For my Christmas tree project i wanted to create a system which had a switch which operated various lights. Below is my System i created on Picaxe and below the finished product. I have also learnt that what I have created is a OPEN LOOP system Which has a start and finish, it is not continuous and there is no FEEDBACK. Had I used an LDR, Heat sensor or sound sensor instead of a switch this would have made my circuit a CLOSED LOOP circuit, as the circuit feeds back to these and determines where the start the process or stop the process depending on the conditions. For example I could put a heat sensor on my tree to flash when the temperature reaches below 10 degree's. If it reaches below 10 degrees the tree will flash until the temperature rises again then it will stop flashing.
For my Systems and control product i thought how i could create a systems approach for my Christmas product.Taking into account the knowledge I have acquired up to this point I wanted my product to flash coloured lights in various sequences.The basic 'Questions' I found in earlier research were helpful in working out what I wanted to do. If I had approached doing this task without the earlier research I wouldn't have known where to start. Im still a little nervous about this project however i feel confident about creating my program and working out my 'system' ...i think im more worried about actually making my circuit and all the bits that come with it!..EKK!!!
Ive started to put together simple programs on picaxe programmer using the flow chart as its pretty similar functions to FLOWOL which is what i wanted to achieve as a next step. I wouldn't say i have learnt anything different in terms of input-process-output but has given me a chance to see the different languages which can be used to represent this process. On Picaxe you can 'convert to basic' which helped me to understand coding and this wasn't as scary as i initially thought. I could clearly follow what was happening in the program.
For my Systems and control project I have to create my own little program! and need to think about the systems approach I will be taking in my circuit.
In a session today we started using FLOWOL to create a digital system which was a great way to start working with a systems approach. I found Flowol a little difficult to understand at first (even thought its apparently used in primary schools!?). when looking at it purely as a set of commands I couldn't really understand what was going on or off and what input and output were relating to and what I was asking the instructions to do?
To help me figure this out I tried to apply it to physical things which helped get my head around what I was asking the programme to do. I then started to apply it to a circuit with components such as LED'S and switches (see image below). Thinking of input 1 as a switch and output as a LED ..."IS THE SWITCH ON?....YES SO TURN THE LIGHT ON.....ACTUALLY NO ITS NO SO TURN THE LIGHT OFF" I was again pretty correct about what a systems approach meant in relation to a circuit But need to explore this further. we had a quick look at 'basic' and pickaxe programmer whoever that just seemed like a step too far for my little brain today. After a session and some internet research I have establish what is meant by a systems approach (input-process-output) which means my first guess I took wasn't too far removed from the truth. I thought when researching that a systems approach would take me directly down the electronics route how found it was quite broad and found it encompassed economics, industry, manufacturing, design work, Mechanical systems and even biology.....
For any systems approach I found an effective and basic way of understanding what is meant generally by a systems approach is; What does it do? (Output) How does it do it (Process) What makes it do it (Input) However the name of this section is 'using a systems approach to CIRCUIT DESIGN So my next the next stage in this area is to establish what a systems approach is used in a circuit. Im guessing that would mean something on the lines off: Press switch (Input) - computer programme (process) - LED lights up (Output) What is a systems approach? ...... does mean the order of things in a circuit?..... that's the only thing I can think of at this moment. Which means a good place to start with would be to clarify what a systems approach is?
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