BREADBOARD, LEDS, SWITCHES & MOTOR
Week 01 - 09/07/2022
The first week of Physical Computing 🥲
After my astronomy + mathematics + physics years at the University of Arizona, I thought I would never need to read a circuit diagram again.
However, it comes, again, eventually.
The images, texts, and videos helped tremendously when I was trying to familiarize myself with all the parts in both the kit and the shops.
I am still working on knowing each better, gradually and slowly. Hopefully it will not take too long.
LED | Part I
Like most of my colleagues, I tried to light up my first LED. I tried for a few hours and still could not get it to work.
Then I started to doubt myself.
I went to the workshop and Tora, one of the instructors, pointed out that I was using the wrong resistor. Indeed, I grabbed the wrong one(1-kilohm) instead of the 220-ohm resistor. They look very similar.
Then, for the first time, my LED lit up(figure 1).
It was such a release.
LED | Part II
Things became much easier after the first light. I restarted from a simpler circuit diagram and tried to make my breadboard and connections tidy. The voltage bus and the ground bus were treated as outlets — the power, a 9V battery, was connected to both buses.
In figure 2, 3, 4 and 5, I respectively connected 1, 2, 3 and 4 LEDs on the breadboard, using the same setup (power on buses).
So far, all the connections only happened on the upper right part of the breadboard. Aesthetically, they look clean.
Voltage regulator was not used.
figure 1
figure 2
figure 3
figure 4
figure 5
Switches
The setup for switches was smooth and quick. I think as long as one fully understands how the circuit works, it should not be too hard. I started finding it fun to play with.
Only the switch was used in setups in video 1, 2 and 3, and they controlled 1, 2 and 4 LEDs, respectively.
In video 4 and 5, three switches were used.
Video 6 shows a simple connection, with a different switch.
Again, the regulator has not been involved yet.
Motor
Same principle as lights, but motor setup was not as smooth as switches did.
At first, I used the same setting as LEDs and Switches. It did not work.
I figured that it might be the resistor — the power was not enough when the resistor was connected. Then the resistor was plugged out and replaced with a 5V regulator, which brings the voltage from 9V (the battery) to 5V. The outcomes were exhilarating.
The motor alone worked fine. Video 7 shows a LED and a resistor on the breadboard along with the motor — this caused the motor spins slower due to the resistor.
In video 8, a switch is added to control the motor.
video 1
video 2
video 4
video 3
video 5
video 6
video 8
video 7
Idea of the Week — Poop Bag Retractor(wip)
Dropping a roll of poop bag on the floor can be annoying.
Poop bag retractor can help you restore your poop bags back to shape.
Video below demonstrates how it works (not ideal, lack of stability and final quality).