FAQ (Fun And Questionable)

Do I need to know electronics?

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Nope. We’ll teach you. You just need curiosity and a tolerance for the smell of solder.

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I want to learn electronics but I don’t really know what to do ?

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Hmmm tough one. Good thing everyone asks this one ! We have a few courses that vary in length / complexity :

A good starting point to know if you’ll come to love electronics is the Atelier Uno, It’s a 2 day long solo workshop to learn a few basics of electronics the easy way.
Otherwise we have the 2 week Piscine Embedded | FR which is a more 42 way of learning embedded programming.
Lastly we have the Electronics Module which is 6 months long (a cursus in it’s own right). It will take you from knowing nothing of electronics to making your own electronics products. </aside>

flowchart TD
    A("🟢 Arduino Workshop<br>(2 days)") --> B("🔵 Piscine Embedded<br>(2-3 weeks)")
    B --> C("🟣 Piscine Elec<br>(2 weeks)")
    C --> D("🔴 Module Elec<br>(6 months)")
    D --> E("🏆 Project Showcased<br>in Labelec")
    E --> F("🌟 Hardware Wizard<br>Bragging Rights<br/>Eternal Glory")

    style A fill:#a8e6cf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#222,border-radius:10px
    style B fill:#89c2d9,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#222
    style C fill:#cba6f7,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#222
    style D fill:#f28b82,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#222
    style E fill:#ffb347,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#222
    style F fill:#ffd166,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#222

Can I use machines ?

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It depends on which ones, most of them will require a short training but noting to extreme. For some, like reaaaally dangerous ones like the CNC or laser cutter, you need to be trained thoroughly. If you need to use a machine but can’t you can always ask someone that can.

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Can I work on my own project?

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Yes. As long as it’s remotely electronics-related. Other than basic consumables you will have to bring your own hardware though. Of course you can borrow hardware as long as it stays in the lab.

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Is it free?

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Yes. The only thing you’ll spend is time, and maybe some brain cells.

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My laptop is broken, can you repair it ?

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Sorry, but no. Sadly, electronics isn’t the same thing as knowing how to repair complicated stuff like those. And it applies to a lot of fields. But if you want to do it yourself, like repair a USB port, cable, change the battery of a gameboy cartridge and the likes, you are welcome to do it at the lab !

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