2008-09-03 1 Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr BASICS OF ELECTRONICS.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 2008-09-03 1

BASICS OF ELECTRONICS


Interaction Design

“Interaction Design is about the design of any interactive experience”.

Creation of meaningful interaction between humans and artefacts.

Designing through an iterative process based on prototypes of various types and fidelity.


Physical Computing

From Wikipedia:

Building interactive physical systems by the use of software and hardware that can sense and respond to the analogue world.

A creative framework for understanding human beings' relationship to the digital world.

e.g. use of sensors and microcontrollers to translate analogue input to a software system, and/or control electro-mechanical devices such as motors, servos, lighting or other hardware.


Physical Computing

Prototyping with electronics: turning sensors, actuators and microcontrollers into materials for designers and artists.

Design of interactive objects that can communicate with humans using sensors and actuators controlled by a behaviour implemented as software running inside a microcontroller.


Physical Computing

From expensive and complex tools dealt with by engineers ...

... to cheap, simple microcontrollers (small computers on a single chip) allowing for designing to play directly with the medium.


Physical Computing

Interaction: input -> processing -> output

Input:

sensors: light, etc

control signal from computer

Actuators:

physical: motors,

computer: sound, etc

Microproccessors

Microcontrollers...


Basic Electronics

R (resistance) = V (voltage) / I (current)

V = R * I

I = V / R

• Current: flow of electric charges (A = Ampere)• Voltage: difference in electrical potential between two points (Volts = V)• Resistance: degree to which an object opposes an electric current through it

“Voltage pushes, current flows”


Basic Electronics

Current follows the path of least resistance to the ground.

In any given circuit, the total voltage around the path of the circuit is zero.

The amount of current going into any point in a circuit is the same as the amount coming out of that point.

Conductors are materials throughwhich electrical current moves freely.

Insulators are materials which

prevent the flow of electricity.


Basic Electronics

Parallel vs. series

R (resistance) = V (voltage) / I (current)


Basic Electronics

Common components- switches- resistors (inkl variable)- capacitors- diodes- transistors & relays...


Switches

- Control the flow of current through a junction in a circuit


Switches

Many different types- magnetic- hexadecimal- tilt- lever

...


Resistors

- Resistors resist, but do not totally block, the flow of electricity.

- They are used to control the flow of current. - Current can move either way through a

resistor.


Potentiometer

Variable Resistor


Capacitors

Capacitors store up electricity while current is flowing into them, then release the energy when the incoming current is removed.

if polarized, current can only flow through them in a specific direction

Don’t wire a polarized capacitor backwards; it might explode!


Diodes

- Diodes permit the flow of electricity in one direction, and block it in the other direction. Because of this, they can only be placed in a circuit in one direction. They are symbolized like this:


LEDS

- Light-Emitting Diodes (LED’s) are special types of diodes which emit light when current flows through them.


Transistors & Relays

- Electronically controlled valve or switch, depending on the application. As a switch it can be used to turn electric circuits on and off but as a valve it can be used to amplify electrical signals.


Basic Electronics

Transduction:

digital vs analog signal

2008-09-03 1 Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr BASICS OF ELECTRONICS.

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