This course is historically extremely popular.
This is a course run by our President, in 5 evening sessions. This course will introduce you to the basics of the Arduino platform and microcontroller programming with a bit of general electronics thrown in. No previous experience is needed - just bring your laptop!
We'll be using the Arduino IDE for this course - this is available here. You'll need to install this, but don't worry if you have issues - we can help you at the first session!
All equipment used for this course will of course be accessible in the Makerspace to use on further projects and learning if you wish to.
Room 72 MS 03 - 1800-2000
The sessions will follow the following structure:
- What is an Arduino and what can it do.
- IDE feature guide
- Explanation of Arduino sketch structure
- Basic programming constructs (e.g If statements, For loops etc.)
- Blink on board LED
- Blink an external LED
- Get button input to toggle a LED
- Analogue read using a potentiometer
- Analogue Write to dim a LED
- Tone to make sounds with a buzzer
- UART to PC
- SPI (using SPI temp sensor)
- I2C (using I2C temp sensor)
- Shift register for more IO
- Interrupts to speed up code
- Timer interrupts
- EEPROM
- When should you use the Arduino?
- How to find help when you get stuck.
- What is a datasheet, and how do I read one?
- Where can I get hardware?
- What else is out there?
This course will be lead our Community Engagement Officer in 5 evening sessions in Semester Two.
This course will start by introducing you to Python syntax, programming fundamentals, and basic object-oriented programming. The course will be formed of several teaching sessions with exercises during sessions and a final project in the last sessions.
No previous programming experience is needed - just bring your laptop! We'll be using the online environment REPL.it so there's no need to install anything either!
Room 32 MS 01 - 1800-2000
The sessions will follow the following structure:
S1 - An Introduction to Python - 27th Feb
- What is Python?
- What makes up a program
- What is a variable
- Data types
- Types and casting
- What is a conditional statement?
- Loops
- Functions and variables
- What is a list?
- Creating, using lists
- range() function
- Using dictionaries
- What is a module?
- Installing, importing, and using modules
- Useful modules for STEM
- Formatted Output
- File Management
- Lambda, filter, reduce, map
- Ask any questions
- Use of documentation
- Where next?