assignments

1. getting started due Tue Feb 22

Here on this homework page, tell me a bit about yourself - what is your computer background and interest in this course.
Get the Sparkfun Inventor's Kit from the bookstore if you haven't already.
After logging into this course site, browse through the links and resource including the syllabus.
Following the instructions in the SIK Guide, get your kit setup and running, plugged into a laptop, through circuit 1A: blink. (You can do a trial run of this without any wires or components; the code SIK_Circuit_1A-Blink.ino will blink a small blue LED labelled "13" right on the board.)
Modify the code in the Arduino window on your laptop - perhaps changing the blink length - upload your changes to the board, and see them work.
If you run into problems, contact the tutors or me for help.
Finally, tell me here on this homework how all that went.

Explore the first four projects : 1A (blink), 1B (potentiometer), 1C (photoresistor), 1D (RGB Nightlight) or any variation of those ideas that strikes your fancy.
Choose one thing that you did and describe it, explaining the circuit, code, and what they do. Taking a picture and attaching it could be helpful.
Measure the power used by the resistor by measuring both the voltage V and current I with a multimeter and calculating power with P = V * I.
Find documentation for LEDs like these and see if that is reasonable. About what range of "too little" to "too much" can these LEDs handle? Google "sparkfun LED" or "mouser LED" (one of the major supply stores) to get started. (The idea here is to start to see the many variations of these components, and what their parameters are, and how to read a datasheet like the ones here for example this one.)

Explore the next three projects : 2A (buzzer), 2B (digital trumpet), 2C (simon says), or any variation that strikes your fancy.
Again, choose one thing that you did and describe it, explaining the circuit, code, and what they do. Taking a picture and attaching it could be helpful.
This time, rather than digging into the hardware with a multimeter, dig into the code : add some debugging statements somewhere that show what's going on, displaying the value of some variables on the serial monitor window, using Serial.print as in experiment C. Explain how this helps understand what the program is doing.

Explore the next three projects : 3A (servo), 3B (echo sensor), 3C (motion detector), or any variation that strikes your fancy.
Again, choose one thing that you did and describe it, explaining the circuit, code, and what they do. Taking a picture and attaching it could be helpful.
Start thinking about what you want to do for an end of term project ... you may need some lead time to get materials.

You know the drill: explore the "display" projects: 4A ("hello world"), 4B (temperature sensor), 4C (DIY Who Am I game)
Choose one thing that you did and describe it, explaining the circuit, code, and what they do.
Continue to think about a final project. If you'll need stuff beyond your kit, time to start rounding it up.

Last set of experiments: 5A (motor basics), 5B (remote control), 5C (autonomous robot)
Choose one thing that you did and describe it, explaining the circuit, code, and what they do.
Describe what you have in mind for a final project.

Last class!
Design and implement your own gizmo using any of the ideas you've seen this semester, or adding new ones. You can use the components from the kit or add in other stuff.
Describe what you did, including the code, wiring diagram, and a brief explanation with some photos and/or video.
Come to class ready for show-n-tell.