WAM Activites with Boe-Bot Parts

What's a Microcontroller? activites you can do with Boe-Bot Robot Parts

Question: "What activities can we do from the "What’s a Microcontroller?" text using the parts included in the Boe-Bot Robot Kit?”

Answer: "Quite a lot!"

Teachers frequently ask this question, so we have made a list below, for your reference. It shows the cross-compatibility for using the "What's a Microcontroller?" v3.0 with just the parts included in the Boe-Bot Robot kits v3.0.

Many teachers present some activities from "What's a Microcontroller?" in a separate unit before working with the Boe-Bot robot. This helps introduce core programming and electronics concepts and circuit-building skills without the distraction of wanting to "just make the robot go!"  Then students are even better equipped for success with the Boe-Bot when used in a second unit. 

Chapter 1: Getting Started (Download & install the software, write simple PBASIC programs.)

  • (All)        The activities are the same in both books, done through the BASIC Stamp Editor Help file (or equivalent PDF download).

Chapter 2: Lights On – Lights Off (Controlling LEDs, DO...LOOP, FOR...NEXT)

  • Activity #1: Building and Testing an LED Circuit
  • Activity #2: On/Off Control with the BASIC Stamp
  • Activity #3: Counting and Repeating
  • Activity #4: Building and Testing a Second LED Circuit

Chapter 3: Digital Input: Pushbuttons (Reading input states, IF...THEN)

  • Activity #1: Testing a Pushbutton with an LED Circuit
  • Activity #2: Reading a Pushbutton with the BASIC Stamp
  • Activity #3: Pushbutton Control of an LED
  • Activity #4: Two Pushbuttons Controlling Two LEDs

Chapter 7: Measuring Light (Phototransistor, data logging, hysteresis, READ, WRITE)

  • Activity #1: Building and Testing the Light Meter
  • Activity #2: Tracking Light Events
  • Activity #3: Graphing Light Measurements (Optional)
  • Activity #5: On/Off Phototransistor Output (Circuit from Activity #1, ignore 7-segment LED)
  • Activity #6: For Fun—Measure Outdoor Light with an LED

Chapter 8: Frequency & Sound (Piezospeaker, FREQOUT, LOOKUP, LOOKDOWN, SELECT...CASE)

  • Activity #1: Building and Testing the Speaker
  • Activity #2: Action Sounds
  • Activity #3: Musical Notes and Simple Songs
  • Activity #4: Microcontroller Music
  • Activity #5: Ringtones with RTTTL

Chapter 10: Prototyping Your Own Inventions (Subsystem testing and integration)

  • (#1–4, except...) The first four activities could be accomplished with the addition of a 10 kΩ single-turn potentiometer (#152-01031). The remainder is worth reading.