Instruction Guide: Introduction to Bluetooth
In this lesson, students learn to work with the Bluetooth feature and Message Blocks.
In this Lesson we have 1 Primary Instruction Resource:
1. The resource is a PowerPoint on binary Bluetooth programming.
Key things in the powerpoint to emphasize are:
- Pseudocoding with different functions assigned to specific messages and mailboxes before actually writing the program. This will help the students keep the different functions sorted out and easier to debug later if needed.
- This process, being binary, can only use non-analog sensors so the rotation sensor in the motors cannot be used in the manner demonstrated in the powerpoint.
- Finally, as you go through the powerpoint have the students take notes, but also give them more time on the slides for programming the transmitter and receiver so they can do it on their computers as you go through them step by step.
There is 1 challenge:
- Hungry Hungry Robots Challenge
For this challenge teams will need 2 kits so it might be necessary to take 2 pair teams and combine them into a team of 4 if kit availability is limited. One team can work on the controller while the other works on the robot. This also helps to replicate conditions in engineering firms where separate teams are working on different aspects of a larger project and have to communicate/coordinate their efforts.
As students progress through the lesson, have them document their milestones, designs, pseudocodes, and communication/coordination efforts between the sub-teams (controller team and robot team). in their engineering notebooks.
The teacher has the final sign-off on student engineering notebooks.
Key learning to check for during your sign-off includes:
- A pseudocode for both the transmitter and receiver programs that separates the various functions.
- Evidence of communication/coordination between the two sub-teams.
- Evidence of design/program changes based on communication/coordination.
