Tinkercad Projects
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In this lesson, we explore how Pulse Width Modulation works in a circuit connected to a microcontroller. I am using a virtual circuit constructed in Tinkercad. A microcontroller in Tinkercad, an Arduino, will vary the brightness of an LED. The brightness is adjusted with code entered into the microcontroller. The microcontroller uses Pulse Width Modulation to simulate various levels of illumination on an LED. We will see how pulse width modulation actually works by connecting a virtual oscilloscope to the circuit.
In the lesson, we create a basic circuit in TinkerCAD. We create a basic LED circuit. We combine the basic circuit with an Arduino microcontroller. We use the microcontroller to turn the LED ON and OFF. We take it one step further and program the LED to blink. A good lesson to learn the fundamentals.
A capacitor is much like a battery. It stores current and releases that current when a circuit is closed. They don’t store as much current as a battery. Capacitors are reliable and don’t need to be replaced like batteries.
Buttons and switches are used to complete circuits in electronic components. Tindercad has buttons and switches to close circuits in our simulated electronic projects.
TinkerCAD has a circuit development environment along with a simulator. The components are similar to actual components. This allows us to teach basic electricity and electronics concepts.
Transistors and LEDs have revolutionized our modern world. Transistors have made fast and small computers possible. In this lesson, we will learn to use the transistor as a switch.