About Your Snap Circuits Parts - Elenco Electronics rc snap rover Insruction Manual

About Your Snap Circuits
(Part designs are subject to change without notice).
Note: If you have a more advanced Model, there is additional information in
your other project manual(s).
The base grid functions like the printed circuit boards found in most
electronic products. It is a platform for mounting parts and wires (though the
wires are usually "printed" on the board).
The blue snap wires are just wires used to connect other components, they
are used to transport electricity and do not affect circuit performance. They
come in different lengths to allow orderly arrangement of connections on the
base grid.
The white, orange, yellow, green, gray, and purple
connections for times when using the snap wires would be difficult. They also
are used to make connections off the base grid. The different colored wires all
work the same way, and are interchangeable.
The batteries (in the Rover body) produce an electrical voltage using a
chemical reaction. This "voltage" can be thought of as electrical pressure,
pushing electrical "current" through a circuit. This voltage is much lower and
much safer than that used in your house wiring. Using more batteries
increases the "pressure" and so more electricity flows.
The slide switch (S1) connects (ON) or disconnects (OFF) the wires in a
circuit. When ON it has no effect on circuit performance.
Resistors, such as the 100Ω resistor (R1) and 1KΩ resistor
flow of electricity and are used to control or limit the electricity in a circuit.
Increasing circuit resistance reduces the flow of electricity.
The LED (D4) is a light emitting diode, and may be thought of as a special
one-way light bulb. In the "forward" direction (indicated by the "arrow" in the
symbol) electricity flows if the voltage exceeds a turn-on threshold (about 3V);
brightness then increases. A high current will burn out the LED, so the current
must be limited by other components in the circuit. LEDs block electricity in
the "reverse" direction.
The 0.02μF (C1) and 100μF (C4N) capacitors
store electrical pressure (voltage) for periods of time, higher values have more
storage. Because of this storage ability they block unchanging voltage signals
and pass fast changing voltages. Capacitors are used for filtering and delay
circuits. Large values have a "+" marking that should always be connected to
the higher voltage.
The horn (W1) converts electricity into sound by making mechanical
vibrations. These vibrations create variations in air pressure which travel
across the room. You "hear" sound when your ears feel these air pressure
variations.
® Parts
Warning to Snap Circuits
!
voltage which could damage those parts. Page 22 and our website www.snapcircuits.net has approved circuits that you can use.
jumper wires make flexible
(R2), "resist" the
are components that can
® owners: Do not use parts from other Snap Circuits
The R/C Receiver (RX1) is a complex module containing a radio receiver
circuit, a specialized radio decoder integrated circuit, and other supporting
components. It includes resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transistors that
are always needed together. This was done to simplify the connections you
need to make, otherwise this circuitry would not fit on the base grid. A
description for this module is given here for those interested, see project #1
for a connection example:
R/C Receiver:
(+)
(+) - power from batteries
LBUT LF
(–) - power return to batteries
RBUT - right button function (active low)
LBUT - left button function (active low)
RBUT LB
BYP1 - low frequency bypass
BYP2 - high frequency bypass
RF - right forward output (active high)
BYP1 RF
RB - right backward output (active high)
LF - left forward output (active high)
LB - left backward output (active high)
BYP2 RB
ABC switch - selects radio channel
(–)
The Motor Control (U8) module contains 16 transistors and resistors that are
usually needed to control the motors. A description for this module is given
here for those interested, see project 1 for a connection example:
(+)
Motor Control:
LF L–
(+) - power from batteries
(–) - power return to batteries
RF - right forward control input
LB L+
RB - right backward control input
LF - left forward control input
LB - left backward control input
RF R–
R+ - right forward motor drive
R – - right backward motor drive
L+ - left forward motor drive
RB R+
L – - left backward motor drive
(–)
The motors (in the Rover body) convert elecricity into mechanical motion.
Electricity is closely related to magnetism, and an electric current flowing in a
wire has a magnetic field similar to that of a very, very tiny magnet. Inside the
motor is a coil of wire with many loops wrapped around metal plates. If a large
electric current flows through the loops, it will turn ordinary metal into a
magnet. The motor shell also has a magnet on it.•When electricity flows
through the coil, it magnetizes the metal plates and they repel from the
magnet on the motor shell - spinning the shaft. A small gear is on the end of
the shaft and spins with it.
R–
Rover Rear
R+ L+
® sets with this kit. The Snap Rover
Only connect
this part as
shown in the
Only connect
this part as
shown in the
Rover Rear:
L– N1 (+)
(+) - power from batteries
(–) - power return to batteries
L+ - left forward motor drive
L – - left backward motor drive
R+ - right forward motor drive
R – - right backward motor drive
N2 (–)
N1, N2 - not used
® uses higher
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projects!
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projects!
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