01 | Introduction

• Introduction to Physical Computing
• Introduction to Electronics
• Introduction to Microcontrollers (Arduino)

Schedule #

Deliverables for Week 1 #

1. Course Documentation website #

This page will have more detailed instructions on the how to update the site

Do the following:

1. Fill in this form on MyCourses (before Tuesday’s class) and decide if you want to have the documentation public on the internet or not.
2. Once you get access to the site, log in and look around the folder that has your name.
3. Add a featured image to the page that is already there with you name
   • call it featured.jpg
   • the resolution should be smaller than 2000x2000 pixels
   • Make sure that the size of the file is smaller than 1 MB
4. Edit the page and add some short text about yourself.
5. Press Publish –> Publish Now
6. Wait for a couple of minutes and the website updates.

2. Arduino Basics (Deadline: Thursday, October 31, 13:00) #

Create a circuit and Arduino code that does the following

Circuit #

• Connect two LEDs to your Arduino using a breadboard
• Connect one switch to your Arduino using a breadboard

Code #

1. Read a momentary switch being pressed
2. When the program starts, both LEDs are off
3. When the switch is pressed once, the first LED turns on
4. When the switch is pressed the second time, the second LED turns on (the first one should also still be on)
5. When the switch is pressed the third time, both LEDs turn off
6. Repeat this same cycle of LEDs turning on and off in sequence (off, one LED, two LEDs, off…)

Documentation #

Document your work on the course website that you created. Deadline: Thursday, October 31, 13:00

• Add a new page under your collection. Call it Week 01
• Add your code, picture of your circuit, and short description/reflection on your process. What was easy, what was difficult?
• Optional: Add your thoughts and reflections on the readings.

Tips #

There are multiple ways to solve this. As long as it works, it works. Do not use Chat GPT to give you the answer directly. That is not you learning.

Check the tutorials on Digital Input from here for tips on getting through some of the problems.

If you get stuck and cannot make it work. Follow the solutions here. There is even a video tutorial for one way of doing this.

Test your code and circuit for bugs. Does it still work if you do the following:

• How fast can you click? Does it respond even if you click very fast?
• Hold the button down for a long time, what happens?

3. Readings #

• Bret Victor: A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design
  • Responses to the text
• Tangible Interaction

Adding short reflections of the readings on your site is not mandatory but will have a positive effect on your evaluation and can compensate for missed lectures.