Making Electronics simple for everyone! Brian P Smith Loughborough Summer School 2015 Sponsored by ICSAT

Making Electronics simple for everyone!

Brian P Smith

Loughborough Summer School 2015

Sponsored by ICSAT

Welcome• Good morning and welcome to the Making Electronics Simple for eveyone! Workshop

• I’m Brian Smith and I have been teaching electronics and computing for 34 years and have created a number of commercial products – Kidschip, Learn & Go, eChip

• This session is sponsored by ICSAT – CPD provider and Resources developer run by 3 ‘grumpy’ old men (Brian Russell, Brian Smith & George Asquith)

• In the next 2:45 hrs we will be taking a look at Electronics for KS3, how to get started and design electronic systems

• It will be a ‘hands on’ session

Aims of the Session• To review the requirements for electronics at KS3 and 4

• To introduce the Input – Process – Output model of circuit design

• To develop simple electronic design skills using IPO cards

• To develop skills in using breadboards and circuit simulation for prototyping circuits

• To show how microcontrollers can be used to apply computing principles and embed intelligence into pupil work at KS3 by upgrading circuits and projects

• To have a practical experience of microcontrollers

• To identify next steps in further developing your own use of electronics & programmable components in the classroom.

INTRODUCTIONMaking Electronics simple for everyone!

Brian P Smith 5

Electronics in NC 2014• The key requirement are:• apply their understanding of computing to program, monitor and control their

products . KS2• apply computing and use electronics to embed intelligence in products that

respond to inputs such as sensors, and control outputs such as actuators, using programmable components such as microcontrollers. KS3

Brian P Smith 6

What does it mean in practice?• It translates into:

• ‘The need to teach more advanced electronics that embed intelligence into the products they design and make’

• This doesn’t mean more difficult, as embedded electronics has moved on in terms of the development tools and support available

• We need to have high aspirations in this field of D&T to meet the challenges of the 21st Century Designing & Making leading into world class manufacturing and engineering.

A suggested route

GCSE Draft Technical Content• how mechanical and electrical power is

stored in order to choose and use appropriate sources of power to make products and systems work.

• the key elements of open and closed systems, including subsystems, and systems thinking

• how electronic systems provide functionality to products, including: switches and sensors to respond to a variety of input signals; process/control devices to switch, time and amplify; and devices to produce a range of outputs including light, sound and motion

• the use of programmable components, including microcontrollers and coding, to embed functionality into products in order to enhance and customise their operation

• the functions of mechanical devices, to produce different sorts of movement, changing the magnitude and direction of forces

What are your thoughts?

Remember to feedback via the consultation process.

GETTING STARTEDMaking Electronics simple for everyone!

Electronic Systems

INPUTS PROCESS OUTPUTS

OPEN LOOP

CLOSED LOOP

• All electronic devices can be described in systems terms – what blocks are they made up from?

• All systems have the same basic layout as shown below:

• A system that just uses inputs, process and outputs is an Open Loop system, it doesn’t monitor or use it’s output to alter its function. One that does is known as a Closed Loop system.

Update Systems diagram• The traditional systems diagram needs updating for the following reasons:

– To make it easier to use as a design tool– To break systems down into small known blocks and components– To take account of the change in electronics to a more Embedded solutions

INPUTS PROCESS OUTPUTS

CODE

INTERFACE

Microcontrollers

Electronic Designers Toolkit• To assist with the need to design electronic systems I have developed a set of:

• Input Process Output Interface Code cards• These cards:

– Provide a wide range of building blocks for electronic system design– Contain key information & maths required– Designed for students & teachers starting out– Great aide memoire for experienced teachers– Contain a blocks you might not have come across before– Colour coded to block type– Block type Analogue / Digital identified

Toolkit Cards for Electronics• Toolkit Cards for Electronics.• The cards cover the following areas:• Inputs – 16+ cards with example circuits and

calculation info• Process – 25+ cards with example circuits

and calculation info• Interface – 6+ cards with example circuits • Output – 16+ cards with example circuits

and calculation info• Coding – 16+ cards with example code

snippets for standard and more advanced functions commonly needed

• Power – 6+ cards with example circuits and calculation info

• Available Sept 2015

PRACTICAL 1Making Electronics simple for everyone!

Light activated night light• Challenge:

– To design, simulate and make a light activated night light

• Questions to ask:

– Which input block do I need?– Which process block(s) do I need?– Which output block do I need?

• Pick a card(s)

Design, Simulate and Make1. Using the Toolkit cards design a system to meet the challenge

2. Using Crocodile Technology on the PC’s, create and test your circuit

3. Using the Breadboard and the components available make a prototype of your circuit

• Allows remember to record your work on paper and/or photo’s

Possible solution(s)NPN Transistor N MOSFET Transistor

What variation have I used and why?

Fritzing• Fritzing is a free circuit design

software that:

• Uses virtual breadboard• Creates schematics from the

breadboard design• PCB design from the breadboard /

schematic design• Programming for Arduino & PICAXE


Touch activated light• Challenge:

– To design, simulate and make a touch activated light



• Pick a card(s)





Possible solution(s)NPN Transistor N MOSFET Transistor

Here’s a smart alternative

Here’s a smart alternativeN MOSFET with memory Explanation

• The MOSFET transistor use voltage to switch on and off, but uses very little current to do so approx 10nA

• The capacitor stores voltage, which keeps the transistor switched on, until it is discharge by pressing switch 2

• The two switches can be replaced by copper strip or wire and by just bridging the gap with your finger it will still work – a switch with NO moving parts.


Flashing safety light• Challenge:

– To design, simulate and make a flashing safety light



• Pick a card(s)





Possible solution(s)555 Timer 74HC14 / 40106

Here’s a couple more

NAND gate - 4011 NOR gate 4001

1. Any how do these 2 related to the 74HC14 & 40106?2. What block would you add to allow them to drive more LEDs?3. How could you make them emit audio tones?

• Sketch up a solution to Q2 & Q3

•Most logic chips contain at least 4 gates & are cheap


PIC based flashing safety light • Challenge:

– To design, simulate and make a PIC based flashing safety light



• Pick a card(s)





Possible solution(s)PICAXE based Genie based

How could you drive more LEDs?What else could the PIC do with the LEDs?Pin 4 is an analogue input, what block(s) could you attach to give sensing?

Other μC solutionsArduino Uno AVR ATtiny

• There are many clones which are cheaper, the software is free and vast amount of support on the net

• A simple 8 pin Arduino chip, uses a £14 programmer or an Arduino.

• Can run small simple Arduino code and costs 50p

• Same software as the full Arduino and is free.


Have a play• Challenge:

– To design, simulate and make a ???



• Pick a card(s)





Possible solution(s)• What have you come up with?• Did it work?• Is it the basis for a project?

IT’S A WRAPExploring programmable electronics, robotics and coding

I hope that you have found it useful and enjoyable and that electronics might not seem

as daunting now.

Key points from the workshop• Positives • What are your concerns?

• Things to target / develop

Electronic Designers Toolkit Cards• For Sept we have developed a set of

Toolkit Cards for Electronics.• The cards cover the following areas:• Inputs – 16+ cards with example circuits

and calculation info• Process – 25+ cards with example circuits

and calculation info• Interface – 6+ cards with example circuits • Output – 16+ cards with example circuits

and calculation info• Coding – 16+ cards with example code

snippets for standard and more advanced functions commonly needed

• Power – 6+ cards with example circuits and calculation info

• Cost to be confirmed

DATA Key Materials• For the new KS3 DATA has produced a

set of Key Materials to help teachers lock into the expectations of the new curriculum for D&T

• These materials are not full SoW, but give an example learning programme in the areas of:

– Product Design– Textiles– Systems & Control– Food & Nutrition

• The each area has four facets:

– Mainly Design– Mainly Making– Design & Make– Technology in Society

• They can used in a variety of ways, for the whole KS, one year group, or one facet etc.

• Fully referenced to the NC 2014 Learning objectives

• Thank you for your time

• Course for Electronics & PIC’s, Crumble & Arduino next term

• Look on our website: www.icsat.co.uk• Checkout our eShop: www.eshop.icsat.co.uk

• If you don’t see what you are looking for talk to us, we can tailor course and meetings to suit your needs.

• Tell your colleagues about us.

http://www.icsat.co.uk/

http://www.eshop.icsat.co.uk/

Documents

Making Electronics simple for everyone! Brian P Smith Loughborough Summer School 2015 Sponsored by ICSAT