TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : CPU Controlled Clock kit

Author

Message

bigmik

Guru

Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2949

Posted: 08:10pm 28 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi all,

I thought it would be a good idea to introduce my daughter to electronics (she has just turned 14 a couple of weeks ago) so I bought this clock kit from Banggood.com

BG clock kit

As it comes with a sexy clear box/case to house it in. It comes in several different display colours (I chose blue) and costs under $13AUS.

It uses an STC 15F204EA processor (I think a modern version of 8051) as the brains and a DS1302 clock chip.

I showed my daughter how to solder the first resistor and watched as she went ahead and soldered absolutely everything else, she had NEVER used a soldering iron before (except to poke holes in plastic but that is another story). I monitored her work and only had to re-do about 5 or 6 solder joints, which is very impressive I must say for a first timer. I had to help her with part locations as the instructions are in Chinese but the overlay and schematic are provided and is actually very accurate.

I can recommend this kit for anyone who wants to start in electronics and they end up with a really nice clock that even has an alarm.

Well Done Georgia (from Proud Dad) Yes I Wasnt allowed to take another shot so the LED display is very bright.

Regards,

Mick

Edited by bigmik 2015-01-30

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

donmck

Guru

Joined: 09/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1313

Posted: 08:23pm 28 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Well done Georgia.
Another kit and you will be better than dad.

Cheers Uncle Don...

https://www.dontronics.com

TassyJim

Guru

Joined: 07/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 6268

Posted: 08:59pm 28 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Well done indeed!

Even if she doesn't end up 'nerdy' like her dad, it is good to see that some of the next generation will appreciate how things work.

Jim

VK7JH
MMedit

JohnS
Guru

Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4033

Posted: 09:23pm 28 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Next is to teach her C.

John

halldave

Senior Member

Joined: 04/05/2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 121

Posted: 10:24pm 28 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Well Done Mick

paceman
Guru

Joined: 07/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1329

Posted: 03:29am 29 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Nice going Mick - and Georgia especially. It's great to see girls interested in scientific stuff. There are some great careers and interesting work for the ladies in electronics and software.

You should be able to get right into SMD components now Mick - get Georgia to do all the soldering for you, I'll bet she can see them well! Her hands would be a lot steadier too

GregEdited by paceman 2015-01-30

CircuitGizmos

Guru

Joined: 08/09/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 1427

Posted: 05:35am 29 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

JohnS said Next is to teach her C.

John

You meant to say MMBasic.

Well done Georgia!

My son's first effort was a PCB shaped like a christmas tree with blinkenlights.

Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite

JohnS
Guru

Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4033

Posted: 07:52am 29 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

LOL

Only if GOTO and bad/no data structures are banned. Beware Dijkstra's experience.

But MMBasic on a CV one day will be less valuable by far than C.

K&R is quite a good book and very cheap.

(K&R - Kernighan & Ritchie aka the white book)

Far more C samples on the net, too.

John

CircuitGizmos

Guru

Joined: 08/09/2011
Location: United States
Posts: 1427

Posted: 08:43am 29 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

K&R is a great definitive reference and works as a beginner text for SOME, but not for others.

I do suggest MMBasic with some seriousness, though. Some beginners have a hard time grasping the very initial concepts of programming, like looping, testing to get out of that loop, storing values in variables and then using that variable with differing values, indexing into arrays, that storing strings takes more than one memory location, etc.

These things can be taught with C, certainly. Or with AWK (that shows my age), or python, or other languages.

But MMBasic is a modern BASIC and can be used effectively to teach concepts before the details of language. That may be a couple of hours of teaching, or a couple days before moving on to another language with perhap more confusing syntax. The immediacy of MMBasic (over that of the multi-file/includes/compile/download) is a huge benefit. Edited by CircuitGizmos 2015-01-30

Micromites and Maximites! - Beginning Maximite

bigmik

Guru

Joined: 20/06/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2949

Posted: 11:35am 29 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Gday Lads,

I think the experience for her was learning what a soldering iron was meant for. She was helping her artist aunty/god-mother with some art project and used a soldering iron to burn holes in plastic.. So i suggested she learn what it was designed to do.. I showed her to heat BOTH the pad and the wire at the same time, let it heat and then apply the solder and I was quite amazed about the result she produced..

@Greg.. Yes that thought registered in my brain but I think she needs to have the reward of a `useful' result in her hand at the end of it.

@JohnS.... Not a chance in the world of me teaching her C, Maybe MMBasic's BASICS but sorry John any basic code I write WILL have GOTO and GOSUB in it.. That is the way my brain is wired.. But I think her interest will not be in that area (Just yet)

@CG.... Haha.. That is funny as I have just ordered some Christmas tree PCBs with blinking LEDs and some heart shaped ones.. I probably should have started there but in actual fact the clock was NOT a difficult build at all.

I remember when Georgia was 2 and the childcare centre offered PC lessons for $30 a week extra and she had 2 free goes and loved it so I said `why should I pay someone to do what I am good at?' so I set up a PC for her with some kids games and I tell you without a word of a lie she was able to use the mouse within a few minutes and within 10minutes was able to direct the pointer to the `balloon' and pop it with a click..

Sometimes we don't give our kids the credit that they deserve..As to being a nerd like Dad... well she already helps Mum with her mobile phone issues and ipad settings..

Regards, (a beaming proud dad)

MickEdited by bigmik 2015-01-30

Mick's uMite Stuff can be found >>> HERE (Kindly hosted by Dontronics) <<<

G8JCF

Guru

Joined: 15/05/2014
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 676

Posted: 04:47pm 29 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

and well proud you should be too (not to mention Georgia who actually did the hard work) !!

The only Konstant is Change

Grogster

Admin Group

Joined: 31/12/2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 9586

Posted: 10:23pm 29 Jan 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

With any luck, Georgia herself is reading these posts, and can absorb for herself, the comments of the members here. It's true that the industry needs more women in it, as it is 99% men, from what I have found. I do know of one woman service tech(and she is a bloody good service tech too), but female techs or engineers seem to be all but extinct in my area anyway.

Some people just find they have a natural talent at something, and Georgia may well be one of those who can pick up an iron, and do first class stuff right from the off - sounds like she is. I met a welder who was like that. Never welded before in her life, but could MIG weld like a pro, and had not done a single day of training.

If Georgia IS reading this thread(Hi!

), perhaps she will consider a career in electronic servicing or design?

Next lesson: Large-ish SMD parts. Give her a board with some SOIC chips or SOT223. These are still pretty huge SMD wise, but she may have natural skill with SMD too.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Print this page

To reply to this topic, you need to log in.