It is kind of the ultimate "not a TOE[1]" example yet.
[1] TOE or TCP Offload Engine was a dedicated peripheral card that implements both the layer 1 (MAC), layer 2 (Ethernet), and layer 3 (IP) functions as a co-processing element to relieve the 'main' CPU the burden of doing all that.
Any suggestions for people not used to tinkering with hardware? I would like to play I think, but I have a lack of imagination regarding potential projects/goals.
To that end:
1. Blink an LED (this is more rewarding than it seems it should be, because it proves that the toolchain works)
2. Learn to fade that LED on and off instead of blink
3. Learn to make an RGB pixel using red, green, and blue LEDs and some tissue paper
4. Realize that's kind of limiting, and use a WS2812B LED pixel instead
5. Notice that there's whole panels of WS2812B available
6. Buy one. Make it display dumb memes or emojis or dickbutts or whatever.
7. Add a web interface.
8. Give it a domain name.
9. Aim a camera at it, fire up a twitch stream, send the link to HN, and we'll spend a few hours or days shitposting on your little video wall
10. ???
11. (there is no profit. it's supposed to be fun, right?)