Electron Club

= Intro to BEAM robotics lab/workshop. =

'What it is:' This is a lab / workshop to give people the opportunity to play around with analogue electronic components. Participants will build a small, simple robot without the use of microcontrollers or programming. More information on BEAM robotics can be found at the following links:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BEAM_robotics Wikipedia Entry]

[http://www.solarbotics.com Solarbotics] ~-This site is a supplier of bot kits and other components, but also has a good selection of documentation.-~

'Where:' The Electron Club in the [http://www.cca-glasgow.com CCA] building, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.

'When:' Saturday 3rd Feb, 2-5 PM (soldering intro an hour earlier)

'Who's it for:' Anyone that wants to have a go at making little electronic thingies and isn't afraid to get their hands a little dirty. (Keep in mind that soldering irons are used in this workshop, so for safety's sake, no small children please.) Beginners are more than welcome.

'What is going to happen:' Each participant is going to make a small solar-powered robot called a Trimet. The design is simple, and can be used as a basis for moving on to more complicated 'bots later. To make the 'bot we are going to solder, cut, glue, test, troubleshoot, laugh, and maybe swear a little. During the construction, we'll talk about what each part of the bot does and how they work. No programing will be used to build the 'bot. This a great project for people new to electronics, soldering, circuit design and whatnot.

For those that have never soldered before (or who are frustrated with the process) there will be a very basic intro soldering held one hour before the BEAM lab.

'How much does it cost ?' If you bring all the necessary parts yourself, nothing. Kits with all the required bot bits will be available at he workshop at a cost of £11.00.

'What should I bring ?' Depending on the number of participants, we might run short of things like soldering irons, desolder pumps, snips and other basic tools for doing electronics work. If you have any of these tools, please bring it along. If you are going to more of this sort of thing in the future, this workshop is great excuse to spend your hard earned money on some basic tools. You can find a list of recommended tools on the [[Equipment Recommendation]] page. Here is a list of what we'll be using for the lab:

{| border=“1”

!Description !!Manufacturer !!vendor / part # !!Comments

If you don't want to use the 'bot kit described above, here is a list of components needed to build the trimmet:

#Solar Cell, 5.5v output (about 37mm x 33 mm) #Small motor (motors from old walkmans or cassette players usually work) the smaller the motor, the more active your bot will be. #1381-G voltage trigger #2N3904 NPN transistor #2N3906 PNP transistor #2.2k resistor #4700 microfarad Capacitors

If you would like to buy a kit with the above components at the workshop reserve yours by sending an email to info@electronclub.org . The price is £11.00, and can be paid at the workshop. To guarantee a kit, your email must be received by 12:00 25th of January.

'Now what?' If you are planning to attend the workshop, please send an email with your name, if you would like a kit, and if you are planning to bring your own tools to info@electronclub.org .

Hope to see you there !