Students will set up a microcontroller and complete a basic circuit by touching two wires together.
The team is ready for Piperbot’s Mission to Mars, but it seems Piperbot can’t move! Can you build your first circuit and use code to help Piperbot move? This activity introduces the Raspberry Pi Pico and the Piper Make microcontroller and how they connect to Mission Control.
Students will learn how software and hardware work together to form a system. (CSTA 1B-CS-01)
Students will model how computer hardware and software work together to complete tasks. (CSTA 1B-CS-02 and 2-CS-02)
Students will determine potential solutions to solve simple hardware and software problems using common troubleshooting strategies. (CSTA 1B-CS-03 and 2-CS-03)
Students will understand fundamental concepts of how technology works, demonstrate the ability to choose and use current technologies effectively, and are adept at thoughtfully exploring emerging technologies. (ISTE 1.1D)
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Troubleshooting Tips
Are your console numbers failing to change when you touch your wires together?
Ensure that the wires are pushed in all the way. They should touch the metal rail along the bottom.
Ensure that you’ve plugged the wires into the right GPIO. Look at the Digital View to see which pin you’re affecting. To learn more about the Digital View, click on LIBRARY on the right hand side of the Mission and then click on DIGITAL VISUALIZERS.
What does “LOW when pulled UP” mean?
This generally refers to pull-up or pull-down resistor circuits. Read more about those here. In this case, this allows the signal to be rounded UP to the binary TRUE when the wires are touched and the circuit is complete.
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Term Glossary
Circuit A conductive path for the flow of current or electricity.
Input Device A hardware device that sends data to a computer, allowing interaction and control.
Output Device A piece of hardware that converts information into a form humans can sense and understand.
Microcontroller An integrated circuit containing a microprocessor with memory and associated circuits.
GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) Pins Pins on a microcomputer or microcontroller that can be programmed to send or receive electrical signals. They can be connected to almost anything (such as buttons and LEDs).
The Raspberry Pi Pico is a single board microcontroller that plugs into a Breadboard to be used for prototyping and wiring with electronics using GPIO pins. A microcontroller is a compact computer. The pins on the Raspberry Pi Pico are numbered so that you can code for specific outcomes with electronic components by wiring them up to the microcontroller.
The pins on the Raspberry Pi Pico are numbered so that you can code for specific outcomes with electronic components by wiring them up to the microcontroller.
Jumper Wire
Jumper wires are used to connect components of a circuit on a Breadboard and to the microcontroller. The colored coating of the wire is an insulator, and prevents wires from shorting. A wire shorts when unintentional connections in a circuit are formed, causing high currents or overheating. Additionally, the colored coating allows you to stay organized, but the Jumper wires can be used interchangeably regardless of color!
Jumper wires are made of a conductive material called copper that allows current to flow from a power source to the components of the circuit and back to the ground in order to form a conductive loop. A closed circuit is created when there is a complete conductive loop. Jumper wires allow you to do this with a microcontroller and the Breadboard as well as components, like an LED.
Computer with USB port and Chrome or Edge browser
Piper Make Base Station or Starter Kit
Electrical Engineer: Salary $127,260/yr
