Thames & Kosmos Code Gamer Experiment Manual page 9

BUT WHAT IS A
MICROCONTROLLER?
A microcontroller is a small ("micro") computer. But it is
also fundamentally different from the computers that you
normally deal with: It has no keyboard, no mouse, and no
screen.
Instead, it has a lot of little feet, known as pins. A pin is
something like a connection between the microcontroller
and the outside world. Some of the pins have specified
functions. Most, however, are so-called GPIO pins. That's
an abbreviation for General Purpose Input/Output. These
GPIO pins can be used for both inputs and outputs. And
that's just what you need here.
1. INPUT:
You can connect an input pin to a sensor, for example. This
will monitor the outside world and send information
about the surroundings, temperature, or brightness to the
processor via fluctuating levels of electrical voltage. In
your gamepad, an input pin is also activated when you
press a button.
CodeGamer manual inside english.indd 7
2. OUTPUT:
Depending on how it is programmed, the processor can
also respond to this information. For that, you will need
output pins to establish the connection to LEDs or the
sound module, which will then react to the level of the
transmitted electrical voltage by emitting various sounds
or colors.
Things really get exciting when you use several pins at the
same time. That way, the microcontroller can react to the
sensors all on its own — for example, by sounding an
alarm when it gets too hot.
The thing your microcontroller has in common with a
normal computer is the main processor that serves as the
brain of any computer. That's the little black square at the
top left of your microcontroller. In the middle, there is a
small processor. This is what is responsible for the
communication between the microcontroller and the PC.
At the right is the Bluetooth chip, which enables wireless
connections with other devices.
WHAT DOES ARDUINO MEAN, ANYWAY?
In this instruction manual, you will come across the word
"Arduino" a lot. That is the name for a widely-used microcontroller
platform on which the KosmoDuino was based.
For a long time, microcontroller programming was only for
specialists. In 2005, the founders of the Arduino project took it
upon themselves to make the programming and use of simple
microcontrollers as easy as possible. That way, art students and
hobbyists who had never before had any experience with
programming would be able to use microcontrollers in their work.
Since then, a large community has formed around the Arduino
platform and lots of interesting projects have developed out of it.
You can copy a lot of them with your KosmoDuino, which is
compatible with an Arduino Uno board.
You can learn more about the Arduino project at www.arduino.cc.
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7/19/16 12:31 PM