In the past decade, small microcontrollers such as the “Arduino?” and “Raspberry Pi?” single-board computers (SBCs) have become popular among hobbyists. These SBCs provide the pleasant fiction of low-level electronics engagement and control by the builder. In practice, however, these generic one-size-fits-all “canned” composite SBC devices move builders farther and farther away from the opportunity to build their own commercial appliance-quality electronics, because they fail to provide a competent set of well-designed building blocks capable of leading to construction of devices of lasting value. They also generally entail no direct use of or experience with the underlying physical SMD devices that form the basis for modern electronics. Instead their use draws aspiring electronics builders away from building physical electronics, initially by diluting their efforts with software development in toy language environments that control simplistic short-lived hobbyist projects, and eventually away from electronics altogether. Meanwhile, increasingly. Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and use of the corresponding SMD parts remains widely viewed as intimidating by personal electronics builders.