Arduino Workshop

Students will be introduced to Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE), learning how to write "sketches" and send instructions to their microcontrollers. Participants will build a solid foundation in basic programming techniques to read physical inputs and control various outputs. By experimenting with real-world electronic components like LEDs, switches, light sensors, and potentiometers, students will progressively advance to bringing their circuits to life with DC and servo motors. 

Day 2: Advanced Circuitry, Switches, and Potentiometers

Concepts: Building on basic circuits, students will explore how Arduino boards can read physical inputs—like a finger pressing a button or switch, or turning a control knob—and turn these into digital outputs.

Components: Switches, multiple LEDs, potentiometers

Activities: 

Part 1:

Students will practice wiring methods to build circuits with "Multiple LEDs" and learn basic commands to control them.

Part 2: They will experiment with using switches to control circuits, using if/else commands.

Part 3: They will utilize the analogRead and analogWrite commands to create fading LED effects, and use a potentiometer to vary motor speed.
https://sites.google.com/view/acera-arduino/arduino/analog-write-led-motor

Day 3: Interactive Inputs and Transistor Circuits

Concepts: Students will dive deeper into intermediate electronics, learning how to handle varied analog inputs and safely power larger components.

Components:  Photocells (light sensors), potentiometers, Transistors, and resistors.

Activities: Students will explore "Voltage Divider and Photocell" circuits to make their Arduino boards read light levels as an input.
https://sites.google.com/view/acera-arduino/arduino/voltage-divider-and-photocell.

Day 4: Bringing Circuits to Life with Motors

Concepts: Students complete a "Transistor Circuits" tutorial, learning how transistors can be used as electronic switches to control higher-voltage components The focus shifts to controlling motion using the 'analogWrite' and logic signals. 

Components: DC motors, servo motors, MOSFET driver module, and L298 Motor Controller.

 Activities: Students will learn how to wire and code precise movements of a servomotor in a "Libraries and Servomotor" tutorial. They will also experiment with DC motors driven by a FET motor driver module, utilizing the analogWrite command to adjust the motor's speed. Finally, they will learn to control both speed and direction of motors, using an 'H-bridge' L298N motor controller.

Day 5: Capstone Interactive Robotics Project

Concepts: Synthesizing the week's lessons into a working robotic prototype.

Components: Combination of Arduino boards, motors, sensors, and chassis parts.

Activities: Students will begin assembling an Arduino Robot Car or an autonomous robot. Using the Arduino IDE, they will program custom functions like forward(), backward(), and turn() to control the left and right DC motors. They can incorporate mechanical switches as "bump sensors" to help the robot navigate around obstacles and avoid getting stuck, perfectly capping off their introduction to circuit design and interactive projects.

Other possible projects include a self-watering garden monitor, 

or a weather station: