6 - Coronaweek Untoolkit: Electronic Inputs

12 - 18 March 2020

Lessons by Loes Borgers

Assignment: Make a digital/analog switch

Assignment (in pairs):

• make one antiprimadonna on/off switch (archive-worthy!)

• make one antiprimadonna analog sensor (archive-worthy!)

• build the basic tools (a few paperclip connectors, a LED/resistor pad, a voltage divider)

• learn how to connect it to a microcontroller, program it, and get readings from your sensor in the serial monitor and plotter of the Arduino IDE (video!)

• make a video of the working circuits, and the values coming in, the LED changing brightness (video!)

• document step-by-step how you made everything and how you made it work (incl debugging)

• show at least 3 annotated iterations of each sensor

Simple paper prototype Swicth

I found this assignment pretty difficult, so I started to remake this simple example Loes gave us:

Example by Loes Borgers

Keep in mind that you don't need an adruindo (code) for this, you can also use the + and - of a battery.

What do you need?

Breadboard + NodeMCU

• Adruindo

• Breadboard

• LED

• Connectors (cables)

• Paper

• Paperclips

• Copper tape

I use the same breadboard settings for all the levels.

Process:

This video from Loes helped me a lot with prototyping: https://youtu.be/OwZUf2DIHVQ

This is my first test. I don't know if it's going to work, but this is how I did it:

Breadboard installation

• I put the red cable in the 3V3 and + side.

• The black cable is in the GND and - side.

• I connceted the red LED with the black - cable .

• Then I connected the LED with a resistor.

• The resistor is conncected with the red + cable.

• The button paper is connceted with the LED and GND.

Inside of the switch paper prototype

• I put the GND copper tape where it should be. See pictures.

• Then I sticked the LED copper tape where it should be. See pictures.

• To test if the test paper prototype really works I installed my Adruindo to my computer and ran an empty file.

The test needed a debugging methode, I had to switch the connceters of the LED from GND and 3V3. Now it's like this & and it works:

The switch lights up the LED

This was my first simple digital switch without any code!

Simple Toggle switch

I have decided to make a digital swicth (on/off).

Toggle switch needs:

The different copper tape sizes

• Bread

• Copper tape with a small width

• Copper tape with a more wide width

• Copper rod

• Adruindo

• Breadboard

• Connectors (cables)

• Resistor

• LED

• Paperclips

• Paper

Process:

I tried to make a switch with small breads, but it did'nt work. The hole for the copper wire was to narrow.

1. I found a tube of a tape holder and wrapped the coper wire around it.

The tube with the copper wire and two endings

1. After I wrapped the wire trhought the tube I wrapped the tape around the tube.

2. Now i got two endings of the copper wire. I think that's good? Not sure if that's going to work. I will tape both endgins without touching each other with a copper tape to the copper rod.

This might seems easy, but it was really difficult. Ask for some extra hands if needed.

1. Now I'm going to make the paper prototype of the paper that will connect everything.

2. I'll use 3 small copper tape pieces and put one on the left side of the paper, one on the right side of the paper and one on the bottom of the paper. Don't let them touch each other!

3. Put a tiny hole in the paper for the copper rode to go throught.

4. Connect the cables to the tape.

5. The Gnd cable goes on the bottom tape which will be connected with the copper robe.

6. The led cable will be connected to the lef or right tape of the paper.

Paper prototype installed on the LED

1. Connect the power and toggle for some light.

2. It works! It doesn't really toggles yet, but the priciple works. Let's start making the real thing.

The 'toggle' switch works!

Tips:

• Find good breads or round abjects that can toggle.

• Bend your copper rob before you attach the toggle.

Final Toggle Switch

I am going to use the priciples which I described in the Simple toggle switch, but i'm going to make the final version which will fit into the series (See assignment).

Again I used paper, copper tape and my self made toggle.

This time I'll use black and more thick paper than the white paper I used before. I think the black paper is about 300 gr thick.

I put the tape on the paper and put a tiny hole in the paper so my toggle will fit. But now I have to find a way how I can secure the toggle on the paper and still be able to move the toggle and receive feedback from the LED.

Final paper

I'll use some aquipment I already had, but you can also do this with just hand power.

The tools for bending copper

With the tools I bended the copper rod in such a way it would be easily to attach it to the GND tape. But I made a little mistake, so please do whatever suits you best.

The copper rob doesn't feel any attraction to the copper tape I guess?

Because I bend the copper rod in the wrong way I couldn't secure the rob on the back but I had to secure it on the front, else the rob would not be toggling.

See videos, GIFs and photo's for the final result.

Try out to secure the toggle on the front

This is my final toggle switch

Go to the page of my teammate this week to see the analog sensor:

Week 6: Untoolkit (Inputs)

LDR LED Connection

I will test the LDR again on this page:

LDR LED connection with Arduino