soldering''' SparkFun have improved the way that hotplate reflow soldering was performed. Sparkfun also perfected the way toaster reflow oven soldering was performed.
* '''Commercial Product Disassembly''' SparkFun were one of the first to dismantle the [[Wii Remote|Wiimote]] and reveal its inside workings. SparkFun have also disassembled the Nike+iPod pedometer kit.

==External Links==
*[http://www.in2rowing.com/ In2Rowing - The reason SparkFun was created]
*[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=tutorials SparkFun products and tutorials]
*[http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/ArduinoBreadboard Spark Fun reference]

==References==
{{refs}}

SparkFun Electronics

2008-02-05T17:30:42Z

Sparkfun: Grammer fix

{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = SparkFun Electronics |

company_type = [[Private Company|Private]]|
company_slogan = Sharing Ingenuity|
foundation = [[2002]] Boulder, [[Colorado]]|
location = Boulder, [[Colorado]]|

industry = [[Technology]]|
products = Port-o-Rotary, Giant NES Controller, Picture Frame Tetris|
homepage = [http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php sparkfun.com]
}}

'''SparkFun Electronics''' is a company based in [[Colorado]] that sells microcontroller development boards that they have made. They make breakout boards for popular devices and sell them via their website.

==History==
SparkFun Electronics was created in 2002 when a group of students working on a project involving waterproof sports equipment, needed a cheap manufacturer of printed circuit boards. They settled on [http://www.olimex.com/ Olimex], in Bulgaria. They then started to sell their products on the website. The founding students graduated and now they run Sparkfun full time as a launching point for product development and consultating. <ref>[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=aboutus History of SparkFun Electronics.]</ref>

===Name===
The name 'SparkFun' came about because someone was making a board up, they tested it and sparks flew, hence the name 'SparkFun'. The 'Fun' bit in the name is because SparkFun aims to educate people about electronics.

==SparkFun Now==
SparkFun has a growing customer base located within 93 countries. Their products and designs are regularly used by the average hobbyist and professional electrical engineer as an easy way to buy items that would not usually be available or be difficult to make.

==Projects==
SparkFun embarks on projects that use electronics in a unconventional way.
Some of the projects that SparkFun have made are:
* '''The Port-o-Rotary phone''' An old-fashioned rotary phone put together with a cellular module and a PIC microchip.
* '''Picture Frame Tetris''' A Tetris game scaled up in size.
* '''Giant NES controller''' An [[NES]] Controller scaled up in size.
* '''Hotplate Reflow soldering''' SparkFun have improved the way that hotplate reflow soldering was performed. Sparkfun also perfected the way toaster reflow oven soldering was performed.
* '''Commercial Product Disassembly''' SparkFun were one of the first to dismantle the [[Wii Remote|Wiimote]] and reveal its inside workings. SparkFun have also disassembled the Nike+iPod pedometer kit.

==External Links==
*[http://www.in2rowing.com/ In2Rowing - The reason SparkFun was created]
*[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=tutorials SparkFun products and tutorials]
*[http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/ArduinoBreadboard Spark Fun reference]

==References==
{{refs}}

SparkFun Electronics

2008-02-05T17:29:52Z

Sparkfun: Typo fix

{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = SparkFun Electronics |

company_type = [[Private Company|Private]]|
company_slogan = Sharing Ingenuity|
foundation = [[2002]] Boulder, [[Colorado]]|
location = Boulder, [[Colorado]]|

industry = [[Technology]]|
products = Port-o-Rotary, Giant NES Controller, Picture Frame Tetris|
homepage = [http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php sparkfun.com]
}}

'''SparkFun Electronics''' is a company based in [[Colorado]] that sells microcontroller development boards that they have made. They make breakout boards for popular devices and sell them via their website.

==History==
SparkFun Electronics was created in 2002 when a group of students working on a project involving waterproof sports equipment, needed a cheap manufacturer of printed circuit boards. They settled on [http://www.olimex.com/ Olimex], in Bulgaria. They then started to sell their products on the website. The founding students graduated and now they run Sparkfun full time as a launching point for product development and consultating. <ref>[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=aboutus History of SparkFun Electronics.]</ref>

===Name===
The name 'SparkFun' was made was because someone was making a board up, they tested it and sparks flew, hence the name 'SparkFun'. The 'Fun' bit in the name is because SparkFun aim to educate people about electronics.

==SparkFun Now==
SparkFun has a growing customer base located within 93 countries. Their products and designs are regularly used by the average hobbyist and professional electrical engineer as an easy way to buy items that would not usually be available or be difficult to make.

==Projects==
SparkFun embarks on projects that use electronics in a unconventional way.
Some of the projects that SparkFun have made are:
* '''The Port-o-Rotary phone''' An old-fashioned rotary phone put together with a cellular module and a PIC microchip.
* '''Picture Frame Tetris''' A Tetris game scaled up in size.
* '''Giant NES controller''' An [[NES]] Controller scaled up in size.
* '''Hotplate Reflow soldering''' SparkFun have improved the way that hotplate reflow soldering was performed. Sparkfun also perfected the way toaster reflow oven soldering was performed.
* '''Commercial Product Disassembly''' SparkFun were one of the first to dismantle the [[Wii Remote|Wiimote]] and reveal its inside workings. SparkFun have also disassembled the Nike+iPod pedometer kit.

==External Links==
*[http://www.in2rowing.com/ In2Rowing - The reason SparkFun was created]
*[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=tutorials SparkFun products and tutorials]
*[http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/ArduinoBreadboard Spark Fun reference]

==References==
{{refs}}

SparkFun Electronics

2008-02-05T17:29:25Z

Sparkfun: Small rewording

{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = SparkFun Electronics |

company_type = [[Private Company|Private]]|
company_slogan = Sharing Ingenuity|
foundation = [[2002]] Boulder, [[Colorado]]|
location = Boulder, [[Colorado]]|

industry = [[Technology]]|
products = Port-o-Rotary, Giant NES Controller, Picture Frame Tetris|
homepage = [http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php sparkfun.com]
}}

'''SparkFun Electronics''' is a company based in [[Colorado]] that sells microcontroller development boards that they have made. They make breakout boards for popular devices and sell them via their website.

==History==
SparkFun Electronics was created in 2002 when a group of students working on a project involving waterproof sports equipment, needed a cheap manufacturer of printed circuit boards. They settled on [http://www.olimex.com/ Olimex], in Bulgaria. They then started to sell their products on the website. The founding students graduated and now they run Sparkfun full time as a launching point for product development and consultating. <ref>[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=aboutus History of SparkFun Electronics.]</ref>

===Name===
The name 'SparkFun' was made was because someone was making a board up, they tested it and sparks flew, hence the name 'SparkFun'. The 'Fun' bit in the name is because SparkFun aim to educate people about electronics.

==SparkFun Now==
SparkFun has a growing customer base located within 93 countries. Their products and designs are regularly used by the average hobbyist and professional electrical engineer as an easy way to buy items that would not usually be available or be difficult to make.

==Projects==
SparkFun embark on projects that use electronics in a unconventional way.
Some of the projects that SparkFun have made are:
* '''The Port-o-Rotary phone''' An old-fashioned rotary phone put together with a cellular module and a PIC microchip.
* '''Picture Frame Tetris''' A Tetris game scaled up in size.
* '''Giant NES controller''' An [[NES]] Controller scaled up in size.
* '''Hotplate Reflow soldering''' SparkFun have improved the way that hotplate reflow soldering was performed. Sparkfun also perfected the way toaster reflow oven soldering was performed.
* '''Commercial Product Disassembly''' SparkFun were one of the first to dismantle the [[Wii Remote|Wiimote]] and reveal its inside workings. SparkFun have also disassembled the Nike+iPod pedometer kit.

==External Links==
*[http://www.in2rowing.com/ In2Rowing - The reason SparkFun was created]
*[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=tutorials SparkFun products and tutorials]
*[http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/ArduinoBreadboard Spark Fun reference]

==References==
{{refs}}

SparkFun Electronics

2008-02-05T17:27:31Z

Sparkfun: Small typo fix

{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = SparkFun Electronics |

company_type = [[Private Company|Private]]|
company_slogan = Sharing Ingenuity|
foundation = [[2002]] Boulder, [[Colorado]]|
location = Boulder, [[Colorado]]|

industry = [[Technology]]|
products = Port-o-Rotary, Giant NES Controller, Picture Frame Tetris|
homepage = [http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php sparkfun.com]
}}

'''SparkFun Electronics''' is a company based in [[Colorado]] that sells microcontroller development boards that they have made. They make breakout boards for popular devices and sell them via their website.

==History==
SparkFun Electronics was created in 2002 when a group of students working on a project involving waterproof sports equipment, needed a cheap manufacturer of printed circuit boards. They settled on [http://www.olimex.com/ Olimex], in Bulgaria. They then started to sell their products on the website. The founding students graduated and now they run Sparkfun full time as a launching point for product development and consultating. <ref>[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=aboutus History of SparkFun Electronics.]</ref>

===Name===
The name 'SparkFun' was made was because someone was making a board up, they tested it and sparks flew, hence the name 'SparkFun'. The 'Fun' bit in the name is because SparkFun aim to educate people about electronics.

==SparkFun Now==
SparkFun now have 2500 customers in 45 countries. Their products and designs are regularly used by the average hobbyist and professional electrical engineer as an easy way to buy items that would not usually be available or be difficult to make.

==Projects==
SparkFun embark on projects that use electronics in a unconventional way.
Some of the projects that SparkFun have made are:
* '''The Port-o-Rotary phone''' An old-fashioned rotary phone put together with a cellular module and a PIC microchip.
* '''Picture Frame Tetris''' A Tetris game scaled up in size.
* '''Giant NES controller''' An [[NES]] Controller scaled up in size.
* '''Hotplate Reflow soldering''' SparkFun have improved the way that hotplate reflow soldering was performed. Sparkfun also perfected the way toaster reflow oven soldering was performed.
* '''Commercial Product Disassembly''' SparkFun were one of the first to dismantle the [[Wii Remote|Wiimote]] and reveal its inside workings. SparkFun have also disassembled the Nike+iPod pedometer kit.

==External Links==
*[http://www.in2rowing.com/ In2Rowing - The reason SparkFun was created]
*[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/hdr.php?p=tutorials SparkFun products and tutorials]
*[http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/Tutorials/ArduinoBreadboard Spark Fun reference]

==References==
{{refs}}