Motors

Motors with the Circuit Playground Express

You can use a crickit

Useful board information:

https://www.electrokit.com/uploads/productfile/41016/adafruit-circuit-playground-express.pdf


Or for one or two:

https://blog.adafruit.com/2012/05/30/ask-an-educator-how-can-i-control-a-solenoid-or-motor-with-an-h-bridge/

You need a 5 v power supply for the dc motor with h-bridge chip.

You will use two outputs on the circuit playground for one DC motor.  In Makecode under "pins", you will find "analog write pin <A0> to".  Use that to set the output you've chosen as an analog output.  Then use "analog set period pin <A0> to" to set the period (how long each pulse is) in microseconds - invert that to get the frequency eg 5000 usec happens 1/5000usec or

All Grounds Connected

You MUST connect the ground for the h-bridge chip to the ground for the circuit playground express.  Floating grounds or grounds at different levels are BAD and make it really hard to see what's one wrong.

Circuit Playground Express and External Neo Pixels

Circuit Playground Express and External Neo Pixels


https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express/circuitpython-neopixel

How many neo pixels can I control?

Limited by processing power/speed:

You can drive 300 pixels with brightness control and 1000 pixels without (set brightness=1.0 in object creation). That's because to adjust the brighness we have to dynamically re-create the datastream each write.

Copied from: CircuitPython NeoPixel | Adafruit Circuit Playground Express | Adafruit Learning System - https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-circuit-playground-express/circuitpython-neopixel

Limited by Power

For powering the pixels from the board, the 3.3V regulator output can handle about 500mA peak which is about 50 pixels with 'average' use. If you want really bright lights and a lot of pixels, we recommend powering direct from the power source. On the Circuit Playground Express this is the Vout pad - that pad has direct power from USB or BAT, depending on which is higher voltage. 


What else can I do with the board at the same time?

Hmmmmm




Neopixels
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide/basic-connections
https://learn.adafruit.com/glowing-slime-lunchbox/makecode
https://learn.adafruit.com/glowing-slime-lunchbox/makecode

Circuit Playground Express

Circuit Playground Express

This year I'd like the electronic architects to go home with a kit.  The circuit playground express is board from adafruit that can be programmed with a block based language like scratch (makecode).  Last years architects said they had all used scratch.  It has lots of sensors and electronics on board - rainbow lights, capacative touch - so you can touch the contact as an input, sound sensors and speakers - standard demo is "blow out the candles" - you blow and all the lights turn off.  Accelerometer - responds to tilt, up and down movement.  With a battery pack, usb cable, a bread board and some wires etc they can learn to interface to hardware and build things at the planting and then take it home and keep using it.

Idea for a kit - circuit playground express - programmed with makecode - like scratch.  The board has multicolour leds, sound sensors, speaker, capacitive touch, accelerometer. infrared send and receive.  Can control external hardware.

Kids can control it and do all the coding because to code is just drag blocks in.

They can take it home, same board has lots of projects on line, can be programmed with javascript, circuit python or c.  

Buy it in Australia - Core Electronics - https://core-electronics.com.au/circuit-playground-express-developer-edition.html - currently $39 ($38 for 10)

Leaves $12 for rest of kit - source some locally and other from ali express.
usb cable $2ish  (https://core-electronics.com.au/micro-usb-cable.html have $3.95)

+ battery case https://core-electronics.com.au/3-x-aaa-battery-holder-with-on-off-switch-and-2-pin-jst.html = $3.73

$8 for

ali express - bread board, power module and wires around $5

 + alligator clips (10 for $2.50) some resistors and some leds

So they can go home with a full kit that they can use at home.  At woodford they can control motors, big strips of lights, external sensors.  They'll go home with a board that has lots of fun stuff on board - and the basics they need to interface to external hardware and some basic experience so they can follow online tutorials or explore themselves.



3d print some cases, motor gears etc.

Links

Overview

Adafruit Circuit Playground Express Projects

Microsoft Make Code

Features

Neopixels

Sensors

Sound

Power

Connecting It to Things

- speakers -  https://t.co/qgp1s0m4RJ

- external motors

- external leds

- driving circuits

- capacitive touch

Putting it In things

- heat dissipation

- if I put it in a lunch box to make it water proof do I need to worry about ventilation holes?

- if I put it in a stuffed animal, do I need to worry about ventilation

- short circuit prevention - nail polish

- can I use copper tape with a circuit play ground express? 

- conductive thread

Accessories

- how do I connect to a motor - driving board.  Then how do I connect stuff to a motor - gears, pulleys, cardboard

Planting - 3d print different cases for the circuit playground express - eg one that can clip on to a battery mount, servo mount, screw holes, something to gaffa tape on

Project Ideas

 wands with circuit playground express - need a case that can be a star on the end with a cable hole, mount battery on the end

Links to Cool Projects

Useful Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cofElsolYk4