SEPTEMBER 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 103
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Happy Holden has worked in printed circuit technology since 1970
with Hewlett-Packard, NanYa Westwood, Merix, Foxconn, and Gentex.
He is currently a contributing technical editor with I-Connect007.
To read past columns, click here.
Get Ready for Your First Automation Project
Before beginning the first DIY sensor project:
• Identify your automation team. Look first to interested employees in
maintenance, tooling/CAM, and other areas who already understand your
processes and equipment
• Download these three I-Connect007 books on automation: 24 Essential
Skills for Engineers, Automation and Advanced Procedures in PCB Fab-
rication, and The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to… Advanced Manu-
facturing in the Digital Age
• Complete the ICT "Automation Planning and Essential Skills" training,
consisting of nine one-hour webinars
• Gather three additional reference books: a PLC ladder logic manual from
AutomationDirect, the NIST Engineering Statistics Handbook, and Key-
sight's Fundamentals of Sensor Measurements
• Choose someone to begin learning programming. BLOCKS, BASIC, Ja-
vaScript, Python, or C++ can be used. For beginners, the BBC micro:bit
and Parallax BASIC Stamp provide approachable training platforms
• Select a microcontroller platform and training kit. Options include
micro:bit, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, BASIC Stamp, PIC-based systems, and
QuePython
• Begin looking at data acquisition equipment that can interface sensors
and existing equipment with your controller
• Consider adding a 3D printer and basic PLC trainer as your team's skills
and projects develop
• Get ready for Project No. 1: Specific-gravity measurement
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