Learn Electronics with Arduino

Learn Electronics with Arduino

Released June 2012
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430242666

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Book description

Have you ever wondered how electronic gadgets are created? Do you have an idea for a new proof-of-concept tech device or electronic toy but have no way of testing the feasibility of the device? Have you accumulated a junk box of electronic parts and are now wondering what to build?

Learn Electronics with Arduino will answer these questions to discovering cool and innovative applications for new tech products using modification, reuse, and experimentation techniques. You'll learn electronics concepts while building cool and practical devices and gadgets based on the Arduino, an inexpensive and easy-to-program microcontroller board that is changing the way people think about home-brew tech innovation.

Learn Electronics with Arduino uses the discovery method. Instead of starting with terminology and abstract concepts, You'll start by building prototypes with solderless breadboards, basic components, and scavenged electronic parts. Have some old blinky toys and gadgets lying around? Put them to work! You'll discover that there is no mystery behind how to design and build your own circuits, practical devices, cool gadgets, and electronic toys.

As you're on the road to becoming an electronics guru, you'll build practical devices like a servo motor controller, and a robotic arm. You'll also learn how to make fun gadgets like a sound effects generator, a music box, and an electronic singing bird.

What you'll learn

  • Electronics fundamentals using the discovery method

  • How to make your own embedded diagnostics for your gadgets

  • How to drive servos and DC motors with Arduino

  • How to work with analog signals and sound

  • How to put photocells to work

  • How to create LED displays

    • Who this book is for

    This book will appeal to inventors, engineers, educators, and technology students interested in exploring rapid product design concepts by modifying circuits, using the Arduino, and reuse of discarded non-functional electronics.

    Table of contents

    1. Title
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents at a glance
    4. Contents
    5. Foreword
    6. About the Author
    7. About the Technical Reviewer
    8. Acknowledgments
    9. Introduction
    10. Chapter 1: Electronic Singing Bird
      1. Parts List
      2. What Is Physical Computing?
      3. How It Works
      4. Final Testing of the Electronic Singing Bird
      5. Further Discovery Methods
    11. Chapter 2: Mini Digital Roulette Games
      1. Parts List
      2. How It Works
      3. Forward Biasing a LED
      4. Mini Roulette Game, Version 1
      5. Adding the Game Software
      6. The Seven-Segment LED Display Basics
      7. The 7447 BCD-to-Decoder IC Basics
      8. Build a BCD-to-Decimal Circuit with Seven Segment LED Display
      9. Assembly of the Final Circuit on the Breadboard
      10. Adding the Mini Digital Roulette Game Software
      11. Final Testing of the Mini Digital Roulette Game
      12. Further Discovery Method Suggestions
    12. Chapter 3: An Interactive Light Sequencer Device
      1. Parts List
      2. Remix Revisited
      3. How It Works
      4. The Potentiometer
      5. Measurement Setup Procedure
      6. How to Drive Multiple LEDs with a Microcontroller
      7. Building the Remixed Interactive LED Sequencer Device
      8. Creating the Sequential-Switching Software
      9. Final Testing of the Interactive Light Sequencer Device
      10. Further Discovery Methods
    13. Chapter 4: Physical Computing and DC Motor Control
      1. Parts Lists
      2. Remixing Revisited
      3. How It Works
      4. The Basics of Physical Computing with Electric Motors
      5. Achieving Motor Speed Control with Physical Computing
      6. The Motor Speed Control Software
      7. Final Testing of the Devices
      8. Further Discovery Methods
    14. Chapter 5: Motion Control with an Arduino: Servo and Stepper Motor Controls
      1. Parts List
      2. Remixing Motion Controls
      3. How It Works
      4. Experimenting with a Servo Motor
      5. Fritzing Software
      6. Physical Computing: A Servo Motor with a Potentiometer
      7. Physical Computing: A Servo Motor with a Joystick
      8. Physical Computing: A Servo Motor with a FlexiForce Sensor
      9. Motion Control Basics
      10. The Darlington Transistor
      11. The Unipolar Stepper Motor
      12. A Multisim Digital Controller Model for a Unipolar Stepper Motor
      13. Build an Arduino Unipolar Stepper Motor Controller
      14. Adding a Speed Control Function
      15. Final Testing of the Servo and Stepper Motor Controllers
      16. Further Discovery Method Suggestions
    15. Chapter 6: The Music Box
      1. Parts List
      2. Remixing Physical-Computing and Driver Interface Circuits
      3. How It Works
      4. Experimenting with PWM
      5. Building and Testing a Basic Music Box Controller
      6. Physical Computing and the Music Box Controller
      7. Building and Testing a Basic Music Box Controller with a Keypad
      8. Final Testing of the Music Box Controllers
      9. Further Discovery Methods
    16. Chapter 7: Fun with Haptics
      1. Parts List
      2. Remixing Physical Computing and Driver Interface Circuits
      3. How It Works
      4. Experimenting with a Vibration Motor
      5. Physical Computing: A Vibration Motor
      6. Keypad Haptics
      7. Mechatronics and Haptics
      8. FlexiForce Sensor Haptics
      9. A Robot End Effector Test Stand
      10. Final Testing of Haptics Controllers
      11. Further Discovery Method Suggestions
    17. Chapter 8: LCDs and the Arduino
      1. Parts List
      2. Remixing Physical-Computing Input Interface Circuits
      3. How It Works: The LCD Test Jig
      4. The Real ?Hello World?: Arduino and the LCD
      5. Try It Out!
      6. The Vanishing Message
      7. Building an Evaluation Board
      8. Further Discovery Methods
    18. Chapter 9: A Logic Checker
      1. Parts List
      2. Input Interface Circuits
      3. How It Works
      4. Testing a NAND Gate
      5. The Seven-Segment LED Display and the Arduino
      6. Building a Smart Logic Probe
      7. Building an Improved Smart Logic Probe
      8. Further Discovery Methods
    19. Chapter 10: Man, It’s Hot: Temperature Measurement and Control
      1. Parts List
      2. What Is a Precision Centigrade Temperature Sensor?
      3. How It Works
      4. Building an Electronic Thermometer
      5. A Computer Thermometer
      6. Further Discovery Method
      7. Final Thoughts and Suggestions
    20. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Learn Electronics with Arduino
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: June 2012
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430242666