NeoPixel - SCOPES Digital Fabrication

Lesson Details

Age Ranges
Standards
Fab-Safety.1, Fab-Programming.1, Fab-Electronics.1
Author
Additional Contributors

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Author

Zaid Abusini
Other
Zaid Abusini is an Electronics Engineer from Yarmouk university specialist in Electronics design (PCB and hardware) in addition to programming and prototyping. he joined the FAB-LAB Irbid team, Microsoft (Trainer), and worked as a freelancer designer for PCB and prototyping… Read More

Summary

This is an Online Lesson, Briefly discuss the Microcontorller in general but focuses on the use of Arduino. besides, the kids will be introduced to the LED ( Light Emitting Diode ) in general and use it to build some applications like ( Blinking LED, Fading LED, and traffic light ( LEDS, and RGB LED ).

However, you don’t need to buy any physical component as long as this workshop is Online Which uses :

– Arduino Microcontroller ( digital component )

– TinkerCAD ( Open source platform “free” )

– Video

– The Presentation

What You'll Need

Computer

Internet Access

TinkerCAD Account ( Free )

The Instructions

Computer (Introduction 1),(Ice breaking)

Here we just want to break the ice so the kids can interact and tell their opinion. Also, we want to build a connection between what students know about computers to be reflected in the microcontrollers level.

1- Try to give a brief about the computer such as ( the computer is a device process data according to our instructions ).

2- Don’t go deeper and try to give examples ( Laptops, calculators, Smartphones, etc…. )

3- If you feel that they are interacting and starving for more try to ask if any one knows the computer language ( Binary system “0,1”).

**Note :”In this Lesson we have two parts ( Theoretical and Practical ), the theoretical part should take 15 Minutes and the rest for the practical )”

Input \ Output devices ( Introduction 2)

Here we want to briefly explain how the computer interacts with the environment especially us ( humans ); however, we are not expressing widely just mentioning the human senses and how it's similar to computer input devices. ( Real-life examples makes it much easier for them to understand).

1- Don’t go deeper just stay straight forward ask them about the human senses and you connect these senses with the input devices ( Eyes >>> Camera , Ears >>> Microphone) you can also mention output devices ( Mouth >>> Speaker )

2- If they are interacting you can mention that each computer have a brain like ours to process data.

3- The introduction should not take more than 5 min but it helps to attract their attention.

LED ( Light Emmiting diode )

In this section, we are going to briefly describe what is meant by LED in addition to the physical specification of this component and how to connect it in the circuit.

1- The first step to tell the students what LED refers to ( Light Emitting Diode ) a device that when it recives power it starts to emit light.

2- The physical looking of this component; so this component concist of two legs to be connected with battery one of them is longer than the other which is connected to the positive side and the other one goes with the negative side.

3- Its not necessary to mention eample try to ask them to bring some .

RGB LED ( Red Green Blue LED )

This section talks about the RGB LED which we are not going to go in detail.

1- We are going here to mention what does RGB Refers to without any turnning to details.

2- Its enough to mention the way this component works by mixing colors to make a new one and this componnent can produce more than 16 million hues of light.

NeoPixel

In this section, we will try to connect all the information above together so they can understand how these strips are built and how they work.

1- At the beggening its quite enough for them to know that NeoPixel is just a brand name from AdaFruit companey without going in details.

2- By building the connection between the NeoPicel and the LED would make the student understand the chain, which starts from the LED, then 3 LEDs combined makes the RGB LED, and connecting the RGB LEDs in stripes produces the NeoPixel.

3- Details is Knowledge but for kids here would complecate the entire process so Headlines is quite enough.

Microcontroller

In this section, we are just introducing the microcontroller for them and reflecting on what they already answered, or you expressed for them early to the microcontroller.

1- Nothing complicated here just mention that the Microcontroller is simply ( a miniature computer ).

2- Present the video till (1 minute and 35 seconds

“Duration”) for them; its already linked in the presentation.

3- After the video, there is two option asking them to

summarize the video or you do it depends on you and the kid’s reactions.

4- Summary ( The microcontroller is a miniature

a computer consists of 3 main parts ( the core which is the brain ” chicks in

video ”, memory, and input\output ), etc…..

Arduino

Arduino is a microcontroller that is easy to use and (an open-source platform contains many examples and free codes to use).

1- Show them the Arduino board try to connect between the definition and what they are seeing by telling this a tiny computer contains a core (brain), Memory, and input\output Pins.

2- Be straight forward and you can ask them to tell you what is meant by microcontroller again to keep them interacting with you.

programming

programming is the way we interact with the microcontroller to tell it what to do as instructions within this software.

1- you can ask them what is meant by a software ( Instructions tells the computer what to do )

2- mention the language that the Arduino speaks ( C Arduino )

3- Mention two ways we use to program

  • Text Coding : professional way that express the instructions in a written way.

  • Block Coding : A very easy way to code depends on pictures “which contain the instructions”

Practice

In this section, we are going to use TinkerCAD to Simulate a Blink LED, make Trafic light using 3 LEDs, and use the RGB with the microcontroller. Also, we will show them the NeoPixel Circuit and let them know how to connect it with the Arduino.

1- After opening TinkerCAD you can give them a quick tour so they can know where to press and where they can find the component they will use.

2- I prefer you had prepared a class on TinkerCAD so they don’t waste time on creating accounts or you can told them before to have an account.

3- Start by showing them the workplace and the component list. Also, the way of choosing component in addition to selecting and dragging it. Besides, you can show the availability of the component in TinkerCAD and try to end up with the Arduino.

4- Now you can show them the Arduino ( You have mentioned before what is meant by it. now you can repeat as they are having visual). Besides show them the code section where we have to write our code and show the difference between both (text and block coding).

5- Then we have to show them the way of building a simple circuit ( LED + Battery) so they get familiar with the environment.”the point here to show them how to make connection between component “

6- Now its time to show them the Blink circuit, Also how to connect it with the microcontroller.

7- After that we have to give them a brief how the code been built “the code is so easy”, then they can start build the circuit upon your instruction.

8- After they finish its helpfull to check their work and also helping them to correct any mistake so they don’t make it again in the next circuit.

9- Then the RGB LED circuit; this one is quite easy but it could be complecated when it comes to connection because of the pins order.

10- show them the code and discusse it with them so they can understand the instruction.

11- After that ask them to build the circuit and their mistakes would be puting the blue pin in the place of the green pin in the code as they are reversed.

12- Now its the NeoPixel Circuit time as we arranged it, the connection is pretty easy but the code is not.

13- We want them to understand the aim of having this, “we can have more LEDs but they are controlled through one Pin instead of Pin for each LED, so we save time in making the connection and also in building the code”

14- We are capable to do many things in NeoPixel.

15- Here is an extra circuit ( Traffic Light ) you can replace any of the above circuits or if you have time you can consider it.

16- Here is the code.

 

Standards

  • (Fab-Safety.1): I can safely conduct myself in a Fab Lab and observe operations under instructor guidance.
  • (Fab-Programming.1): I understand the basic structure of a simple program and can modify values, variables, or other parameters to alter its output, function, or behavior.
  • (Fab-Electronics.1): I can follow instructions to build a simple electrical circuit using conductive material, basic components, and power.

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