In this Lesson we have 1 Primary Instruction Resource:

1. The EV3 Circuit.PPT [1]

This lesson applies the learning from the previous Circuits and Switches lesson to the particulars of the EV3.

The Four Parts of a EV3 Circuit (see EV3 Circuit.PPT [1] : slide 1)

• Power Source – Battery
• Conducting Path – Wires
• Switch – EV3 brick buttons
  •  Ask students which sensor acts like a simple switch (Touch Sensor)
• Load – Motors, or other outputs (Brick lights, LCD screen, speaker)

EV3 Insulators, Conductors and Semiconductors

• Conductors – Wires (slide 1)
• Insulators – Plastic covers on electronic components
• Semiconductors – Not as obvious from the outside
  • LED’s on battery pack or color sensor
  • LCD screen on EV3 brick
  •  Mostly inside plastic housings (slide 2)
  • Also found in ultrasonic, color and gyro sensors
  • Also found in motors (slide 3)
  • Black plastics rectangles on circuit board are semiconductor computer chips (slide 4).
    • Note: the history of semiconductors (a.k.a. computer chips) is covered in the Moore's Law Lesson [2] (later in this Unit) and the their design and fabrication is covered in the Creating Computer Chips Lesson [3] (also later in this Unit).
    • Note: This slide still uses a NXT Brick for this example since a picture of the inside of an EV3 Brick has yet to be found, but the circuit board will be similar.