SparkFun Electronics

SparkFun Electronics was founded in 2003 by Nathan Seidle when he was a Junior at University of Colorado Boulder. Its first products were Olimex printed circuit boards.[http://www.sparkfun.com/static/about History of SparkFun Electronics.] 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, hackerspaces, and events.

File:SparkFun Inventor's Kit, v4.0.jpg

File:SparkFun 6DoF Magnetometer+Accelerometer LSM303C 13303-01.jpg

All products designed and produced by SparkFun are released as open-source hardware (OSHW),{{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|access-date=April 30, 2012}} with schematics, EAGLE files, and datasheets posted on each product page. Product images are licensed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Clark|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Open Source ALL the Things!|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/735|access-date=April 30, 2012}}

During the Open Source Hardware summit in October 2010, SparkFun was one of the contributors in drafting the first OSHW definition.{{cite web|first=Nate|last=Seidle|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Open Source Hardware|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/456|access-date=April 30, 2012}}{{cite web|first=Emcee|last=Grady|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=OSHW Definition V1.0|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/550|access-date=April 30, 2012}}

This contest was based upon violating the 2nd and 3rd 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.{{cite web|first=Emcee|last=Grady|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Antimov!|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/462|accessdate=April 30, 2012}}{{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=May 2, 2012}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/9975|title = Antimov Competition - October 16, 2010 - CLS-09975 - SparkFun Electronics}}

File:AVC 2012 (7410670484).jpg

The Autonomous Vehicle Challenge was a recurring contest held annually by SparkFun. The objective is to build an automated vehicle that can circumnavigate a course without human interaction. As of 2015, aerial vehicles are not allowed. The challenge was retired in 2018.{{cite web|first=Emcee|last=Grady|publisher=SparkFun Electronics|title=Announcing the 2012 Autonomous Vehicle Competition|url=http://www.sparkfun.com/news/767|accessdate=April 30, 2012}}{{cite news|first=Anton|last=Olsen|publisher=Wired|title=SparkFun To Host 3rd Annual Autonomous Vehicle Competition|url=https://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/03/sparkfun-to-host-3rd-annual-autonomous-vehicle-competition/|access-date=May 2, 2012|date=March 14, 2011}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1751|title = Autonomous Vehicle Competition 2015: Rules and Regulations! - News - SparkFun Electronics}}{{Cite web |title=Autonomous Vehicle Competition at SparkFun Electronics - AVC.SFE |url=https://avc.sparkfun.com/ |access-date=February 4, 2023 |website=avc.sparkfun.com}}

File:SparkFun 9DoF-Sensor-Stick Acc+Gyro+Mag 13944-01.jpg IMU SiP stick]]

SparkFun has become one of the favored suppliers for those without mainstream suppliers as well as the increasingly popular "Maker" community, particularly for the Arduino and related devices.{{Cite book

|title=Programming Interactivity

|last=Noble |first=Joshua

|publisher=O'Reilly

|year=2009

|isbn=978-0-596-15414-1

|page=399

}}

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{{cite news|url=https://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|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=November 21, 2008}}
• Picture Frame Tetris{{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|access-date=November 21, 2008}}
• Giant NES controller

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.{{cite web |last=Seidle |first=Nate |title=SparkFun Gets a Cease and Desist Letter |url=https://www.sparkfun.com/news/300 |website=SparkFun.com |publisher=SparkFun Electronics |access-date=January 8, 2016 }}{{cite web |last=Marco |first=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 |date=October 26, 2009 |access-date=January 8, 2016 }}

The two companies signed a trademark coexistence agreement on April 2, 2010.{{cite web |last=Seidle |first=Nate |title=Coexistence Agreement in Place |url=https://www.sparkfun.com/news/344 |website=SparkFun |access-date=January 8, 2016 }}

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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1428 |title = Fluke, we love you but you're killing us. - News - SparkFun Electronics }} 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 movement, which SparkFun accepted.{{Cite web |title = Fluke Responds to Trademark Problems - News - SparkFun Electronics |url = https://www.sparkfun.com/news/1430|website = www.sparkfun.com|access-date=December 7, 2015 }}

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• Adafruit Industries
• Digi-Key
• Element14
• Mouser Electronics
• RS Components

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Category:American companies established in 2003

Category:Companies based in Boulder, Colorado

Category:Companies based in Colorado

Category:Electronic component distributors

Category:Electronics companies established in 2003

Category:Online retailers of the United States

Category:Privately held companies based in Colorado

Category:Open-source hardware

Category:Retail companies established in 2003