Launchpad+Educational Boosterpack MkII - Energia workshop

This was workshop was made in an attempt to help beginners that come to the Robotics Club of the University of Coimbra. So they can learn the basics. I believe that for learning, exercises with resolutions is a great way. To add to that I of course add some guidance and explaining of some concepts and try to add some challenges in the end.

I use the Educational boosterpack MkII since it has many components to use (buttons, LEDs, sensors, LCD) and it's easy to just mount it on the launchpads, without any wires.

The workshops will be slowly made, although I have pretty much laid out the exercises, I still need to make the resolutions and the explanations which take time. Of course the order and exercises may change over time as I add updates.

(more will be added in the future)

For anyone wanting to make this labs but doesn't have a boosterpack here is the list of components needed:

  • Easy to get:

    • RGB LED (check if your launchpad doesn't have 1 already)

    • 2 user buttons (most launchpads should already have them)

    • A joystick with 2 axes and push button

      • Analog output accelerometer with 3 axes (like the ADXL335)

      • A buzzer

      • A analog output microphone

      • I2C temperature sensor

        • Used in the boosterpack: TMP006, there are boards in sparkfun.

  • A bit harder to get

      • I2C light sensor

        • Used in the boosterpack: OPT3001 - there is only a TI evaluation board

      • Color LCD by SPI

      • Used in the boosterpack: Crystalfontz CFAF128128B-0145T

      • You can try getting another one. The easiest is the Nokia 5510 and there are libraries for Energia, but it's black and white screen. There are libraries for other color LCDs, check out 43oh forum.