Lesson Overview

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students the basic concepts of radio control, and how to read values from their FlySky controller. Students will learn: 

• How radio control works

• How to read values 

• Turn on the Arduino built-in LED

Required Kit Supplies

• Your fully wired MESA Combat Robot

  • Remove batteries before starting the activity

• 1x USB A-to-USB B upload cable

• 1x FlySky Controller

Additional Required Supplies 

• Chromebook or laptop for each student

  • Access to Arduino web editor (https://app.arduino.cc) with Arduino Create Agent installed or the Arduino IDE

  • Instructions on how to use the Arduino web editor here.

Keywords

• Flowchart: A visual tool used by programmers to make a larger, more complicated program.

• Data/Data signal: The information that gets collected about a physical quantity. Data can be a number like voltage or it can be a state like true or false, and high or low.

• Input: a data signal that is received by a device. We say we read an input on an Arduino when a sensor sends a signal to the Arduino.

• Output: A data signal that is sent by a device (in our case, the Arduino). We say we send an output to an actuator from the Arduino.

• Variable: A place to store data on Arduino. We declare a variable name before storing the data.

• Radio Control: A method of communication for small robots and toys which use waves to send data signals between a transmitter (controller) and receiver (the robot).

• Serial Communication: A method of sending large data signals between microcontrollers and computers.

• Pulse: A high or low data signal which is sent for a certain period of time. The duration of a pulse provides more information about the data signal. 

Additional External Resources

• Using the Arduino Web Editor

  • Using the Arduino Cloud Editor | Arduino Documentation

• Introduction to Programming an Arduino

  • Getting Started with Arduino | Arduino Documentation

• How radio signals for RC toys work

  • How Radio Controlled Toys Work | HowStuffWorks

• Serial communication

  • Serial Communication - SparkFun Learn