CT3102 Introduction to

Robotics & Internet of

Things
Lecture 7
Recap for Physical Computing
Previously in
CT3102
Recap General Guidelines
Attendance is extremely important, make sure you sign in the register for both
Lectures and workshops.
You will need a Logbook to record the answers to tutorial questions and your practical
workshop experiments/simulations. Logbooks can either be physical or digital.
Save your work both Physically on a USB and in the cloud (student Google Drive).

In lectures, please put your phone on silent.

Most Importantly No Foods or Drinks in Labs.

 What have we covered so far?
Introduction to the Module & General • Exams, Assessments, and how to use WebLearn
Guidance

Flowchart Programming of mOway Cars • Various tasks programming the cars and formative assessment

Introduction to Physical Computing • Ohms Law, Metric Prefixes, and Colour bands for resistors

Computing: Ohm's Law, Power & Electrical •

Further Ohms law and relationship with Power
Safety

Computing: Simple Resistor Networks and • Resistors in Series, Parallel, and Potential Dividers
Potential Dividers

Computing: Diodes, LEDs and Current • Diodes, LEDs, Forward Bias, Reverse Bias, and current limiting resistors
Limiting Resistors

Computing: Resistive Sensors: Thermistors •

Temperature Coefficients of resistance (a) of various metals for LDRs and Thermistors
and LDRs
 What's Next?
2024/2025 Academic
year (week Year-long (24 Weeks) Lecture Topics Workshop Topics
commencing)
23-Sep-24 Week 1 Introduction to the Module & Physical Computing Tutorial Questions 1: Introduction, Ohms Law, Metric Prefixes, and Colour bands for resistors
30-Sep-24 Week 2 Flowchart Programming of mOway Cars Tutorial Questions 3: Various tasks programming the cars and formative assessment
07-Oct-24 Week 3 Phy. Computing: Ohm's Law, Power & Electrical Safety Tutorial Questions 4: Further Ohms law and relationship with Power
14-Oct-24 Week 4 Phy. Computing: Simple Resistor Networks and Potential Dividers Tutorial Questions 5: Resistors in Series, Parallel, and Potential Dividers
21-Oct-24 Week 5 Phy. Computing: Diodes, LEDs and Current Limiting Resistors Tutorial Questions 6: Diodes, LEDs, Forward Bias, Reverse Bias, and current limiting resistors
Tutorial Questions 7: Temperature Coefficients of resistance (a) of various metals for LDRs and
Phy. Computing: Resistive Sensors: Thermistors and LDRs
28-Oct-24 Week 6 Thermistors
04-Nov-24 Week 7 Revision for Phy. Computing Recap for all previous weeks and checking Logbooks
11-Nov-24 Week 8 In Class Test (25%) In Class Test for all physical computing topics
18-Nov-24 Week 9 Introduction to Microcontrollers Tutorial for the introduction to TinkerCAD Simulation
25-Nov-24 Week 10 Arduino: Hardware and Pinouts Further exploring TinkerCAD and getting used to using the enviroment
02-Dec-24 Week 11 Arduino: IDE and Programming Tutorial question on setting up the Ardunio IDE and C Programming
09-Dec-24 Week 12 Arduino: C/C++ Programming Tutorial question on C/C++ programming
Xmas Holiday 16-Dec-24 to 10-Jan-25
13-Jan-25 Assessment week 1
20-Jan-25 Assessment week 2 No Teaching || Assessment Weeks 13-Jan-25 to 31-Jan-25
27-Jan-25 Assessment week 3
03-Feb-25 Week 13 Arduino: Interfacing LEDs, Switches, and breadboarding Tutorial Questions on Arduino Programming interfacing inputs using a button
Tutorial Questions on everything you have learnt so far in Arduino Programming. From Buttons,
Arduino: Frequency and Duty Cycle
10-Feb-25 Week 14 Loops, Serial prints, and breadbaords.
17-Feb-25 Week 15 Sensors and Actuators: Interfacing Motors and H-Bridge Circuits Controlling the robot car's motors using simple commands and functions.
24-Feb-25 Week 16 Sensors and Actuators: Motor Control Functions and Bluetooth Setup Controlling the robot car's motors using simple commands and functions.
Communicating with the Robot car via bluetooth communication and designing the Bluetooth
Sensors and Actuators: Bluetooth Communication, Interfacing and Mobile Application
03-Mar-25 Week 17 application UI.
Communicating with the Robot car via bluetooth communication and designing the Bluetooth
Group Case Study: Working in a group, implementation, testing, and making a poster
10-Mar-25 Week 18 application UI.
17-Mar-25 Week 19 Revision for all topics Recap for all previous weeks and checking Logbooks
24-Mar-25 Week 20 In Class Test (25%) In Class Test for all topics covered
31-Mar-25 Week 21 Legal, Social, Ethical and Professional Issues Continue with group case study
07-Apr-25 Week 22 Group Case Study: Construction + Programming Continue with group case study
Easter Holiday 25-Mar-24 to 07-Apr-24
28-Apr-25 Week 23 Robot Wars
05-May-25 Week 24 Practical Portfolio/Poster Submission (50%) Poster presentation and submission of logbook
Examinations Weeks 12-May-25 to 31-Jan-25
Assessments and important
deadlines

Week 8 – In-class test Week 20 – In-class Test Week 27 – Practical

25% 25% Portfolio/Case Study 50%
The types of assessments
Class test: Practical Portfolio/Case Study:
Class test covers basic principles and technical Coursework for this module is a Practical
theory behind electronic components and Portfolio which may include record of the
systems. Attendance extremely important, laboratory exercises in the form of a logbook,
make sure register is signed/your attendance case study poster/report, artefact, viva, class test
recorded. etc. depending on the size of the class and
available resources.
Laboratory logbook helps students to reflect on
their experiments which are closely linked with
the materials covered in the formal lectures on a
regular basis. It also serves as a reference when
they encounter technical issues while
implementing their case study.
The
Logbook
• Must include all tutorial
questions and answers from
every week
• The logbook and case study is
worth 50%
• Logbook can be either digital
or physical
• Today I will go to each of you
and I will give feedback on
your logbook. If I don’t see
you email me your logbook
 In-Class Test 1 in Week 8 (next week).

The test will start during Workshop time (11:00) in the Labs. Password
protected for security.
The Exam Labs will be open from 10:00. Come early to set up and log in. Extra
rooms are booked as well.
Use the Lab computers (can’t use personal computers due to

In-Class Test potential advantage). Know your login details and get this sorted.
90 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes). 20 questions in total.

1 MCQ and Calculated Questions will appear on all the topics covered
so far. Do the Sample Test! Formula sheet is on WebLearn to use.
Can’t leave in the first 30 mins or the last 15 mins.
Week 8
No latecomers after the first 30 minutes or after the first person
leaves, which is whichever is first.
Hand register will be done and must be signed to count towards your
exam attendance.
 Ohms Law and Power

Metric Prefixes

Resistor Colour Codes

Main
Concepts Resistor Networks

Covered Diodes and LEDs

Potential Dividers and Current Limiting Resistors

Temperature Coefficients of resistance

Ohms Law and
Power: Example 1

Voltage = 230V, Resistance = 10KΩ, what

is the Current (I):
Using : I = V/R
I = 230/10,000 or
230/(10*10^3)
I = 0.023 A
I = 23mA
Ohms Law
and Power:
Example 2
Voltage = 5V, Current = 25mA,
what is the Resistance (R):
Using: R = V/I
R = 5/0.025
R = 200 Ohms
Ohms Law
and Power:
Example 3
Resistance = 1.1kOhms, Power
= 50W, what is the Voltage (V):
Using: V=
V=
V = 234.52 Volts
 Electrical
Quantities
, Units and
Symbols
Metric Prefixes It is important to use the
upper/lower cases letters as above.
If you are converting from a higher
value to a lower value it will result in
the decimal point moving to the
right hand side.
E.g. 50km to m is 50,000 (the
difference is 10^3 so we add three
zeros to the right.
The inverse applies when moving
from a lower value to a higher.
Key takeaway:
From higher value to lower value
we will move the decimal point
towards the right. Lower to higher
the decimal point moves to the left.
Metric Prefixes: Example 1

Convert 1M Ohms to Base Ohms

Mega is 10^6
Higher value to lower value
Decimal place moves to the Right six
places as M(10^6)Ohms is 6 places from
base Ohms
1MOhms = 1,000,000 Ohms
 Metric Prefixes: Example 2
Convert 25uF to Base Farad
Micro is 10^-6
Lower value to Higher value
Decimal place moves to the Left six places as u(10^-6)F is
6 places from base F
25uF = 0.000025
25. = uF
2.5 = one place
0.25 = two places
0.025 = three places = milli
0.0025 = four places
0.00025 = five places
0.000025 = six places = base
 Metric Prefixes: Example 3

Convert 4.5KVolts to Base Volts

milli is 10^-3
Higher value to lower value
Decimal place moves to the Right three places
as K(10^3)V is 3 places from base V
4.5K = Kilo Volts
45 = one place
450 = two places
4500 = three places
Resisto
r
Colour
Codes
Resistor Colour
Codes: Example 1

Four band resistor so first and second bands are

your digits
The third band is what you multiply
The forth band is our tolerance
Brown – 1
Green – 5
Red – 100Ohms Multiply
Sliver - +-10%
15*100 = 1500 = 1.5KOhms at +-10%
Resistor Colour
Codes: Example 2

Four band resistor so first and second bands are

your digits
The third band is what you multiply
The forth band is our tolerance
Blue – 6
Gray – 8
Brown – 10Ohms Multiply
Gold - +-5%
68*10 = 680Ohms at +-5%
 We have two types of resistor networks:
Resistor Networks • Resistors in Series
• Resistors in Parallel
Resistor Networks:
Example Series 1
Total resistance RT in a series circuit:
RT = R 1 + R 2

Let’s assume R1 = 1kΩ and R2 = 2kΩ

RT = 1000Ω + 2000Ω
RT = 3000Ω = 3kΩ

What if: R1 = 220Ω and R2 = 10kΩ

RT = 220Ω + 10,000Ω
RT = 10,220Ω = 10.22kΩ
Resistor Networks: Example
Series 2
Total resistance RT in a series circuit:
RT = R1 + R2 + R3 + ….

Let’s assume: R1 = 1kΩ, R2 = 2kΩ, R3 = 3kΩ

RT = 1000 + 2000 + 3000
RT = 6000Ω (or 6 kΩ)

What if : R1 = 1220 Ω, R2 = 330 kΩ, and R3 = 2.1 MΩ?

Resistor Networks:
Example Parallel 1
Total resistance RT in a series circuit:
(1/RT) = (1/R1) + (1/R2)
Also represented as:

Let’s assume: R1 = 1kΩ and R2 = 2kΩ

(1/RT) = (1/1000) + (1/2000)
(1/RT) = (2/2000) + (1/2000)
(1/RT) = 3/2000
Therefore: RT = 2000 / 3 = 666.67 Ω

What if : R1 = 1 kΩ, and R2 = 1 kΩ ?

Resistor Networks:
Example Parallel 2
Total resistance RT in a series circuit:
(1/RT) = (1/R1) + (1/R2) + (1/R3) + ….
Also represented as:

Let’s assume: R1 = 1kΩ, R2 = 2kΩ, and R3 = 3kΩ

(1/RT) = (1/1000) + (1/2000) + (1/3000)
(1/RT) = (6/6000) + (3/6000) + (2/6000)
(1/RT) = 11/6000
Therefore: RT = 6000 / 11
= 545.45 Ω
Resistor Networks: Example
Combined

R1 and R2 in series: 1k + 2k = 3k

R3 and R4 in parallel:
1 / R = 1 / 3k + 1 / 4k
= 4 / 12k + 3 / 12k
= 7 /12k
R = 12k / 7 = 1.7k
But this is now in series with
combined R1 & R2

Therefore total resistance = 4.7k

Diodes and LEDs
• Electronic devices that passes the current only in ONE
DIRECTION.
• They are manufactured using ‘P’ and ‘N’ type
semiconductors.
• N-type semiconductors have “excess” electrons, but P-
type semiconductors have places or “holes” for electrons.
• When P and N-type semiconductors are brought in
contact, a P-N Junction is created.
Diodes with
FORWARD BIAS
When a diode is forward biased, i.e. voltage
applied as in figure (b), part of this voltage is
used to overcome the “junction voltage” and
reduces the width of the depletion layer.

Once the applied voltage exceeds the

junction voltage (about 0.6-0.8V), the diode
becomes like a conductor with very low
resistance and will permit high currents to
flow.
Diodes with REVERSE
BIAS
When the diode is reverse biased, figure (a),
the voltage applied widens the depletion
layer preventing the flow of current. Hence, a
reverse biased diode will prevent the flow of
current.
This property makes diodes polarised devices
that conduct electricity in only one direction.
 Reverse polarity protection
Diodes: Use in Signal/supply rectification
circuits Converting AC to DC
Potential Dividers
and Current Limiting
Resistors

Ohm’s law states that the amount of current, I, is directly

proportional to voltage, V, and inversely proportional to the
resistance, R.
Expressed mathematically:
I=V/R
Which can also be expressed as:
V = I*R
or
R = V/I
A question arises; what is we had two resistors in series?
What will be the voltage between the two resistors?
Potential Dividers and
Current Limiting
Resistors: Example 1

We can use Ohm’s Law to determine the voltage

across each resistor.
V = I*R
Voltage across R1: I*R1
Voltage across R2: I*R2
Potential Dividers and
Current Limiting Resistors:
Example 2

Total resistance = 1K + 2K = 3K
Using: I = V/R
Current = 6/3000
= 2mA
------------------------------------------------
This time we can use Ohm’s Law for individual Resistors:
Using: V = I*R
Voltage across R1 = 2mA*1000 = 2V
Voltage across R2 = 2mA*2000 = 4V
(Total voltage = 2V + 4V = 6V, which is the same as the applied voltage!)
------------------------------------------------
You could also use:

Where Rs is the resistor, you want to measure the voltage across.

Temperature Coefficients
of resistance

R0 = Base Resistance
T0 = Base Temperature
a = Temperature coefficients of resistance
T = Target Temperature
Temperature Coefficients
of resistance: Example 1

If an aluminium wire has a resistance of 200Ω at 20oC, what

will be its resistance at an elevated temperature of 100oC?
R0 = Base Resistance
T0 = Base Temperature
a = Temperature coefficients of resistance
T = Target Temperature

R = 200[1+(3.9x10^-3)*(100-20)]
R = 262.4 Ohms
Temperature Coefficients
of resistance: Example 2

If an aluminium wire has a resistance of 500Ω at 20oC, what

will be its resistance at an elevated temperature of 80oC?
R0 = Base Resistance
T0 = Base Temperature
a = Temperature coefficients of resistance
T = Target Temperature

R = 500[1+(3.9x10^-3)*(80-20)]
R = 617 Ohms
Temperature Coefficients
of resistance: Example 3

An electric fence made of iron wire has a total resistance of

600Ω at 20oC. What will be its resistance if the temperature is
raised to 32oC?
R0 = Base Resistance
T0 = Base Temperature
a = Temperature coefficients of resistance
T = Target Temperature

R = 600+(5x10^-3)*(32-20)]
R = 636 Ohms
 Summary
• We have covered a lot of materials we have learnt
for the chapter of Physical Computing.
• From the week after onwards we will start with the
Microcontroller chapter where we will firstly use
ThinkerCAD and play around with the environment
• We will slowly explore how to use and program
Microcontrollers both in ThinkerCAD simulation
and tangible real life.
• We will learn how to program in C for embedded
and I will make comparisons between C and Python
• In the Workshops catch up on what you have
missed, if you have already caught up then show
me your Logbook.