September 3, 2014 at 03:56 pm

How to cross the Connoisseur constructor and Arduino with your own hands

• DIY or DIY

I will not tell you what it is and how to write sketches.
I will not explain which end to hold the soldering iron.
I will not state the arguments for and against the existence of an electronic designer on clothes buttons.

I will tell you a story about the successful experience of crossing the Connoisseur and Arduino in a single household.

background

One evening, we collect with the child a diagram from the Connoisseur constructor. Turn on. I smell burnt plastic. Turn off. I analyze the circuit and see that in my edition of the circuits of the esteemed A.A. Bakhmetyev, the transistor unsuccessfully modulates the chemical voltage source, giving out its sincere indignation at the temperature.

The transistor died as a result. And I replaced it again:

To do this, I had to break off the white bottom cover, but valuable experience was gained in parsing the details of the designer:

The young experimenter did not stop there and soon announced: “Houston, we have a problem: block 23 failure”:

This is where the experience of parsing a block with a transistor came in handy. Inside block 23, there are two drop-shaped microcircuits marked TAIKONG-1 and TAIKONG-2, as well as an S9012 transistor. I replaced the transistor, although it was serviceable, but the unit did not come to life. Since I didn't have an electron microscope, I had to google a lot. Apparently, this module was supposed to make the sounds "Piu-Piu-Piu" and "Thousand-Thousand-Thousand" depending on which leg was on the ground. If both legs were on the ground, the combination "Piu-Tysch-Piu-Tysch" sounded.

The next evening, block 21 died. There are two transistors inside the block (already familiar S8050 and S9012). The replacement does nothing. The marking on the CLZSD1 board did not succumb to Google. Interestingly, there is only one melody, but you can set its duration through the resistance between the legs.

As time went. Block 22 died. Inside the S8050 transistor and a droplet microcircuit. The board is labeled CL9561. Replacing the transistor did not revive the block. Google has shown that this board is widely used in children's toys (automatic machines, cars) and in children's alarms. Able to make the sounds of fire and police sirens, ambulance and machine gun fire, again, depending on which foot is on the ground. That's right: two legs - four audio tracks.

Microchip analogs in the DIP and MSOP LM4871 package, or KD9561 boards cost from $0.30 in a commercial lot or from $3 from 5 pieces. I didn’t want to pay $15 for sound effects, especially on the evening of a hard day when you really want silence, and I safely forgot.

Summary: repairing blocks is impractical:

• economically;
• there are no guarantees that they will not fail on their own, or with the help of a young designer due to lack of protection and incorrect circuits;
• the element of novelty disappears and interest in design falls.

Theoretical research

I'm not an arduinist, but the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcrossing the Arduino and the Connoisseur constructor was in the air. If the child has mastered the constructor, let him continue playing with Arduino, especially since there is Scratch for Arduino. It is difficult for an adult to move from a leg step of 2.8cm to 2.5mm, and even more so for a child. Therefore, it was decided: we use the standard ones made by "Expert". We go to the store for clothes buttons and get prices of $ 1 per button. I didn't expect this. For $20, you can buy an entry-level "Expert".

Once I was fiddling with the Arduino Pro Mini 5V board in my hands. Suitable sizes. The power supply is suitable for the "Expert" (4.8..6V = four batteries / accumulator). The price is reasonable around $3. I don’t trust the child to upload sketches until I trust them. Here are just too many inputs / outputs, and the choice of digital / analog adds degrees of freedom. How can all this be divided into three legs of a standard block (two for power and ground)?

• Idea times: we output three free clothes buttons of the block to the connectors. If necessary, the connector will be dressed by an adult on the correct Arduino pin.
• Idea two: the Arduino configuration can be set by setting the jumpers on the legs and interrogating them when starting the sketch. Choosing what Arduino will pretend to be: a traffic light, a music box, a burglar alarm, etc.

Implementation

We take a block. We understand carefully. First, gently tap the block around the perimeter with a hammer, in the hope that the fragile glue will crack. Next, we drive a thin knife (or rather a scalpel) between the block and the lid. Gently shake and loosen the glue around the perimeter. After a couple of minutes of careful manipulation, the white protective cover is removed and we can see the insides of the block.

Ruthlessly soldering the fee. We probably won't need it again.

We cut the cover of the block with a hacksaw or a dremel.

Slightly (literally by a millimeter) we increase the hole in length. The Arduino Pro Mini must not fit through the hole. We solder the pins. I was too lazy to think, so I soldered all the pins. Having a debugged sketch, you can solder only what you need, or do without pins at all. The skirted pins should fit through the hole (what's the other name for that black plastic ruler that holds the pins together?)

We solder food. Based on the standard scheme for the Connoisseur: the top will be "+" (RAW), and the bottom "-" (GND).

I could not resist - I collected the first scheme. Traditionally, it blinked with a built-in LED.

We wash the board and drill holes for the wires. Keep in mind that the parts of the designer being installed can block the holes and interfere with our wires, so it's better to step back an additional 2..3 mm from the center of the button.

Uploading the traffic light sketch. Putting together a new scheme. We hook the wires from the buttons to the corresponding legs of the atmega. There are only two LEDs in the Connoisseur's kit, so I soldered a white-lunar LED (there was no other at hand) into the base from a faulty light bulb. And enjoy!

The block can be stored in a standard designer box, you just need to pull the wires out of the pins. (Or down with pins, then you can not pull out the wires).

It would be nice to put protection, 20 ohms for each of the three legs of the block, and provide for a reversal. But the $3 Arduino replacement price is far below my laziness.

The new building block "Znatok" revived the child's interest in electronics. What is the name of the new block now?

Amendment dated 09/04/14.

The support pin of the plastic base of the circuit board rests against the Arduino. Therefore, the board should be mounted above block, and not from below, as described earlier. It was this version that went into production:

What boy (and often a girl) does not want to know what the equipment consists of, where the sound comes from, what kind of cunning mechanism turns on the lights in the chandeliers every day and why the alarm in the car beeps?

It's so interesting to climb inside to see everything, touch it with your own hands and check how it all works in reality? What kind of cunning circuits, connections, screws, wires are hidden inside, and what is the mechanism for their launch? Inquisitive children use tape recorders, players, telephones, computers and many other household appliances.

Well, if dad is fond of electronics, and has a large supply of various materials. Then joy will not be the limit. You can spend all your free time with him, studying how tricky circuits work, what they consist of, how the process takes place that allows the radio, computer, music center and other electronic devices to work. What if there is no such possibility? Then parents have to explain long and hard to young fidgets that they should not conduct such experiments themselves at home, and sometimes even hide electrical appliances and equipment from him.

The most interesting thing begins when at school in physics lessons they begin to explain the basics of electronics, the connections of electrical circuits, electrical circuits, the principle of their operation and construction. After that, you just want to rush home as soon as possible in order to figure it out yourself, conduct your first experiments and see for yourself that it all works, and then brag to your friends about the experiment for a long time. That's when the headache begins for parents, because playing with electrical appliances themselves is not quite safe.

Now, thanks to new products on the market, parents can be calm and not worry about home appliances and the safety of their children. Company " Connoisseur"released electronic designers, which are sets of electronic blocks and connections. They allow young researchers to independently or with the help of adults design electrical circuits, assemble circuits and devices.

The composition of electronic designers "Znatok" includes sets of components - electronic blocks And connections, wires different lengths. All of them have their own number for ease of use and make it possible to design electrical circuits themselves without using soldering.

Now you do not have to inhale the smoke from the soldering iron and do not have to be afraid that your child will burn himself on it. The originality of the constructor also lies in the fact that several types of control can be used in schemes: manual, light, sound, magnetic, water, electric or sensory. And having collected your scheme, you can easily get optical, electrical or acoustic output signal.

The Znatok electronic construction kit is designed for children of all ages, with a great desire, even a four-year-old kid will be able to assemble simple circuits himself and visually get acquainted with the world of electronics.

Well, for people who are interested, addicted and loving to invent new things, such a constructor will be interesting even in adulthood. Surely, it will be interesting for any dad or even grandfather to sit down with his son or grandson and assemble a simple, but his own radio with automatic tuning to the desired frequency, musical call or burglar alarm. The designer provides an opportunity to come up with and assemble your own electronic interactive toy, which can please kids who are not yet completely versed in the basics of electronics with their originality and reproduced sounds.

For older children, the designer will also become a visual aid that will help you understand why and how the light bulb in the lamp lights up, how the tape recorder works, which causes the sound to appear. Parents will be able to clearly explain to the child the principle of building the simplest electronic circuits and the mechanism of operation of electronic devices.

For schoolchildren, an electronic designer will help in assimilation of the material covered, consolidate the knowledge gained, help to understand the laws of physics in practice, and will be a faithful assistant in their studies until the very end of school. Constructor Connoisseur will help the children understand the novelties of the electronic world, inspire them to new inventions and discoveries in the world of electronics.

Electronic designer Znatok is produced in 3 types: Connoisseur of 180 schemes, Connoisseur of 320 schemes and Connoisseur - For educational institutions. The first two differ only in the number of electronic circuits included in their composition. The constructor for educational institutions consists of 999 schemes and is suitable for both practical classes in schools and for home use.

Tasks in the constructor for educational institutions are divided into 3 difficulty groups: blue- First level, green- medium, and red is above average.

With its help, teachers in schools will be able to conduct practical classes on the theory already passed, give children tasks of varying complexity when studying such sections of the school curriculum as " Basics of electronics», « integrated circuits», « Mechanical oscillations and waves. Sound», « Digital technology. Logic», « electrical phenomena. D.C"and many others.

At home, the use of this constructor will be of interest to avid electronics lovers. Also, with its help, grandfathers, fathers, and sons will be able to divide into teams and arrange real competitions, who will assemble a more interesting scheme or come up with a new original device. For the sake of the experiment, you can also connect a mother and daughters, all of a sudden they turn out to be smarter in this matter.

Each construction set for children comes with a detailed manual with illustrations and descriptions of diagrams, understandable even to a toddler. You will be able to choose a place for work: schemes can be created both on a specially attached platform, and simply on a table or other hard surface.

The electronic designer is safe for health as it is made of shock-resistant and environmentally friendly plastic. Modern electronic components and high-quality connecting elements will serve your child for years.

The Znatok electronic designer will be a good gift not only for boys, but also for girls. And, it is quite possible that it is your child, who today is just starting to study this vast and interesting world of electronics, tomorrow will make a new discovery or invent a miracle device.

May 20, 2016 at 09:48 pm

"Electricity in squares" or how I made an electronic designer from improvised materials

• DIY or DIY,
• Games and game consoles

The idea of ​​creating an electronic construction set has been on my mind for a long time. As a child, I had an EKON-1 constructor and I wanted to create something similar, but at a modern level. The Connoisseur rules the ball on the market, there are also examples of modular constructors abroad, but the price and exchange rate are not pleasing to the eye.

On the other hand, there were interesting developments in the USSR (one of them still lives in Germany and is being produced).

I also wanted something “warm” in materials, such as wood. In 2014, within the framework of the PROSTOROBOT project, the idea of ​​electronic cubes was born, which in 2015 even received a prize from AIDT for the idea at one of the qualifying stages of the Startup Tour.

It was also during this time that I came up with the logic board game "Circuit", which allowed "electrical circuits" to be played. The game can be freely downloaded and printed from the link.

Time passed. The cubes had to be put aside, since the price of magnets of the required power made them quite expensive. The game "Chain" waited for its turn to be finalized.

In 2016, I decided to return to the project and "got" the cubes. The first idea was to use the same cubes, but make fasteners like spring contacts and glue a cardboard box with cells, on the walls of which the contacts would be located:

The design turned out to be cumbersome, and due to the low rigidity of the walls, the cubes did not provide the desired quality of contact.

Engineering thought moved on. A small digression on the choice of material. Can you reasonably say why I did not use 3D printing or laser cutting? The answer is simple - I don’t have a 3D printer (more precisely, there is nowhere to put it in the apartment), and the nearest sane cutting in terms of price and quality is 500 kilometers from my city. Even finding thin plywood turned out to be an unrealistic quest, not to mention a special model one. Plus, I have long wanted to try the material familiar to fans of board games - cardboard.

The second option was to apply the method that I had already used earlier when designing Scratchduino - that is, 2.5 modeling of the constructor blocks themselves and magnets for fastening. This method did not require powerful expensive magnets, and at home I had a supply of cylindrical 5 mm magnets of different heights (2 and 3 mm).

It was also decided to first make a “physical” analogue of the board game “Chain”, since it required a field only 4x4, and then after collecting all the “bumps”, make the assembly field larger (at least 4x6, but better 6x8).

There was one more question - from what to make contacts. The ideal is a copper strip. The problem of the ideal is where to get it. Also, copper is non-magnetic and it would be necessary to put magnets on the field and on the blocks. Taking into account the fact that more powerful magnets would be needed to place them under the contacts (and this means both money and time for shipment), the search for a suitable material continued. And the eye fell on the staples for the stapler. The houses had staples of various sizes, they were steel (that is, they conducted current and were magnetized) and there were a lot of them.

As a result, the list of necessary components was determined - staples for stapler No. 35 (26/6 1 pack), neodymium magnets C-5x2-N35 and C-5x3-N35 with nickel coating (conductive), cardboard (microcorrugated cardboard left over from packages from - under photos and boxes), wire, solder, LED, resistor, microbulb, diode and button. To glue the parts, it was decided to use PVA glue, and an ordinary hole punch came up to punch holes for the magnets.

The materials were determined, the dimensions too (cell 40x40 mm, block 38x38 mm) and the direct process began.

The field is a sheet of cardboard, marked into squares 40x40 mm, the side faces of which are “stapled” in the center with a block of staples.

I took the staples the same as for blocks-cubes, but immediately made the first mistake. I did not see that the staples were covered with a non-conductive material on top and therefore had to be protected later. I also tried to tin them (which turned out to be not very high quality) and the size of the brackets should be taken more so as not to depend on the errors in the manufacture of blocks. If you decide to repeat this design, take staples about 20 mm wide and make a block 1 cm wide.

The staples were inserted into the slots in the cardboard and bent from the back. In the photo, the side wires are needed to "imitate" the common bus of the board game "Chain" and in the final version of the designer they will be replaced by blocks.

So, as a result of this painstaking work, we get a field with contact pads, to which our contact magnets are well magnetized.

Now it was necessary to make the blocks themselves with conductors and radio components. The problem was also that in the board game there were elements with a cross-shaped intersection and crossing conductors, and it was impossible to ensure the contact of all 4 magnets (remember how many points the plane passes through). Therefore, it was decided to abandon such blocks and make the maximum of T-shaped elements. For crossing elements, I plan to use special wire bridges in the future.

The block itself consists of three squares of cardboard measuring 38x38 mm. On average, holes are made for magnets and slots for brackets. On top of it, a second square is glued to the PVA glue only with slots for staples. After that, a small magnet 5x2 mm is installed in the hole, closed from above with a block of brackets that are bent on the other side. Radio components or conductors are soldered to them. On the other hand, we put magnets 5x3 mm and glue a square with holes. Due to the fact that the magnets "stick" to the magnets under the brackets, they hold very tightly and do not remain on the field.

Thus, we produce blanks with two and three magnetic platforms. Then solder the conductors or radio components.

We glue cardboard strips on top (two or three layers depending on the height of the parts) and close everything with a cardboard “lid”, on which we draw a designation with a marker (straight conductor, angular, T-shaped or radio element).

As a result, we got such a field and a set of details. I did not make the battery in the form of a block (although there is an idea to use a 5 V tablet in the future), but I made an element with two wires to which 3 batteries are connected.

During testing, it turned out that the bulb did not light up if there was an LED or a resistor in the circuit, and the LED could not be used without resistance (the smell of burnt plastic clearly showed this). Therefore, to simulate the gameplay, it was decided to assemble a “signal” circuit from another LED and a resistor on a breadboard, and simplify the game a little, leaving only one LED that needs to be “lit” to win. This turned out to be not critical, and this option was even more interesting, as it allowed changing the starting conditions of the game. The Circuit game itself in the tabletop version will also be redesigned and moved to a larger board, with multiple lamps and LEDs and different starting positions.

Cards were also prepared for the game, by drawing which the player understands which element he can use. Below is the final photo of the radio constructor game, as well as the game process.

Electronic constructor- an excellent educational game designed for a popular explanation in an interesting and exciting way of various physical phenomena and processes.

It is obligatory to buy an electronic designer for students of 6-11 grades, because it is no secret that for a complete and clear understanding of physics, only one school course is not enough. Therefore, today schools that use advanced teaching technologies in their educational process use electronic kits as a visual aid in practical classes in physics. And this is understandable, because modern electronic designers are developed on the basis of the latest achievements of science and technology and have received the highest praise from teachers.

Electronic kits are made of high-quality environmentally friendly plastic, reliable connecting elements, they use the most modern electronic components (switches, light bulbs, LEDs, electric motors, transistors, photoresistors, microphones, speakers, resistors, capacitors, integrated circuits, etc.).

Using an electronic construction set, a child will be able to assemble thousands of different electrical circuits and understand their corresponding circuits. Children's games of this type are equipped with convenient and understandable manuals and books, thanks to which the child will be able to independently assemble a radio receiver, a burglar alarm, or, for example, simple home automation devices.

A huge advantage of modern electronic designers is the original method of connecting parts used in them, which does not require soldering, which eliminates the forced inhalation of harmful smoke.

Adults will also be interested in working with an electronic designer: even people experienced in electrical engineering and electronics will be able to discover something new. In any case, working with an electronic designer will bring a lot of pleasure to children and adults, help them find common interests and serve to strengthen mutual understanding between parents and children.

In this article I will talk about the three most interesting constructors of this type.

Children's electronic designers - "Microlaboratory" KIT EK-35, EK-39, EK-9889. They are invented and produced by the company "MASTER KIT". The designer consists of bright multi-colored parts, simple electrical devices are easily assembled. The marking of the designer's parts makes it easy to correlate them with the instructions. The instruction contains colorful schemes and drawings with explanatory text to them. The design of the parts ensures the simplicity of their connection.

The most powerful constructor of those listed is the "Research Center" EK-9889. According to the manufacturer, it allows you to collect more than 9 thousand circuits!

More famous and popular electronic designers of the Znatok series, which are available in versions with a different number of parts, and therefore, the ability to assemble more interesting circuits and devices. Conventionally, the sets are called "180 schemes", "320 schemes", "999 schemes" - the division is based on the number of parts and schemes included in the brochure-instruction accompanying each designer.

The set consists of a range of components, electronics and wires of varying lengths - each with a number in a box. The designer uses an original way of connecting parts, which does not require soldering.

Electrical circuits that can be assembled on such a constructor are not only educational in nature, but also suitable for practical use, clearly demonstrating the operation of electrical circuits. For example, a real FM radio with automatic station tuning. In the manual, only one assembly method is given for each circuit. The constructor contains dozens of components that allow you to assemble thousands of different electrical circuits.

The circuits use manual, magnetic, light, sound, electric, as well as touch control. By assembling the circuit, you can get an acoustic, optical or electrical output signal. Circuits with similar names are built using completely different circuits and allow you to see the whole variety of electronic technologies.

The same manufacturer deserves attention a new designer of the series - "Alternative Energy Sources", which is built on the same principles as "Connoisseur": Electronic constructor "Alternative energy sources".

The constructor allows you to understand the principles of operation of modern resource-saving technologies. The electronic designer considers 5 programs on topics: solar energy, wind energy, water energy, hydrogen energy and mechanical energy. The set comes with a color book - a guide to assembling 130 projects. If you wish, you can come up with new projects yourself and collect them. All elements of this set are compatible with other electronic designers of the Znatok series.

And one more set for studying electronics that I want to draw your attention to - electronic designer MNKTS. A feature of this set is that, in addition to various parts and simple elements used in other toys of this type, it includes the PIC18F4550 microcontroller - PMK 018.

This set allows you to repeatedly assemble-disassemble, program and connect electronic devices to a computer on a breadboard from the radio components included in the set, measure and influence physical quantities through a computer interface.

An electronic designer will be useful as a person who understands nothing in electronics, providing an opportunity not only to understand it, but also to quickly assemble an interesting electronic device. It can also be useful for experienced radio amateurs, as it contains the most popular electronic elements.

The vast majority of parents want their child to study and develop well, but at the same time, not everyone agrees to have garbage, wire cuttings and rosin smells in the apartment. The electronic designers described in the article are just good because they exclude machining and soldering. Everything is clean and tidy. Such kits help children learn the basics of electrical engineering and electronics well, teach them to apply knowledge in practice. They become more understandable formulas and laws of physics, chemistry, mathematics. With practical design, they become not an empty phrase, but practical skills, a guide to action.

Painstaking, connected with overcoming difficulties, developing perseverance and ingenuity, work with the designer brings up industriousness, initiative in children and helps in the formation of their character. The one who plays with the designer will not necessarily become a scientist or engineer, but the acquired knowledge and skills will be useful to him in any job!