Building the Microcontroller.

Here are a couple pictures from building the Shock'n Bot microcontroller. The kids learned about electronics, reading schematics, soldering, reading components like resistors and capacitors. They also did a little programming and made LED blink and piezoelectric speakers beep.

I should have mentioned...

Oh i guess i should have mentioned that we built a nice compact arm that is very effective for high and low loops. We have started programming and managed to pick up a few low loops, it should be able to pick up the high ones. Please be careful and do not destroy it if you swap bricks.

Tuesday Meeting

Jeffery and I made a lot of progress. We are almost done with the lower loops. Jeffery you are awesome.

PS: We switched the bricks

Portland Sustainable Development Commissions Invites Us to Present

I presented today our basic idea to the Portland Sustainability Development Commission and asked if we could somehow get their feedback to help refine our ideas.

The Chairwoman said this was a great approach; they were really interested to see how our on-line social networking ideas could help tackle all these transportation challenges ...

... and they invited us back to present our ideas and prototypes to them at a follow up Commission meeting.

We also have recommendations from them for experts we should contact whose jobs at the transportation bureaus are to help get people out of their cars!

Team Project Plan

Coach Sue here ... with a post of the team research project plan which you all created on Sunday. We'll update this as we move along. Watch for your names (where you volunteered to get something done) and the dates (to get it done by!)

Project Plan: As of Oct 26 09

Reach out to community contacts – schedule meetings/presentations/follow up with key people at each organization
- Christ Church: Amiel to email for mtg this Friday with she/Austin
- School: Austin, Jeffery, Mitch, Alexa: this Wednesday with Principle
- Ride Connection: Amiel to email re team mtg next week: Tuesday or Thursday after school
- Sustainable Development Commission: Amiel: this Tuesday
- Wilsonville: later … via Lex? Target a meeting/presentation after Nov 9 once we’ve got other pilots underway since these are examples for what the city could inspire those in their region to undertake

Build demo prototype
- Austin: this Monday/Tuesday – ready for church review this Friday

Develop list of questions to ask community organizations – so we have our research completed from them and refinements to the mapping system
- whole team: drafted during the meeting on Sunday

Develop list of “The Ask” questions – what actions/commitments we want during these first meetings from each group
- drafted during Sunday meeting

Get familiar with the background information on these community groups
- particularly the Ride Connection – Jeffrey, Austin, Mitch, Alexa – read the web site, get up to speed

Research the Regional Metro Transportation Plan: Challenges and Priorities
- Attend Sustainable Development Commission Tuesday meeting
- Read key web materials
- Find out how our project’s problems and benefits fits into their overall plan
- Find experts we can talk with about our idea to help refine it
- Amiel – in time for Sunday’s next meeting

Find out what alternative car pooling or networking services there are in use now – and why they do/don’t work
- Jeffrey

Get familiar with the Community Walks mapping system
- more time exploring it, making test maps, figuring it out
- Lex, Mitch, Jeffrey

Research Community Walks web site and services further
- Are there any rules that govern organizations’ use of the maps/site/service?
- Are there any other features that could be useful to the challenges our communities face?
- Are they looking for feedback or ideas from users re how to improve the map or apply it in new situations? If so, how would we get in touch with them?
- Whole team – or Austin/Amiel if they have more time

Develop a brochure summarizing how the transport challenges each community faces can be tackled using the social network maps -- mini case examples – to bring to the Wilsonville City Council or other metro meetings
- NEXT week beg Nov 2

Prepare presentation for competition: START DATE: Weekend of Nov 14th LATEST

ORTOP FLL Robotics Tournaments - Judges & Referees Needed!

I received the following from the Ortop volunteer coordinator:

(don't worry, the links take you to a form.)

The 2009 FIRST LEGO League season is off to a fast start. Over 300 teams have signed up to participate across Oregon and SW Washington. They have been busy since early-September developing their robots to meet this year's challenge, and researching this year's hot topic: the Smart Move - transforming transportation.

ORTOP will run 18 local qualifying tournaments across Oregon and in Vancouver in early December, followed by 2 state championship tournaments in mid-January 2009. Local qualifying tournaments will be held in Bend, Corvallis, Hillsboro, La Grande, McMinnville, Portland, Roseburg, Vancouver & Wilsonville. The two championship tournaments will be held at Liberty High School in Hillsboro as in previous years.

Each tournament requires a team of judges, referees, and day-of-tournament volunteers. As a past tournament participant, I'm sure you know this is an incredible opportunity to expose kids to the fun and creativity of science, engineering and teamwork. Thanks for your participation in the past. We hope you can help out again this year.

Judge and Referee training being in just over 3 weeks. If you would like to participate in one of these areas this year, signup soon. Training is offered live at Hillsboro High, Mentor Graphics, OMSI, and via Web- or Tele-conference.

To sign-up for training and to volunteer at a tournament, use one of these link:

Yes - Judge - http://volunteer.ortop.org/reg_jdg_qt.php?m=qt_lgstc_JR&v=639&k=Z92zy

Yes - Referee - http://volunteer.ortop.org/reg_ref_qt.php?m=qt_lgstc_JR&v=639&k=Z92zy

Yes - Day-of-Tmt - http://volunteer.ortop.org/reg_lgstc_qt.php?m=qt_lgstc_JR&v=639&k=Z92zy

DS18B20 Digital Tempature Sensor

I have one left. (Jeffery) that I clipped off my prototype board.

What to bring - Microcontroller build.

Microcontroller project.
Please bring these:
Low wattage soldering iron
Small sponge to clean soldering iron
Small needle nose pliers
Small (diagonal) wire cutters
Small gauge wire strippers

These things will be helpful:
USB memory stick for software
Laptop with serial port (for second day)
Desk lamp (these parts are small)

Power strip.
A couple folding tables.

Calender for Building a Programmable Cap.

I have updated our calendar with purposed schedule for the micrcontroller project. The fist day will focus on building, the second on programming.

Saturday October 24th from 12:00 - 4:00 Building day!
Sunday October 25th from 2:00 - 4:00 Programming day!

Coach Marvin

USB programming cable info.

The microcontroller project that is coming up, uses a programming cable to the PC. The standard cable uses the serial port on your PC (9 pin male). Many new PC’s don’t have a serial port but instead use a USB cable. If you need a USB cable to program the microcontroller here are some links to purchase one.

http://www.hvwtech.com/products_view.asp?ProductID=577
http://www.robotshop.us/picaxe-usb-stereo-download-cable.html
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8312

If you’re feeling adventurous you can install a serial port into your PC.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124074