Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr BASICS OF ELECTRONICS

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr Physical Computing Interaction: input -> processing -> output Input: sensors: light, etc control signal from computer Actuators: physical: motors, computer: sound, etc Microproccessors Microcontrollers...

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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”

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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 through which electrical current moves freely. Insulators are materials which prevent the flow of electricity.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr Basic Electronics Parallel vs. series R (resistance) = V (voltage) / I (current)

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr Basic Electronics Common components -switches -resistors (inkl variable) -capacitors -diodes -transistors & relays...

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr Switches -Control the flow of current through a junction in a circuit

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr Switches Many different types -magnetic -hexadecimal -tilt -lever...

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr Potentiometer Variable Resistor

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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!

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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:

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr LEDS -Light-Emitting Diodes (LED’s) are special types of diodes which emit light when current flows through them.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr 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.

Dr. Andreas Kunz © 10/2004 inspire icvr Basic Electronics Transduction: digital vs analog signal