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Parallax Inventing Kit Series

Young inventors can add real electronics to their creations.

One-day whirlwind introduction for teachers

Help attendees get their laptops connected to the network as they arrive.
Introduce: self, host, PD title.
Announce locations of: water, snacks, restrooms
As computing and electronics have evolves, adding electronics to inventions becomes more accessible to lower grade levels
Parallax is developing simplified lessons that use the actual processors and electronic components found in many existing products (which all started as inventions).
Parallax started this initiative after observing success with students from grade 3 and up with the programming system and electronics kit you’ll be using today.
Introduce Tim and maybe some opening comments about his pilot program.
Today’s workshop is designed to facilitate your (a group of teachers) discovery and understanding of inventing with real electronics. It covers much more ground than you would in the same amount of class period time.

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Products

Inventions

Electronics Common to Both Products and Inventions

Processor

Indicators

Sensors

Actuators

Displays

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Indicators

Sensors

Actuator

Display

Processor

Lights

Speaker

Servo

7 Segment�

Angle

Press

Light

Tilt

parallax.com/product/32000�www.parallax.com/inventingkit

learn.parallax.com/inventingkit

�

Since real-world inventions have things like a processor, indicators, sensors, actuators and displays, so does the Inventing Kit!
Today, we’ll focus on several (but not all) of the parts shown.
Today, we will:

Program the processor with a simple block programming language.
Build examples of the circuit ingredients discussed in previous slide
Connect them to the FLiP microcontroller (the processor)
Program the processor to make the circuits do what they would do in inventions. Examples:

Turn indicator lights on/off
Play speaker tones
Check if a button is pressed
Check light level
Make the indicators “react” to the sensor measurements

If time permits, or maybe have a couple extra kits pre-built and pre-written programs:

Tilt sensor
Servo actuator
7-segment LED display
Program examples that use the FLiP’s Parallax Propeller multicore microcontroller’s capabilities

Electronics Base Kit image is a link to the product page on the Parallax web store. Click the “Details” tab for the list of kit contents.

There are www. and learn. site addresses for the Inventing Kit. The www site has product info. The learn site has a link to this slide show and is where student materials will be added.

[ ] MAKE SURE TO show the teachers how to navigate from the links to each product page and tutorial.

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For Circuits

Capacitors

Jumper wires

Resistors

Connectors

Battery holder

Power

Jack

Breadboard

USB cable

Quick reference�card

Also in Your Kit

3-Pin �Header

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Processor and Programming Language

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Activity: Hardware Setup

After this activity, your system should resemble the one shown here.

We’ll want to make sure the labeling is right-side-up and readable on both the blue FLiP module and white prototyping “breadboard”.

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(2) Make sure the text is right-side up!

(4) Make sure FLiP’s P15 pin is in the breadboard’s d30 socket.

(1) Place your breadboard and FLiP on the table.

(5) Press down firmly with both thumbs so that FLiP pins sink all the way in.

Breadboard

FLiP

(3) Make sure all the pins are in holes in the d and h columns

Insert Propeller FLiP into Breadboard

Open your box and find the Propeller FLiP and White Breadboard. They are both in silver bags.
The FLiP should be oriented so that the P0, P1...P14, P15 pin labels are right-side-up for reading.
The breadboard has letters and numbers for each socket, and that they should also be oriented so that they are readable (not upside-down). Find the abcde fghij along the bottom and make sure it’s right-side-up. If not rotate board until it is. Note that there are also numbers along the side, 1 through 30.
On the right, the pin sticking out of the FLiP labeled P15 is in the d-30 socket.
Gently set the FLiP on the right breadboard.
Position it so that FLiP P15 pin is in socket d-30, P16 is in h30. As a check, FLiP P0 should be in d11, and FLiP P31 should be h11.
IMPORTANT: Make sure each pin on the FLiP is started in its breadboard socket
Stand up, and put one thumb on the FLiP label, and another on the Parallax label.
Press down firmly, and make sure the FLiP sinks all the way into the breadboard sockets

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(1) Connect the USB cable’s A end to your Laptop

(2) Connect the USB cable’s micro-B end to the Propeller FLiP Module

Connect FLiP to laptop with USB cable

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Activity: Get Ready to Program

This activity will walk you through those steps for a project named Light On.

At the beginning of a programming session:

Run and minimize the BlocklyProp Client/Launcher
Open a Chrome Browser and go to solo.parallax.com
Start or open a project

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Run the BlocklyProp Client/Launcher

If you have not already downloaded and installed the BlocklyProp Client/Launcher, go to this address and get started.

http://blockly.parallax.com/blockly/public/clientdownload

Every programming session begins with running and connecting the Blockly Prop Client (Mac, Windows) or BlocklyProp Launcher (Chrome).
The BlocklyProp Client/Launcher is a piece of software that makes it possible for the Chrome web browser to communicate with the FLiP over a USB connection. Web browsers cannot connect with USB on their own, they need a software like the BlocklyProp Client/Launcher to help. Communication is required for loading programs you create into the FLiP module. It’s also for exchanging info with the FLiP through a terminal as well as graphing data it collects.
So, at the beginning of every programming session, you have to:

Windows/Mac: Run the BlocklyProp Client (this slide) �...and click the connect button. (next slide)
Chrome: Run the Launcher, (this slide) �...and minimize it (next slide). �The Launcher connects automatically whenever it detects that a FLiP is connected and a BlocklyProp project is open. (2nd slide after this one)
Open a Chrome browser and go to solo.parallax.com.

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BlocklyProp Client/Launcher - Connect and Minimize

Windows/Mac: Click Connect

All OS: Minimize

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Create a Project

solo.parallax.com

Light On project

See next slide for step-by-step clip

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Create a Project

Click New Project.

Enter the project name, set the board type to Propeller FLiP..., and optionally, add a description.

Click Continue to get to the Blockly Editor

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Activity: System Test

See next slide for step-by-step clip

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Program: Light On

Click the Pin states category

Click the Make PIN 0 high block to place it on the canvas

Set the PIN dropdown to 26

Click Save and confirm the filename

Click the green Load & Run (Save code in EEPROM) button

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Programs for processors in inventions typically do six key tasks:

Communicate
Remember
Calculate
Decide
Repeat
Count

Activity: BlocklyProp Basics

Communicate - with the user, and also with other devices

Example: Your cell phone displays a message telling you that updates are ready

Remember - store values and text

Example: Your music player has to remember your playlists

Calculate - solve math problems

Example: Devices like Fitbits have to measure your heart rate, and then calculate to give it to you in beats per minute

Decide - check the situation and act accordingly

Example: Your microwave oven has to decide whether it’s okay to start cooking the food by first checking the door.

Repeat - Do the same task over and over, or a certain number of times

Example: Your microwave oven repeatedly checks the keypad, many times per second, all day, and all night. As soon as you press a button on the keypad, that’s when it does something other than just check again.

Count - Oven and exercise machine timers count the number of seconds, until the food is ready, or until your workout is done.

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3 Programs

Step-by-step clip on next slide

Remember

Calculate

Communicate

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Programs:

Communicate Remember Calculate

Step-by-step clip

As you watch, make a note of how a new variable is created, and then it becomes an option in any existing variable dropdown.

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Programs

Step-by-step clip on next slide

Decide, Repeat, Count

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Program:

Decide, Repeat, Count

Step-by-step clip

As you watch, make a note of how to click the if block’s configure gear to make it an if...else block.

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Program

Step-by-step clip on next slide

Password for Liftoff

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Program:

Password for Liftoff

Step-by-step clip

Comparing text uses a block that’s different from the one you used for comparing numbers..

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Click Home for:

New Project
Open Project

Load & Run is almost always better than Run Once.

If program doesn’t load, check the Connection & Status.

Click Save frequently!

The Menu Button is also called the “Hamburger Menu”.

Try the Code/Block View Toggle to go between Block and C code.

BlocklyProp Editor

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Activity: Prototyping Area

This activity will guide you through making your setup like this picture.

ALWAYS DISCONNECT:

USB
Battery pack

...before adding or making changes to wiring or circuits.�REMEMBER: Reconnect USB before loading a program

After connecting USB, ALWAYS CHECK:

5-9V light green
Fault light off

Disconnect USB/Batteries immediately if no 5-9V or fault light is on.

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Inside the Breadboard

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The Breadboard

(Test Yourself)

Two or more wires in the same row of 5 are connected.

Two or more wires in the same column by a colored stripe are connected

You can use a jumper to connect rows of 5 to each other, or even to a given column with a stripe.

Test your knowledge of connecting pairs of wires. Which ones are and are not connected?

Explain with the help of the graphic how to connect two or more wires in the same row of 5 sockets.
Point out that the well between rows is a way of telling that the row of 5 to the left of the well is not connected to the same row of 5 on the right of the row.
Point out that the vertical color coded lines show how a power distribution column is connected.

Segue to power rails setup

Show where GND and 3.3 V are, and that they provide the electrical pressure (voltage) that make most circuits work.
Show where the GND will be using mouse and explain that any hole by a vertical blue line will have it.
Show where 3.3 V will be with the mouse, and explain that any hole by a red line will have it.
Pick an arbitrary spot on the breadboard and say let’s say you’re building one circuit here. That circuit needs 3.3 V, which will either be right here or here (holes by red bars). GND will be here and here, again, close by.
Pick another spot, and show that the power source the circuit will probably need is still close by
Emphasise that this will really cut down on wiring spaghetti

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Set up Easy �Access to GND

Disconnect USB.
Use black wires.
Verify that the FLiP GND connection is on row 22
Right breadboard: j-22 to socket in rightmost BLUE column
Connect sockets in BLUE columns as shown along the top
Double check your connections!

The GND connection is part of most circuits, so it’s much better to have it close to every row where you are building a circuit. Otherwise, your wiring can end up looking like spaghetti!

By convention, we use black wires to connect to GND, and not for other connections. It makes circuits easier to troubleshoot. Yeah, the vertical stripes are blue, and that’s unfortunate, but black still stands out better for GND in the circuits.

Think of GND (pronounced “ground”) as the negative terminal of a battery. In this case, it’s actually the negative terminal of your laptop’s battery through the USB cable.
Ground is also considered 0 V or zero units of electrical pressure.`
Most circuits end up getting connected to GND so we want to make sure it’s near just about any row of sockets.
That’s what the vertical power rails are for.
Show attendees how ground gets extended from the right breadboard’s j22 to the various power strips.
Also show them where the fault light is and explain that it will light up if they make a wiring error.
Sermon about disconnecting USB (power) before doing anything to a circuit.
Have everybody disconnect USB (Power) and add black ground wires as shown in the slide.
Reconnect USB

If no short circuit errors, 5-9V light on, fault light off.

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System Check

Reconnect USB
Be ready to disconnect USB if anything does not match the signs of life shown here.

P26 on (only if Light On running)
5-9 V light on
Fault light off

Reconnect USB and check for signs of life.
If any don’t match, disconnect USB immediately and look for wiring mistakes.
If all 3 indicators match the picture, continue to the next step.

on?

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Disconnect USB.
Use red wires.
Right breadboard: j-19 to a socket by the RED column
Connect sockets in RED columns as shown along the top
Double check your connections!

Set up Easy �Access to 3.3 V

The 3.3V connection is also part of most many circuits, so it’s better to have it close to every row where you are building a circuit as well. Red is also a convention for positive supply connections, like 3.3 V.

Remind attendees to disconnect USB before modifying the circuit, and only reconnect after they have double-checked everything.
Think of 3.3 V (pronounced 3.3 volts) as the positive terminal of a battery.
(It’s actually a little more than the voltage you get connecting two AA batteries end-to-end)
Circuits connected with one end at 3.3 V and the other end at GND have 3.3 V of electrical pressure applied.`This electrical pressure is what causes current (the flow of electrons) to pass through the circuit.
Repeat that most circuits end up getting connected to 3.3 V so we also want to make sure it’s near just about any row of sockets, and that that’s what the vertical power rails are for.
Show attendees how 3.3 V gets extended from the right breadboard’s j-19 to one red power strip and then jumper it to the others.
Also show them where the fault light is and explain that it will light up if they make a wiring error. (or the 5-9 V wont come on or winks out)
Remind attendees to immediately disconnect USB if they see the fault light come on.

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System Check (again)

Reconnect USB
Be ready to disconnect USB if anything does not match the signs of life shown here.

P26 on (only if Light On running)
5-9 V light on
Fault light off

Reconnect USB and check for signs of life.
If any don’t match, disconnect USB immediately and look for wiring mistakes.
If all 3 indicators match the picture, continue to the next step.

on?

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Build and test an LED indicator light

Write BlocklyProp programs to control its on/off behavior

Activity: Build Your Own Light

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New Part: LED

An LED is like a one-way valve for electric current.
If you plug it in backward, it won’t let current through (and won't emit light either)
That’s why it’s important to know your + and - terminals
This image is from the card in your kit
The longer pin is + (anode)
The shorter pin is - (cathode)
The cathode pin is also closest to the flat spot on the edge of the LED’s plastic case

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Build your light circuit�Connect LED

Disconnect USB
Connect the shorter ( - ) anode pin to a socket in the vertical blue column
Connect the longer ( + ) cathode pin to b-9 socket

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New Part: Resistor

A resistor “resists” the flow of electric current
Resistors with larger values resist current more strongly
The color bands indicate the resistors value
Each band’s color corresponds to a number.
The left two bands are two digits in the resistor’s value.
The 3rd band is the number of zeros to append value digits
The last band is the % tolerance
LEDs are polar, resistors are not

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Build Your Light Circuit

Connect resistor & test

Get a 220 Ω (red-red-brown) resistor
Connect one end to d-9 on the left breadboard.
Connect the other end to a socket in the RED power column.
Reconnect USB.
System Check.
Verify that the LED light is ON.

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Current: Flow of electrons through a circuit. Yes, current flows from + to - even though the electrons flow from - to +.

Voltage: Electrical pressure from battery + to - that results in current when a circuit is complete.

Resistance: The part of a circuit that slows the flow of current in a complete circuit.

How it Works: Electricity & Circuits

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Change your light circuit -

connect to P2

Disconnect USB
Disconnect resistor lead that’s in the RED power socket.
Connect to a-13 on the right breadboard.
Reconnect USB.
System Check.
The LED circuit you just built will not emit light until you program it to do so...

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Program: Blink

See next slide for step-by-step clip

The clip on the next slide will walk you through:

Changing the project name from Light On to Blink
Finding, placing, configuring and connecting the blocks
Saving your work
Loading the program into the Flip with the Load & Run button.

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Program:

Blink

step-by-step clip

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How it Works: Circuit

P0...P31 are I/O pins.

I/O stands for input/output.

make PIN 2 high/low sets P2 to output.

As an output:

make PIN 2 high connects 3.3 V to the circuit (light on).
make PIN 2 low connects GND (0 V) to the circuit (light off).

The P26...P31 pins have white markings that to indicate special functions in the FLiP module. For more info, get the product doc from the Downloads & Documentation dropdown at �parallax.com/product/32123

You can press the tiny RESET button under top edge to restart the last (Load & Run) program from the beginning.

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How it Works: Blink Code

Enter the repeat forever block’s container
Make PIN 2 high (light on)
Pause 200 ms
Make PIN 2 low (light off)
Pause 200 ms
Go back to the first block in the repeat forever containter
Make PIN 2 high
Pause 1000 ms
Make PIN 2 low
Go back...

Units of pause (ms) are milliseconds.

One ms is one-one-thousandth of a second

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Tips

See how the color of each block matches the tab next to its block category?

Where to Find blocks

Right-click a block and select Help

Help with Blocks

http://learn.parallax.com/support/reference/�propeller-blocklyprop-block-reference

BlocklyProp block reference

http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/language/blocklyprop

BlocklyProp Tutorials & Projects

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Activity: Device Tones and Beeps

A series of high/low signals to a light can be too rapid for the eye to detect with.

What do you think what would happen if when a speaker is connected to it instead?

This is another example where the I/O pin is used as an output.

Notes:

Volume not adjustable

High pitched tones may be less audible with age

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New Part: Piezospeaker

Plug the piezospeaker into the breadboard

( + ) pin into f-15
( - ) pin terminal into e-15.

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Circuit: Speaker

Connect wires to complete the circuit:

P4 to Piezospeaker’s ( + ) pin

In picture: left breadboard i-15 to right breadboard a-15

Piezospeaker ( - ) pin to GND

In picture: left breadboard b15 to leftmost blue column

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Program: Beep!

See next slide for step-by-step clip

The frequency block is in the Audio/Frequency Out category.

The Terminal print text block is in the Communicate category

When you run the program, a the Terminal will cover your page. Click Close to get back.

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Program

Beep!

Step-by-step

clip

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The Terminal print text blocks show messages of what frequency tone is playing

Each tone lasts a second since its duration (ms) is 1000

There is also a 1000 ms pause between each tone, so they are separated by 1 second.

How it Works: Code

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How it works

A piezoelectric element is flat with no voltage, but bends when voltage is applied.

High/low signals like the blinking light, but at hundreds or thousands of reps per second cause it to vibrate, much like a string in a musical instrument.

Hertz (Hz) is a repetition per second.

Kilohertz (kHz) is thousands of reps per second

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Musical Notes

Note x 2 is note in higher octave. Note / 2 is note in lower octave.

Example: C6 = 1046.5, C6 x 2 = 2093.0 = C7

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Sound Effects

Down routine playse plays 600 tones: 4000 Hz, 3995 Hz, 3990 Hz … 1010 Hz, 1005 Hz, 1000 Hz.

repeat item… is in the control block category

item is the name of a variable

A variable can store a value

Repeat item from 4000 thru 1000 by -5 changes the value of item to 4000, then 3995, then 3990, and so on down to 1000.

The repeat block runs any blocks in its container for each value of item.

See how item is also in the frequency block’s frequency (Hz)

input?

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Activity: Sense Presses with a Pushbutton

The I in I/O pin stands for Input.

As an input, an I/O pin can sense a high or low signal in a circuit.

As an input, the I/O pin has no effect on the circuit. The circuit will behave the same regardless of whether it is connected to the I/O pin

In this activity:

Detect if a button is pressed by sensing high/low signals in a circuit
Use that info to decide whether or not to blink a light?

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Pushbutton �Circuit�Parts

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Pushbutton Sensor �Circuit

IMPORTANT: Make sure to orient the pushbutton with legs sticking out of the case to the left and right.

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Test Button State (after loading & running next program)

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Program: Check Pushbutton P11

See next slide for step-by-step clip

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Program: Check Pushbutton P11

Step-by-step Clip

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Inside the Pushbutton

Since 1 and 4 are the same piece of wire, all of row 24 is a common connection. Same with 26.

Not pressed: P11 senses 0 V (GND) through the 10k resistor.

Pressed: P11 senses 3.3 V through the pushbutton.

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How it Works

Pin input:

The circuit is not affected by the I/O pin in any way

The pin senses: � 0 V as 0� 3.3 V as 1

Check PIN 11 sends that 1/0 value to the Terminal print number block’s input

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App: Pushbutton Controlled Light

See next slide for step-by-step clip

Light on while button pressed and held

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Program: Pushbutton Controlled Light

Step-by-step clip

Note how the if block’s settings gear is clicked

Also note the steps for changing the shape of the if block to an if...else… block

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App: Pushbutton Controlled Blink

See next slide for step-by-step clip

Light blinks while button pressed and held

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Program: Pushbutton Controlled Blink

Step-by-step clip

Note how the if...else block turns the light on or off, and is followed by the other light blinking blocks (pause, low, pause again).

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Activity: Sensors to Measure Light, Angle, and More

Pushbuttons only have two states: pressed / not pressed.

Other sensors measure how much (light, rotation, etc.)

Those “how much” input values can be used in microcontroller apps to control output values, like speaker tone, blink rate, and more...

The pushbutton in a circuit was the first example of a sensor with an electrical property that varies with something in the environment.
Two more sensors that we will experiment with today are the light and turn-angle sensors.
They both conduct electric current:

More light, more current, less light less current
More clockwise, more current, less clockwise, less current.

Like something that draws more current makes a battery go dead faster, we will use a circuit that gets charged, and then discharged by the sensor.
Point out capacitor in wiring diagram as the “rechargeable battery called a capacitor” that we’ll talk about next.
The discharge time measurement normally only takes a small fraction of a second.
The discharge measurement is also a nice and universal way to measure an entire class of sensors. The circuit and technique does not have to change with the sensor, just the time range you get back.
Also mention that you can tell the different resistors in the kit with this technique. (Not sure if the minimum will end up at 470 or 220 Ω.)

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New Part:

A capacitor is like a tiny rechargeable battery for circuits
A capacitor has “capacity” to store electric charge
Measured in farads (F)
The ones we are using are measured in fractions of millionths of farads or microfarads (µF)
The one marked 104 has 10 times the capacity of the on marked 103
For nerds: �The 103 marking is 10 and add 3 zeros for 10,000. That’s the number of picofarads or trillionths of a farad. �10x10³ x 1x10^-12 = 0.01 x 10^-6 = 0.01 µF

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Build Charge/Discharge Circuit

Parts

(1) Resistor 220 Ω (red-red-brown)

(1) Capacitor 0.01 µF (103)

(1) Jumper wire (black)

Schematic

0.01

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New Part: Turn Angle Sensor (Potentiometer)

The knob adjusts the point of wiper contact on the resistive element over about 270°.

Less counterclockwise, less resistance W to B

More counterclockwise, more resistance W to B

Explain that the position varies the W...B resistance from high (all the way counterclockwise) to low (all the way clockwise).
Explain how the wiper is controlled by the knob and touches a resistive strip at different points along the resistance path depending on where the knob is turned to.
Fact to remember: a smaller resistor discharges a battery faster than a large resistor
Coding will involve creating a variable to store the number the discharge measurement gives.
It’s helpful to have it stored as a value so that the value can be mapped to some output value, be it frequency or light brightness.
If the question comes up about connecting it as a voltage follower, explain that it’s fine to do that and measure voltage, but that the RC circuit and time measurements are more flexible and universal. In contrast, converting certain sensors to a measurable voltage output that can handle the range of values the sensor travels through can be very challenging. The light sensor is an example. An RC Time circuit can accommodate a wide range of ambient light conditions. In a voltage output circuit, it requires automatic gain control or some other technique to measure its response over several factors of ten.

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Circuit: Add Turn Angle Sensor

Parts

(1) Potentiometer

Schematic

Note

B terminal to d-22, W terminal to f-21

0.01

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Test Angle Sensor

Twist gently to find limits.

Record (relative) angle values for the counterclockwise and clockwise limits.

See next slide for step-by-step clip

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Program:

Test Angle Sensor

Step-by-step clip

See how the New variable button is used to create the angle variable?

When you create the angle variable, it appears in the list.

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How it works

The make PIN high block supplies the circuit with 3.3 V.

Thinking of our capacitor like a battery, the pause (ms) 1 block gives our capacitor enough time to charge.

The RC time block changes P9 to input. As far as the circuit is concerned, 3.3 V disappeared.

The RC time block measures how long it takes the capacitor to drain to about half its voltage. (Depends on W-B resistance)

The angle variable gets the result.

A routine with three blocks takes the measurement.
Here’s what they do:

The Propeller FLiP will set the pin high for 1 ms to charge the capacitor (battery)
Then, the Propeller FLiP will change the pin from output-high to input.
When the supply from the pin disappears, the capacitor battery will start to drain through the sensor.
Remember that the sensor conducts more or less current as a measurement, so the discharge will take more or less time to let you know how much it measured.
The Propeller FLiP measures the time it takes the circuit to discharge.
It counts this time in millionths of a second. Again, that’s microseconds or µs.
The sensors you have in the kit will give you measurements that range from a few µs to around 50,000 µs.

50,000 µs is around 1/20th of a second if you do the math.

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Program: Give RC Time Result to Variable

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New Part: Light Sensor (Phototransistor)

The phototransistor has three terminals:

Collector (C) longer pin

Base (B) light input through top

Emitter (E) shorter pin and flat spot on plastic case.

Light controls the amount of current the phototransistor conducts into C and out E.

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Circuit: Temporarily Replace Angle Sensor with Light Sensor

Parts

(1) Phototransistor

Schematic

Note

C pin to f-21, E pin to d-22

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Test Light Sensor

Try pointing the light collecting face at different light sources.

Also cast shade over it.

Your shade values will probably be smaller.

Click the angle dropdown in the angle = block, and select Rename variable. Change it to light. Also change the angle = in the Terminal print text block.

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App: Angle to Tone

This app will control tone with adjustments to angle knob.

Schematic

0.01

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Program: Angle to Tone

See next slide for step-by-step clip

IMPORTANT

If you experiment with short tones and pauses, make sure to: right-click Terminal print and Disable it

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Program: Angle to Tone

Step-by-step clip

When you add a variable, the block that reports its value is added to the block list.

The block that assigns values to variables only shows one variable. You have to use the dropdown to get the other variable name.

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App: Button Angle to Tone

Control tone with adjustments to angle knob, but only while you hold down the pushbutton!

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Program: Button Angle to Tone

See next slide for step-by-step clip

IMPORTANT

If you experiment with short tones and pauses, make sure to: right-click Terminal print and Disable it

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Program:

Button Angle to Tone

Step-by-step clip

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82

Activity: Motion Control with a Servo

A hobby servo turns to and holds certain angles.

The Parallax Standard Servo has a 180° range of motion.

Servo angle blocks make the FLiP tell the servo what angle to turn to and hold.

Values from sensors can be used to decide what angle to make the servo hold.

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Parts: Battery Supply

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Connect Battery Power Circuit

Insert the barrel jack into the breadboard.

The pin sticking out of the back of the jack should be in e-3

The pin in the middle of the barrel jack goes in e-1.

The pin on the side of the barrel jack goes in c2.

Black wire: b-1 to socket by blue stripe in power strip.

Red wire: b-3 to b-22.

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85

Test Battery Power

Check after each step to make sure the indicators are okay (5-9 V on, fault light off). If the fault light comes on or the PWR light turns off, disconnect battery/USB immediately.

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Servo and Circuit Parts

A standard servo turns to and holds positions. Applications:

Remote controlled airplanes, cars, etc.
Theater props
Moving Halloween decorations

Your program will send the servo a rapid high/low pattern with timed highs to control its position.

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Circuit: Servo Connections

Red wire: c-3 to f-6.

Black wire: i-5 to socket by blue stripe in power strip.

3-pin header: h-5, h-6, & h-7

10 kΩ resistor: b-11 to f-7

Important:

Double check your work.
Repeat the USB + battery power test (5-9V on, Fault off)

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Connect the Servo

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Disconnect battery power and USB.

Make sure the cable’s colored wires from top to bottom are black, red, white.

Double check:

Black in h-5
Red in h-6
White h-7

As you reconnect battery and USB power, be ready to disconnect if the 5-9 light goes out or the fault light turns on.

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Servo Angle Control

Servo PIN...set angle… blocks make the servo turn its 4-point star shaped horn to (and hold) certain angles. To get it just like the picture, you might have to test, then remove the screw that holds the horn to the output shaft. Pull off the output shaft, adjust, then push back on and re-tighten screw.

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Servo Angle Control

The Servo blocks are in the servo block category.

At each angle, the servo turns to and holds that angle. That’s 2 seconds in each position for this program.

If you try to gently twist the horn away from a given angle, it will firmly resist.

After 2 seconds at 180°, the servo PIN disable block stops sending control signals to the servo. At that point, you will be able to gently turn it away from 180°.

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App: Angle Sensor Servo Control

This app monitors the angle sensor, and updates the servo’s relative to the angle sensor measurement.

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Code: Angle Sensor Servo Control

If your min and max angle_in values were different from 0 and 66, update the map block’s input range accordingly. (This was the test from slide 62.)

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Activity:

Multicore - Each Task at Its Own Pace

Program:

Multicore - Terminal Independent Blink Rates

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Notes:

Import project using Append to add code from another project

Program: Multicore - Terminal Independent Blink Rates

Step-by-step clip

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Curriculum

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In-progress after two pilot programs

Tim (at course)
Jennifer (CA)

Example of curricula for other Parallax Line:

learn.parallax.com/educators

learn.parallax.com/educators/resource/activitybot-resources

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Extra Activities

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If you prefer to multitask at courses like this, here’s some extra material to work on from learn.parallax.com/tutorials/language/blocklyprop

There are also some extra examples in the Code - Extras folder

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Questions/Answers & Resources

Emails: education@parallax.com� support@parallax.com

Store: www.parallax.com �Check the Downloads & Docs and Additional Resources sections for any given product.

Education Resources: learn.parallax.com

Parallax Inc.

599 Menlo Drive, Ste 100

Rocklin, CA 95765

www.parallax.com

learn.parallax.com

Main: (916) 624-8333

facebook.com/groups/blockly

facebook.com/ParallaxInc

youtube.com/parallaxinc

instagram.com/parallaxinc

pinterest.com/parallaxinc/

linkedin.com/company/parallax/

twitter.com/parallaxinc

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Intern Projects

Lock Box �(Base + Security Kits)

Music Box �(Base + Mechanical Kits)

Bullseye Game �(Base Kit)

FlossBot �(Base + 2 standard servos)

Cat Feeder �(Base Kit)

Lock Box �(Base + Security Kits)