ComApp

• Physical computing


  A creative framework for understanding human beings' relationship to the digital world. In practical use, the term most often describes handmade art, design or DIY hobby projects that use sensors and microcontrollers to translate analog input to a software system, and/or control electro-mechanical devices such as motors, servos, lighting or other hardware.
• Physical computing applications

  • Education (ex: Exploratorium)
  • Art (ex: Snibble app)
  • Product Designs
  • Commercial Applications (ex: Eyetoy)
  • Scientific Applications (ex: illustris project)
• Prototyping in physical computing

  • Tools like the Wiring, Arduino and Fritzing as well as I-CubeX help designers and artists to quickly prototype their interactive concepts
• Physical computing

  Involves interactive systems that can sense and respond to the world around them
• Physical computing

  Involves the creation of hardware devices that can sense and act in the real world. Physical computing techniques underpin a wide range of contemporary technology trends such as the Internet of Things, the quantified self and smart homes.
• Arduino


  An open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board. Arduino is a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer.
• wswaarduinosc, 2006: '"Arduino is an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple i/o board and a development environment that implements the Processing / Wiring language. Arduino can be used to develop stand-alone interactive objects or can be connected to software on your computer."'
• Arduino boards

  • Able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an LED, publishing something online
• Arduino programming

  You can tell your board what to do by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board. To do so you use the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring), and the Arduino Software (IDE), based on Processing.
• Arduino platform

  • Includes an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for programming. The language itself is based in C but is largely modeled upon the www.processing.org language.
• Arduino board

  Created in Ivrea, Italy in 2005 by Massimo Banzi & David Cuartielles. Open Source Hardware.
• Arduino

  • Inexpensive - Arduino boards are relatively inexpensive compared to other microcontroller platforms. Cross-platform - The Arduino Software (IDE) runs on Windows, Macintosh OSX, and Linux operating systems. Most microcontroller systems are limited to Windows. Simple, clear programming environment.
• Arduino


  • Open source and extensible software. Open source and extensible hardware. It can communicate with a computer via serial connection over USB. It can be powered from USB or standalone DC power. It can run standalone from a computer (chip is programmable) and it has memory (a small amount). It can work with both Digital and Analogue electronic signals. Sensors and Actuators.
• Arduino is the go-to gear for artists, hobbyists, students, and anyone with a gadgetry dream.
• Arduino rose out of another formidable challenge: how to teach students to create electronics, fast.
• Arduino board features

  • Analog INPUTS
  • Digital I\O
  • PWM(3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11)
  • PWR IN
  • USB (to Computer)
  • SCL\SDA (I2C Bus)
  • POWER 5V / 3.3V / GND
  • RESET
• Arduino shields

  • PCB
  • Built Shield
  • Inserted Shield
• Arduino shields

  • Micro SD
  • MP3 Trigger
  • LCD
• SIK components

  • Push Button
  • Digital Input
  • Switch - Closes or opens circuit
  • Trim potentiometer
  • Analog Input
  • Photoresistor
  • Analog Input
  • Relay
  • Digital Output
  • Temp Sensor
  • Analog Input
  • Flex Sensor
  • Analog Input
  • Soft Trimpot
  • Analog Input
  • RGB LED
  • Dig & Analog Output
• Ohm's law


  Defines the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance in an electrical circuit.
• Electrical properties

  • Voltage
  • Current
  • Resistance
• Voltage

  Defined as the amount of potential energy in a circuit. Units: Volts (V)
• Current


  The rate of charge flow in a circuit. Units: Amperes (A)
• Resistance


  Measure of how much opposition to current flow is in a circuit.
• High current


  Low current
• More energy

  Higher voltage
• Less energy


  Lower voltage
• Big pipe

  Lower resistance
• Small pipe

  Higher resistance
• Continuity

  An Electrical Circuit must have a continuous LOOP from Power (Vcc) to Ground (GND). Continuity is important to make portions of circuits are connected. Continuity is the simplest and possibly the most important setting on your multi-meter. Sometimes we call this "ringing out" a circuit.
• Voltage


  A measure of potential electrical energy. A voltage is also called a potential difference – it is measured between two points in a circuit – across a device.
• Current


  The measure of the rate of charge flow. For Electrical Engineers – we consider this to be the movement of electrons. In order to measure this – you must break the circuit or insert the meter in-line (series).
• Resistance

  The measure of how much opposition to current flow is in a circuit. Components should be removed entirely from the circuit to measure resistance. Note the settings on the multi-meter. Make sure that you are set for the appropriate range.
• Solderless breadboard

  One of the most useful tools in an engineer or Maker's toolkit. The three most important things: A breadboard is easier than soldering, a lot of those little holes are connected, which ones?, sometimes breadboards break.
• Breadboard

  Each row (horiz.) of 5 holes are connected. Vertical columns – called power bus are connected vertically.
• Input vs Output

  Inputs is a signal / information going into the board. Output is any signal exiting the board. Almost all systems that use physical computing will have some form of output.
• Examples of inputs

  • Buttons, Switches, Light Sensors, Flex Sensors, Humidity Sensors, Temperature Sensors
• Examples of outputs


  • LEDs, DC motor, servo motor, a piezo buzzer, relay, an RGB LED
• Analog vs Digital

  Microcontrollers are digital devices – ON or OFF. Also called – discrete. Analog signals are anything that can be a full range of values.
• For PC users, let the Arduino installer copy and move the files to the appropriate locations, or create a folder under C:\Program Files (x86) called Arduino and move the entire Arduino program folder here.