Arduino Class
=============

Name:  ???
Theme: "Spooky projects"
Format: four 2-3 hour classes

Requirements
------------
- Laptop (Mac OS X or Windows. Linux if you're willing to work at it)
- Some programming experience

Good To Have
------------
- Basic knowledge of electric circuits
- Multimeter
- Wire cutters / strippers
- Soldering skills

Tools Needed In Class
---------------------
- Wire cutter
- Tape
-

Class Outline
-------------
Class 1: Intro and Blinky LED
- Introducing Arduino
  - Arduino the concept  (vs Basic Stamp)
  - Arduino the board
  - Arduino the IDE
  - Processing pedigree
  - Getting the Arduino IDE, and running it
  - Installing USB drivers
- Arduino sketch structure
  - Two functions: setup() and loop()
  - C code, but easy
  - Quick overview of build process
- Basic (LED) circuts
  - Power and ground
  - Current limiting resistors
  - Connecting them the right way 'round
  - Making an LED lamp with battery, LED, & resistor
- Saftey Considerations
  - Lead on parts (wash hands)
  - Static sensitivity of parts (stay grounded)
- Your first Arduino sketch: "Blinky"
  - Blinky as "hello world" for microcontrollers
  - Building and coding an LED blinking device
  - Using digitalWrite()
- Get Creative / Fun modifications
  - blinkblinkblink, wait...., blink. 
  - Morse code player
  - Make blinky eyes 

Class 2: Reading Digital and Analog Values
- Hooking a Button to Arduino
  - A simple schematc of the circuit
  - Visual wiring diagram version
  - Using digitalRead()
- Hooking a potentiometer to Arduino
  - A simple schematic of the circuit
  - Visual wiring diagram version
  - Ardino sketch: "SendPot"
  - Using analogRead()
  - Arduino sketch: "VaryBlinky"
    - Use pot to vary blink rate of LED
- Making Some Evil Eyes
  - Uses pot to vary brightness of LEDs
  - Hooking up two red LEDs, w/ schematic
  - Briefly about analogWrite(), more in next class
  - Arduino sketch "EvilEyes"
- Making Evil Eyes Come Out At Night
  - Using Light-sensitive resistors 
  - Modify "EvilEyes" to use LSR
  - Making eyeballs out of ping pong balls (balls diffuse the light)
- Make a Stand-alone Arduino board
  - Adding 9V battery
  - Be careful of polarity and shorts
- Going Further
  - Other types of inputs (mag reed switch, FSR, keys, etc.)
- Get Creative
  - Make your own inputs
    - Wrapping things in alumninum foil to make switches
    - Making pressure sensors from old tin cans and duct tape

Class 3: Motion and Color with PWM
- About PWM
  - PWM as digital-to-analog voltage converter
  - PWM as analog time (percentage on vs off)
- Making a Color Fading Mood Lights
  - R, G,  B LEDs
  - Arduino sketch "MoodLight"
- Adding Movment with a Servo
  - About servos
  - Making PWM by hand using digitalWrite() to control a servo
- Making a Scary Severed Hand or Wiggling Snake
  - Attaching a servo to the hand or snake
  - Programming the motion
- Controlling the computer with Arduino + Processing
  - About Processing
  - Running Processing sketches
  - About Serial.print()
- Going Further
  - Using Arduino as custom input device for Processing
- Get Creative
  - Add motion to any Halloween object
  - Add dynamic color

Class 4: Touch and Sound: Piezo elements
- About Piezos
  - Can be ouput, like a buzzer
  - Can be input, to measure pressure
- Build and write a melody player
  - MIDI notes
  - Arduino sketch "MusicBox"
  - Some spooky melodies
- Piezos as Pressure Sensors
  - Schematic of piezo as input device
  - Adding "knock sensor" to EvilEyes or MoodLight
     (wakes up with noise, etc)
- Get Creative
  - 


Class Kit
---------
1 x Arduino USB board           @ $31.95  SparkFun, ordered
1 x Arduino ProtoShield         @ $14.95  SparkFun, ordered
1 x 6' USB cable                @ $ 2.50  Allelectronics.com
1 x breadboard for shield       @ $ 7.37  Digikey
3 x 6' lengths hookup wire      @~$ 1.00  Digikey
2 x buttons                     @ xxxxxx  (built onto shield?)
2 x Red LEDs, wide angle        @ $ 2.00  xx
1 x Green LED, wide angle       @ $ 1.00  xx
1 x Blue LED, wide angle        @ $ 1.00  xx
1 x piezo buzzer                @ $ 1.49  xx Digikey, (0.75 @ allelect)
1 x 5.1v zener diode            @ $ 0.07  Digikey
4 x 220 ohm resistor   1         @ $ 0.10  xx Digikey
1 x 1M ohm resistor             @ $ 0.04  xx Digikey
1 x rubber snake or hand        @ $~5.00  xx bigzoo?
2 x ping pong balls             @ $ 1.05  nationaltablentennis.com, 48/$25
1 x sheet of Al foil
2 x small tin sheets
1 x 9V battery ?
1 x 9V battery connector
1 x servo                       @ $10.00
                                 --------
                                  $ 78.41
Kit cost should be $75-$100