Instruction Guide: EV3 - Software: On-Brick Programming
In this Lesson we have 1 Primary Instruction Resource:
Writing an EV3 Brick Program
The primary material for this is the EV3 On Brick Programming.
The purpose of this lesson is to re-inforce the fact that robots do NOTHING but what they are told to do. A robot will perform actions and wait for changes to its environment, but only when told to do so.
In the EV3 Brick Program students can do the following:
-
Uses up to 16 blocks.
- Wait blocks respond to sensor readings (touch, color, etc.)
- Action blocks tell the robot what to do
- Have one main loop. The program can run once, twice, or until your batteries run dead.
- Build a sequence of actions such as starting and stopping motors, playing sounds, and displaying images on a screen.
- Timer Blocks May Be required to Get Expected Reults!!
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After many actions, a wait block will be required to get a result
- a motor or sound block in a loop will not create movement or the intended sound since the block keeps restarting before any ouptut can be seen/heard (or just get a clicking sound as the start of the sound repeats over and over)
- add a timer block or wait-for-sensor block after these actions
- Set one paramater for each programming block (for e.g. turn on motor for 2 rotations).
Slide 1:
Have students:
- Turn on the brick. The Brick does NOT need to be connected to a computer. All of the programming will be done on the Brick. Note...students will learn later that this program is MUCH easier to do using EV3-G.
- Move through EV3 Brick top level menu to “Brick Program” .
- An arrow pointing 'up' will appear if you are on the right menu.
- Blocks chosen will be inserted at the vertical line.
- Use the UP button to access the Block Palette. Continue to press the UP button until you find the block you want.
Slide 2:
This is the full Brick Palette for writing on Brick programs. Have students discuss what they think the blocks in this palette might do.
- The Blocks with the hourglasses are 'wait for input blocks'. An example of this would be...wait until the touch sensor is pressed then....do something (an action). This is how a robot senses its environment.
- The Blocks with the arrows are Action Blocks. An example of this would be...turn on motor.
- The Trash Can is how we remove a current brock from a program.
- The EV3 Core set that these students are working with does not hav all of these sensors. For example, there are no probes in this kit.
Slide 3:
- Navigate the palette with Up, Down, Left, Right buttons.
- Select desired block with Center button.
- Press Center button AGAIN to modify one parameter of this block. Here the movement has been changed to go 'left'.
- Select Back button to return to Beginning.
- Use Center button to Run program.
