Communicating
Communicating through the use of electromagnetic and sound waves is an important feature of many, if not most electronic products.
| Understanding Technical Function - Communicating |
| Introducing |
- Know that LEDs are used extensively to communicate with light.
- Single LEDs are used as indicators and are available in a wide range of colours.
- Know that a buzzer provides a simple single frequency sound out put and can be used as an alert signal
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| Developing |
- Understand that a wider range of sound frequencies is produced by driving a piezo sounder or loudspeaker at an appropriate frequency, but that this is more complex than switching a buzzer
- Know that clusters of LEDs can represent more complex graphics such as a bar graph, seven-segment displays can display numbers and letters.
- LCD panels can be used to show a wider range of information.
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| Enhancing |
- Understand that a lamp and a LDR can be used to send signals between circuits, but that this is sensitive to ‘noise’ from other light sources.
- Matched IR sources and receivers are less sensitive to noise, but can still be affected by bright light sources.
- Know that TV-type IR sensors are modulated; they only respond to IR signals that are being switched on and of at a high frequency (typically 38kHz); this makes them insensitive to noise.
- Know that long-distance communication can take place either using radio waves through the air, by sending electrical signals through a wire or by sending light signals through an optical fibre.
- Know that radio receiver circuits can be easily assembled from a few components.
- Know that microcontrollers can send a series of coded bit to other devices e.g. a LCD
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| Advancing |
- Understand that communication with a modulated IR detector uses codes to represent the information sent.
- Know that a variety of communication and control systems are available based on radio transmission. E.g. ZigBee
- Understand that coding can be used to allow multiple IR or radio systems to work together without interfering with each other.
- Know that a wide range of information can be communicated using internet protocols and that these are increasingly accessible.
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| Science Links |
- Know that light, IR and radio waves are all parts of the e/m spectrum.
- Understand the role of filters in colour transmission.
- Know that sound is a wave that is transmitted through the vibration of matter. Know the relationship between frequency and pitch.
- Understand resonance
- Know that e/m waves can be reflected and refracted.
- Understand the roles of reflection and refraction in electronic applications such as optical fibres and proximity sensing.
- Understand that e/m signals get weaker as they spread out from a source and the implications of this for signalling and sensing applications.
- Know that laser signals spread much less than other signals and the implications of this for signalling and display.
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| Maths Links |
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