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ALL MAKE GUIDES


  1. Security Zone
  2. Ultrasonic Drum
  3. Resistor Piano
  4. Walker Race
  5. Walker Dance
  6. Walker Detect
  7. Runaway Rover
  8. Rover Sensor Steering

  1. Lighthouse
  2. Frog Frenzy
  3. Game Controller
  4. Minecraft Controller

  1. Security Zone
  2. Ultrasonic Drum
  3. Resistor Piano
  4. Ther-Mood-Stat
  5. Color Coded
  6. Pulse

  1. Beam Break
  2. Car Race
  3. Motion Ball

  1. Solar House
  2. Soil Sensor
  3. Air Guitar

  1. Light Show
  2. Light Show Animation

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Sensors expedition

Mission 3 of 6

Sensors expedition: Mission 3 of 6

Resistor Piano


Intermediate

1 hour

Grades 3 - 8
MISSION OBJECTIVE

Learn to create a piano using resistors.

Take our musical talents to the next level as Piperbot and Pip jam out with their new Adult Zomar buddy on a piano made of resistors. Ask students: “What is your code measuring to know when and what sound to play? How is this different from your ultrasonic drum?”

View student interface at make.playpiper.com
MISSION CHARACTERS

Piperbot

Pip

Adult Zomar
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MISSION MATERIALS
MISSION RESOURCES Learning Goals Career Connections Hardware Diagram Code Diagram Tutorial Steps Blueprint Troubleshooting Tips
EXPEDITION RESOURCES Vocabulary Words Material Library Standards Alignment
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MISSION MATERIALS

Computer with USB port and Chrome or Edge browser
Piper Make Base Station or Starter Kit
MISSION RESOURCES

Learning Goals

  1. Students will create a panel of resistors and use a jumper wire to “play notes” and craft musical creations.
  2. Students will understand how to use lists and mapping in code to map a voltage to a sound.
  3. Students will understand how voltage drops are associated with the number of resistors set up in series, as shown in the circuitry.

Career Connections

Robotics Engineer: Salary $104,600/yr
Automotive Engineer: Salary $95,300/yr
Civil Engineer: Salary $88,050/yr
Electro-Mechanical and Mechtronics Technicians: Salary $60,570/yr

Hardware Diagram

Code Diagram

Tutorial Steps

Blueprint

DOWNLOAD BLUEPRINT

Have an different version? Look for more information on the Support Page.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Are some notes failing to play when you touch the jumper wire to the resistors?
    • Make sure you touch the jumper wire to the metal part of the resistor instead of the plastic.
    • Ensure that you have set up the resistors correctly with the metal leads lined up along the rails so they complete the circuit. Check the wiring diagram if you’re not sure.
  • Why do you have to be careful with the top portion of the Pico?
    • Touching the green wire to the areas marked with the yellow triangles ⚠️ will cause a short circuit and could damage your Pico module. Be careful!

Our customer support specialists are on hand to ensure your implementation of Piper runs seamlessly.
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Sensors EXPEDITION RESOURCES

Vocabulary Words

Engineer A person trained to design and build machines and structures

Sensor Device that produces an output signal for the purpose of sensing a physical phenomenon

Conditional Statement A type of coding instruction used to compare values and express and make decisions, like an if-then statement

List Sequence of several variables, grouped together under a single name in codey

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Material Library

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Standards Alignment


Individual Standards
  • CA 3-5.CS.1 Describe how computing devices connect to other components to form a system. (P7.2)
  • 3-5.AP.18 Perform different roles when collaborating with peers during the design, implementation, and review stages of program development.
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