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#1 2008-06-17 18:12:29

chalkmarrow
Scratcher
Registered: 2007-05-18
Posts: 100+

Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

THE UNOFFICIAL SENSOR BOARD FAQ


====General Questions===================================================

1. What is a sensor board?

The PicoBoard (formerly the Scratch Board) is a board that you plug into one of your computer's USB ports so that your Scratch programs can interact with the outside world. The terms "sensor board," "PicoBoard," and "Scratch Board" mean the same thing. For an overview, see: http://www.picocricket.com/picoboard.html

2. What comes with the sensor board?

It comes with a Serial/USB interface cable and four sets of alligator clips. It also comes with a cardboard box you can use for arts and crafts or to house a hermit crab -- temporarily.

3. What sort of sensors does it have on it?

A button, a light sensor, a slider, a sound sensor, and four resistance sensors.

4. Does it have any outputs (so, like, I can control a robot arm or my MindStorms?)

Not really. Your Scratch program is the output (which has sounds, graphics, etc.). But there are ways to communicate with external devices. See: http://scratch.mit.edu/forums/viewtopic.php?id=9458

5. How do I set it up, and where do I get the drivers?

http://www.picocricket.com/picoboardsetup.html

6. How do I start playing with it?

http://www.picocricket.com/pdfs/Getting_Started_With_PicoBoards.pdf

7. Where can I get the technical specification?

http://scratch.mit.edu/files/scratchboard/ScratchBoard_Tech_InfoR1.pdf

8. What's the difference between the old Scratch Boards and the new PicoBoards?

From andresmh: "The Playful Invention Company (PICO) is now selling the Scratch Board under the name PicoBoard. The PicoBoard is exactly the same as the ScratchBoard, they just have a different name."

9. How much does the PicoBoard cost?

About $50 (U.S.). Check the PicoCricket site below for details.

10. How do I order a PicoBoard?

Through the PicoCricket site: http://www.picocricket.com/order-picoboard.php

11. Why is the PicoBoard more expensive than the old Scratch Board?

From millner: "The Scratch Board was subsidized by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT, and thus it could be sold at a lower price. Unfortunately, that approach was not sustainable for the long term. The MIT Scratch Team decided it was better to rely on outside groups (such as PICO) for production and distribution of sensor boards that work with Scratch."

12. Is there a way to see how it works without buying one?

Funny you should ask: there is a PicoBoard simulator at:
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/chalkmarrow/188919

13. Is there a gallery or something where I could see some example projects?

There are not a lot of projects online, but you can find some at:
http://scratch.mit.edu/galleries/view/21836

14. Will sensor board projects work online?

The sensor blocks will not work online. You have to download the Scratch project to use it with the sensor board.

==== Beware! Really Nerdy Questions Below This Line! Stuff you don't need to know to enjoy your PicoBoard ======================

15. I'm a budding EE. Can you show me the schematic?
Sure. Try:
http://scratch.mit.edu/files/scratchboard/ScratchBoardSchematicR1.pdf

16. What components were used for the board?
It may vary, but this will give you some idea:
http://scratch.mit.edu/files/scratchboard/ScratchBoardBOM.pdf

17. How do the sensors convert their input to values between 0-100?

From the Technical Info document:
"Scratch maps the 10-bit sensor data onto a 0 – 100 scale using a mapping that is different for each sensor type. Users can access the “raw  10-bit values by shift-clicking on the Scratch Board Watcher and selecting “report raw data . Doing so will show sensor values in the range 0 - 1023. Most of the sensors use a generic linear conversion to report scaled values between 0 - 100. Light and sound sensors use piecewise linear functions that take into account the idiosyncrasies of those sensors. (Note that readings for light are reversed so that more light gives larger values.) Code for scaling functions [are]:

Code:

generic(n)
   return round ((100 * n) / 1023)
light(n)
  if n < 25 return 100 - n
  else return round((1023 - n) * (75 / 998))
sound(n)
  //empirically tested noise sensor floor
  n = max(0, n - 18)
  if (n < 50) return n / 2
//noise ceiling
  return 25 + min(75, round((n - 50) * (75 / 580)) )
//noise floor and ceiling values might vary

18. Um. OK. But in reality, how do the resistance values relate to the sensor value? Is it linear?

Nope. It's not linear. It's logarithmic. From experiments on our board, the resistance sensor value (0-100) that the PicoBoard produces is related to the actual resistance, R, (in KOhms) across the alligator clips by the something like the following equation:

sensor value = a*ln(b*R+1) where, approximately:

a=19.5
b=0.9

BUT, if you are only interested in low resistance values between 0-10 KOhm, the following simple relation works real well (and yep, it's linear):

sensor value = a*x, where a is approximately 5.57

19. What microcontroller does the sensor board use?
The bill of materials lists a MicroChip "PIC" device: PIC16F676, which, if you're so inclined, you can read about at:
http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/40039E.pdf

20. Why is it called a "PicoBoard"? Is it 1x10^-12 of a board?

lolz. no. It's an acronym for "Playful Invention Co."

Last edited by chalkmarrow (2009-01-26 15:30:56)

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#2 2008-06-17 18:20:05

Bluestribute
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-01-24
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Thanks! for making this! smile


http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/1204/bluestributett4.jpg
That's my PSN ID. I know tons of COD4 glitches. Add me as your friend. Oh, and get a headset

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#3 2008-06-17 20:39:31

Paddle2See
Scratch Team
Registered: 2007-10-27
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Great job presenting all this information!  This should really be Stickied on the Sensor Board forum.  I would do it myself but I don't seem to have that option...


http://i39.tinypic.com/2nav6o7.gif

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#4 2008-06-17 21:06:16

coolstuff
Community Moderator
Registered: 2008-03-06
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Wow!  It's a great FAQ thinghy. I, sadly, don't have a scratch board.

Paddle2See: Did they ban you from that option, or just forget to enable it?

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#5 2008-06-18 00:59:50

chalkmarrow
Scratcher
Registered: 2007-05-18
Posts: 100+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

coolstuff: like gandalf refusing frodo's offer of the one ring, paddle2see probably knew better than to accept such ultimate power.

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#6 2008-06-18 05:14:16

JSO
Community Moderator
Registered: 2007-06-23
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Paddle2See wrote:

Great job presenting all this information!  This should really be Stickied on the Sensor Board forum.  I would do it myself but I don't seem to have that option...

I do seem to have that option. It's sticked.  big_smile


http://oi48.tinypic.com/2v1q0e9.jpg

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#7 2008-06-18 07:25:11

Paddle2See
Scratch Team
Registered: 2007-10-27
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

chalkmarrow wrote:

coolstuff: like gandalf refusing frodo's offer of the one ring, paddle2see probably knew better than to accept such ultimate power.

Right....ultimate power...uh huh.  No, I'm not sure why, I can sticky on other parts of the forum, but not on the Sensor Board area.  Another of life's mysteries!


http://i39.tinypic.com/2nav6o7.gif

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#8 2008-06-18 07:33:18

JSO
Community Moderator
Registered: 2007-06-23
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Probably because you can select different mods for each forum - all moderators are supposed to (be able to) moderate all forums, but this topic is created after you became a moderator and the Scratch team just forgot to change it.


http://oi48.tinypic.com/2v1q0e9.jpg

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#9 2008-06-18 07:57:18

midnightleopard
Scratcher
Registered: 2007-09-13
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

scratch wrote:

JSO
                      Forum Moderator
                      registered: 2007-06-23

Congrats!


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#10 2008-06-18 18:42:36

Cyclone103
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-03-20
Posts: 500+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

A very good explanation! Thanks Chalkmarrow!


All your base are belong to us

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#11 2008-06-18 20:45:40

Paddle2See
Scratch Team
Registered: 2007-10-27
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

JSO wrote:

Probably because you can select different mods for each forum - all moderators are supposed to (be able to) moderate all forums, but this topic is created after you became a moderator and the Scratch team just forgot to change it.

That's exactly what the problem was and it has been corrected.  I now have the coveted Sensor Board Forum Sticky power.   I'll try to use it wisely.


http://i39.tinypic.com/2nav6o7.gif

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#12 2008-06-19 15:09:32

piplupquaza
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-02-19
Posts: 73

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

wow! thanks for the info!


http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~aoi-k/scribble/scrib251.gif Look at the little dudes dance!!! 
Ultimate game for sonic fans here: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/piplupquaza/143340

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#13 2009-01-11 02:52:07

Buddy_ca111
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-08-30
Posts: 100+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Can I try and see If I can make something like it for cheaper? And If so can I put a how-to topic in 'Sensor Boards'?


By reading this you agree to giving me your soul, money, passwords, projects, abiltys and your bases

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#14 2009-01-24 15:06:23

gabrlmed
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-01-05
Posts: 10

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

i wish i could get one... sad

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#15 2009-01-24 23:56:59

chalkmarrow
Scratcher
Registered: 2007-05-18
Posts: 100+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Buddy_ca111 wrote:

Can I try and see If I can make something like it for cheaper? And If so can I put a how-to topic in 'Sensor Boards'?

Of course. That would be cool.

One of the things that adds expense to the Sensor Board, and rightfully so, is that it includes a bunch of things that prevent you from "letting the smoke out of it," or "bricking it," or other phrases that mean blowing up the microprocessor. For example, you can buy an Arduino kit (which is my favorite board of this type) for about half the price of the Picoboard, but if you accidentally put too high a voltage at a pin, or don't use a resistor in the right place, you could easily kill it. That said, I recommend playing around with chips and experimenting while assuming there will be a little collateral damage...

Last edited by chalkmarrow (2009-01-24 23:57:52)

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#16 2009-02-06 14:24:37

animalia
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-11-02
Posts: 70

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

ima gonna make a robot face with a' sensa board!!!
  <when[  big_smile  ]clicked><repeat:(<mouse down?>

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#17 2009-04-11 13:48:43

SmartIrishKid
Scratcher
Registered: 2008-07-19
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

chalkmarrow wrote:

coolstuff: like gandalf refusing frodo's offer of the one ring, paddle2see probably knew better than to accept such ultimate power.

lol.  I'm a LOTR fan too!  One Sticky to rule them all...ok, for some reason that doesn't flow quite as well...  lol


Discuss future Scratch RPGs, online games, and more!

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#18 2009-04-16 13:02:12

DsGameMaker
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-04-14
Posts: 89

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Sounds cool!I'll try to buy one!

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#19 2009-05-05 22:37:11

ScratchX
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-05-05
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

awsome im buying one!


Happy New Year!
http://i45.tinypic.com/1nyasi.pnghttp://i50.tinypic.com/219pez8.pnghttp://i49.tinypic.com/e5s4zr.pnghttp://i48.tinypic.com/23l18hf.jpghttp://i49.tinypic.com/66zymu.png

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#20 2009-09-23 20:23:33

mirror-rorrim
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-03-25
Posts: 19

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

My computer is not recognizing the scratch board, and when the sensor watcher says "On" the sensors aren't working. Just 0's. I have vista home 32 bit. Could you please help me out on figuring out what to do? Thanks!  smile


http://mirrorrorrim.dragonadopters.com/dragonanimated_280761.gif
Please click?

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#21 2009-09-23 23:34:29

LIFEComputerz
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-09-12
Posts: 7

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

mirror-rorrim wrote:

My computer is not recognizing the scratch board, and when the sensor watcher says "On" the sensors aren't working. Just 0's. I have vista home 32 bit. Could you please help me out on figuring out what to do? Thanks!  smile

Download the drivers at http://www.picocricket.com/whichpicoboard.html

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#22 2009-10-30 10:37:27

MetharQuxid
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-10-14
Posts: 100+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

I made this epic project with some tin-foil a stuffed bear and two alligator clips  smile
when ever the two pieces of tin foil on the bear touched it made the bear i drew on the screen clap! (i did not upload it)



Help the Baby dragon grow! Click!
http://metharquxid.dragonadopters.com/dragonanimated_275182.gif

Last edited by MetharQuxid (2009-10-30 10:37:37)


   Dapper Slime.                     
http://i46.tinypic.com/o8za1k.jpg

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#23 2010-02-24 12:23:35

Greenboi
Scratcher
Registered: 2010-01-30
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

sensor boards are really cool, but I don't have one.  sad

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#24 2010-05-25 21:22:10

ScratchReallyROCKS
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-04-22
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

Greenboi wrote:

sensor boards are really cool, but I don't have one.  sad

All I can say is: Get One.


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#25 2010-07-02 14:43:08

soupoftomato
Scratcher
Registered: 2009-07-18
Posts: 1000+

Re: Unofficial Sensor Board (PicoBoard) FAQ

I want one. Are there different ones people prefer, and what is the cheapest?

60secondrule60secondrule60secondrule60secondrule


I'm glad to think that the community will always be kind and helpful, the language will always be a fun and easy way to be introduced into programming, the motto will always be: Imagine, Program, Share - Nomolos

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