How to make an electronic designer. Assembling electronic circuits
September 3, 2014 at 03:56 pmHow to cross the “Connoisseur” constructor and Arduino with your own hands
- DIY or Do It Yourself
I won't tell you what it is and how to write sketches.
I will not explain which end to hold the soldering iron.
I will not present the arguments for and against the existence of an electronic designer with clothing buttons.
I will tell you a story about the successful experience of crossing the Znatok construction set and Arduino in a single household.
Background
One evening, my child and I were assembling a diagram from the “Connoisseur” construction set. Turn it on. I smell burnt plastic. Turn it off. I analyze the circuit and see that in my publication of the circuits of the respected A.A. Bakhmetyev, the transistor unsuccessfully modulates the chemical voltage source, betraying its sincere indignation at the temperature.The transistor died as a result. And I replaced it again:
To do this, I had to break off the white bottom cover, but valuable experience was gained in disassembling the parts of the designer:
The young experimenter did not stop there and soon reported: “Houston, we have a problem: a failure of unit 23”:
This is where the experience of disassembling a block with a transistor comes in handy. Inside block 23 are two drop-shaped microcircuits labeled TAIKONG-1 and TAIKONG-2, as well as transistor S9012. I replaced the transistor, although it was in good working order, but the unit did not come to life. Since I didn’t have an electron microscope, I had to do a lot of Googling. Apparently, this module was supposed to make the sounds “Pew-Pew-Pew” and “Thousand-Thousand-Thousand” depending on which leg was on the ground. If both legs were on the ground, the combination “Piu-Tysch-Piu-Tysch” sounded.
The next evening, block 21 died. There are two transistors inside the block (the already familiar S8050 and S9012). Replacement does not lead to anything. The markings on the CLZSD1 board could not be Googled. What’s interesting is that only one melody is programmed, but you can set its duration through the resistance between the legs.
Time passed. Block 22 died. Inside there is an S8050 transistor and a droplet microcircuit. The board is marked CL9561. Replacing the transistor did not revive the unit. Googling showed that this board is widely used in children's toys (machine guns, cars) and in children's alarms. Can make sounds of fire and police sirens, ambulance and machine gun fire, again, depending on which foot is on the ground. That's right: two legs - four audio tracks.
Analogues of the chip in a DIP and MSOP package LM4871, or KD9561 boards cost from $0.30 in a commercial batch or from $3 from 5 pcs. I didn’t want to pay $15 for noise effects, especially on the evening of a difficult day when I really want silence, and I happily forgot about it.
Summary: it is not practical to repair blocks:
- economically;
- there is no guarantee that they will not fail on their own, or with the help of a young designer due to lack of protection and incorrect circuits;
- the element of novelty disappears and interest in design declines.
Theoretical research
I’m not an Arduino guy, but the idea of combining Arduino and the “Connoisseur” designer was in the air. If the child has mastered the construction set, let him continue playing with Arduino, especially since there is Scratch for Arduino. Switching from a leg pitch of 2.8cm to 2.5mm is difficult for an adult, and even more so for a child. Therefore, it was decided: we use the standard ones made by “Connoisseur”. We go to the store to buy clothing buttons and get prices of $1 per button. This is not what I was expecting. For $20 you can buy an entry-level “Connoisseur”.Once I was fiddling with an Arduino Pro Mini 5V board in my hands. The sizes are suitable. The power supply is suitable for the “Connoisseur” (4.8..6V = four batteries/accumulators). The price is reasonable around $3. I won’t trust the child to upload sketches yet. But there are too many inputs/outputs, and the choice of digital/analog adds degrees of freedom. How can all this be divided into three legs of a standard block (two for power and ground)?
- One idea: three free clothing buttons on the block are connected to connectors. If necessary, the connector will be put on the correct Arduino pin by an adult.
- Idea two: the Arduino configuration can be set by installing jumpers on the legs and polling them when starting the sketch. Choosing what the Arduino will pretend to be: a traffic light, a music box, a security alarm, etc.
Implementation
We take the block. Let's take it apart carefully. First, carefully tap the block around the perimeter with a hammer, in the hope that the fragile glue will crack. Next, we drive a thin knife (or better yet, a scalpel) between the block and the lid. Carefully wiggle and loosen the glue around the perimeter. After a couple of minutes of careful manipulation, the white protective cover is removed and we can see the insides of the unit.
We mercilessly solder the board. It is unlikely that we will need it again.
We cut off the block cover with a hacksaw or Dremel.
We slightly (literally by a millimeter) increase the length of the hole. The Arduino Pro Mini should not fit into the hole. We solder the pins. I was too lazy to think, so I soldered all the pins. Having a debugged sketch, you can solder only what is necessary, or do without pins at all. Pins with a skirt should fit into the hole (what is another name for this black plastic ruler that connects the pins?)
We seal the food. Based on the standard scheme for the Connoisseur: on top there will be “+” (RAW), and on the bottom “-” (GND).
I couldn't resist - I assembled the first diagram. Traditionally, the built-in LED blinked.
We wash the board and drill holes for the wires. We keep in mind that the installed parts of the designer can block the holes and interfere with our wires, so it is better to retreat an additional 2..3 mm from the center of the button.
Fill in the traffic light sketch. We are putting together a new scheme. We connect the wires from the buttons to the corresponding legs of the atmega. There are only two LEDs in the Connoisseur kit, so I soldered a white-lunar LED (I didn’t have another one at hand) into the base of a faulty light bulb. And enjoy!
The block can be stored in a standard box of the designer, you just need to pull the wires out of the pins. (Or pins down, then you don’t have to pull out the wires).
It would be nice to install protection, 20 Ohms on each of the three legs of the block, and to provide for reverse rotation. But the price of replacing an Arduino, $3, is much lower than my laziness.
The new construction set "Connoisseur" has revived the child's interest in electronics. What should we call the new block now?
Amendment dated 09/04/14.
The support pin of the plastic base of the circuit board rests on the Arduino. Therefore, the board should be mounted above block, and not from below, as described earlier. This is the version that went into production:
No matter how changeable and unpredictable the modern world may be, it is still considered useful and even honorable for a man to have a good understanding of various mechanisms, be able to repair and even assemble them. At the same time, using available tools, in our time it is easier to master complex programming than assembling even elementary electrical mechanisms - practically no attention is paid to the latter topic. Fortunately, not everyone is so indifferent to this problem, which is why there are special construction sets from the Znatok brand.
What brand?
Probably, without exception, all representatives of the older generation still remember Andrei Bakhmetyev, the host of the previously popular TV show “Crazy Hands”. Thanks to this man, surprised viewers learned that you can assemble almost anything from improvised means and with your own hands, and it is possible that many modern folk craftsmen grew up watching his programs.
Today this program no longer exists - in particular, because its permanent presenter became one of the co-owners and developers of the Znatok Plus company.
Probably, there will be no new information that learning any things, and especially quite complex ones, needs to start in childhood. By correctly disguising learning as a game, you can instill in your child an almost intuitive understanding of the laws of physics and electricity, in particular, teach him how to assemble any mechanisms. Usually, such training is impossible without soldering, which is both dangerous and not very interesting for a child, so Bakhmetyev came up with a worthy solution to the problem - he began producing special construction sets that make it possible to assemble a wide variety of mechanisms, including complex ones, without soldering.
A typical set necessarily includes electrical circuits, wires, various switches and LEDs, radio control modules, speakers and much more, and all this can be connected using a plug-in method.
The set, of course, also includes a user manual, which helps the child quickly navigate the essence of the assembly.
The company's history is only four years old, but there are already some successes. Since the products are positioned as those intended for home and school, buyers are often special educational institutions, and almost two dozen of them have already become regular customers. In 2017, the company sold several thousand of these construction sets, despite the fact that they are still not a popular gift for a child, so we can safely say that the company’s future prospects are very bright.
Why should you buy such a designer?
If we talk about the reasons why there is increasing interest in sets of this type, There are several obvious reasons that encourage adults to buy such a gift for their child.
- For the first time, learning physics becomes really interesting! Instead of boring abstract stories, a child can see with his own eyes how this or that mechanism works, and even assemble a working model of this or that electrical appliance, which will become a real reason for pride. Obviously, with such a set, the child will not have to be specially forced to study - children's interest is guaranteed even without this.
- Over the years of work on television, the chief developer has earned the indisputable authority of a knowledgeable person, and he, of course, has not forgotten about safety and quality. Spare parts are made from safe materials, which are also characterized by high strength and durability.
- You can start teaching your child the basics of electrical engineering from early childhood, because there is nothing difficult in working with such a set. Soldering is not required here, because all parts are connected with plugs and bolts, the process is completely safe. The instructions are provided with a detailed and colorful description of the entire process; your child will not have to reinvent the wheel to assemble something complex on their own.
- In addition to actually mastering the skills of working with electrical engineering, in the process of working with the “Connoisseur” Children also develop their own attentiveness and accuracy. Despite its simplicity, the set is still not elementary - you need to work on it a little to achieve decent results. However, the same result turns out to be so close that the child does not lose motivation during the assembly process.
- It is noted that the most complex varieties of the “Connoisseur” construction set can be interesting even for adults, if their professional activity is not directly related to the assembly of electronics. Since such an activity is equally interesting for both children and adults, parents have an additional opportunity to spend more time with their children, improving the microclimate in the house.
In addition, this set will be a great opportunity for every father to show his son that his dad is really cool.
Perhaps the only drawback of such a gift may lie in the wrong choice of set. If the child is still too young to understand the processes taking place, then he is unlikely to be interested in the assembly. In addition, some children are so far from electronics in principle that they will not be interested in them even in play.
First steps in electronics
If your child is still very far away from his first physics lessons, but he shows an interest in technology, you can immediately try to play on his interest by buying him the most childish of all sets dedicated to mastering electronics. Such sets are divided into two types: the first contains two different sets of 15 schemes, the second - one consisting of 34 schemes.
Even small sets of 15 circuits already make it possible to assemble a fully working, albeit primitive design - for example, a flashlight or a fan, or conduct experiments with a magnet.
After this, the child will not become a design genius, but will definitely master the general principles of operation of electrical appliances. After this, you can move on to a set with 34 circuits, which will allow the child to assemble a full-fledged radio receiver with light and music, which the child should be delighted with.
The cost of small sets for beginners starts from a thousand rubles; a set with 34 schemes can cost parents more than 2 thousand rubles. It should be noted that without batteries, none of the assembled mechanisms will work, so you should be prepared to buy them in large quantities for your carried away child.
Alternative energy sources
If you still don’t want to spend money on batteries, but have an idea to show your child how electrical appliances can function without an outlet, you should buy him a set called “Alternative Energy”. A simpler version of this construction set includes 50 different projects, giving the child a general understanding of how to use solar and wind energy, as well as how to use mechanical energy for their own needs. The price of such a set will be up to 4 thousand rubles.
However, the set described above is only a simplified version of another designer, which includes 126 circuits at once. The expanded version additionally introduces the use of water and hydrogen energy, significantly expanding the list of available sources of electricity in the understanding of the little owner.
What’s interesting is that, for all its “alternativeness,” such a set requires ordinary batteries, but they are needed, in particular, for distilling water, which in the set does not flow by itself, as it would in nature. With an increased number of parts and projects, the cost of the set also increases, exceeding 5 thousand rubles.
Complex sets
For those parents who are confident in their child’s stable interest in physics and electronics, an expanded set of 180 circuits and a comprehensive set of 320 should be of interest. In many ways, they represent slightly expanded sets described above, but there are also quite a lot of completely new parts in them . At the same time, the abundance of projects should not be intimidating - such construction kits are still considered more of a game than a serious educational tool.
It should be noted that in a set with 320 circuits, all the circuits from the “reduced” set are repeated, so their sequential acquisition does not seem entirely logical.
The smaller of the two sets allows you to assemble such unusual mechanisms as a flying propeller or a light-and-music doorbell, and even a security alarm. The assembled mechanisms can be controlled in several different ways, using a variety of power sources and adjustment methods. The price of such a gift is almost 3 thousand rubles.
The expansion to 320 circuits is due to the fact that the more advanced set includes radio components and the ability to remotely control mechanisms. A bonus to this build will be a hand-made telegraph and megaphone, a metronome and a radio receiver. The cost, of course, will be higher - it reaches 4.5 thousand rubles.
Special sets
In some construction sets, the developers of “Znatok” pursued the goal of visually showing the child one or another branch of electrical engineering. These sets include “Voice Magic” and “Super Meter”. The cost of each of these kits is almost 7 thousand rubles.
As the name suggests, Voice Magic is all about voice control. The creators focus on the fact that voice control is a technology of the future, which has already become quite firmly entrenched in our homes, so it’s worth understanding it. Accordingly, all or almost all mechanisms assembled from this set allow the possibility of voice control.
“Super Measuring Tool” teaches how to work with measuring instruments. Perhaps the simplest mechanisms do not use them at all, but the same car is literally crammed with various measuring equipment, and the functionality of the model as a whole largely depends on the correct installation of it. The level of lighting and noise, temperature and electrical voltage in the network are just a small list of indicators that can be measured with such a set.
Homemade toys based on electronics
A radio-controlled car is every boy’s dream, but most varieties of such toys cannot do even half of what one assembled from a “Connoisseur” construction set can do. An additional pride, of course, will be the fact that it was assembled independently, albeit from ready-made parts. The key feature of such kits is the absence of numerous diagrams for assembly - it will be possible to assemble only one model, but which one!
Such “Connoisseur” sets include the radio-controlled all-terrain vehicle “Leader” and the so-called “Smart Car”. If the “Leader” is actually an ordinary radio-controlled car, which differs only in the ability to turn on the headlights, then the “Smart Car” even allows for such advanced options as voice control and signaling. What’s interesting is that the last set can drive even without external control, accurately avoiding obstacles along the way, but both options cost the same - 7 thousand rubles each.
999 schemes
The manufacturer classified only one of its sets as of medium complexity, but in fact, absolutely all electrical engineering is shown here in cross-section. This is a real #1 superset, which even won awards at various international competitions. The usual instructions are not enough for it, so it contains two books about physics at once, showing the connection of the school curriculum to real life. Reviews indicate that children with relevant interests experience great pleasure from working with such a set, but it will also give adults a lot of food for thought. Using the example of such a constructor, you can even consider the work of a lie detector, and the composition includes a huge number of components of different types.
The idea of creating an electronic designer has been exciting my thoughts for a long time. As a child, I had an EKON-1 construction set and wanted to create something similar, but at a modern level. The Connoisseur rules the market; there are also examples of modular construction sets abroad, but the price and course are not pleasing to the eye.
On the other hand, there were interesting developments in the USSR (one of them still lives in Germany and is produced):
I also wanted something “warm” in materials, such as wood. In 2014, within the framework of the PROSTOROBOT project, the idea of electronic cubes was born, which in 2015 even received a prize from AIDT for the idea at one of the qualifying stages of the Startup Tour.
It was also during this time that I came up with the logic board game “Circuit”, which allowed you to play “electrical circuits”. The game can be freely downloaded and printed from the link.
Time passed. The cubes had to be put aside, since the price of magnets of the required power made them quite expensive. The game “Chain” has had its turn to be finalized.
In 2016, I decided to return to the project and “took out” the cubes. The first idea was to use the same cubes, but make fastenings like spring contacts and glue a cardboard field with cells on the walls of which the contacts would be located:
The design turned out to be bulky, and due to the low rigidity of the walls, the cubes did not provide the required quality of contact.
Engineering thought moved on. A small digression on the choice of material. Can you reasonably say why I didn't use 3D printing or laser cutting? The answer is simple - I don’t have a 3D printer (or rather, there’s nowhere to put it in my apartment), and the nearest reasonable cutting machine in terms of price and quality is located 500 kilometers from my city. Even finding thin plywood turned out to be an unrealistic quest, not to mention a special model one. Plus, I’ve long wanted to try a material familiar to board game lovers - cardboard.
The second option was to apply the method that I had already used earlier when designing Scratchduino - that is, 2.5 modeling of the designer blocks themselves and magnets for fastening. This method did not require powerful expensive magnets, and I had a supply of cylindrical 5 mm magnets of different heights (2 and 3 mm) at home.
It was also decided to start by making a “physical” analogue of the board game “Chain”, fortunately it required only a 4x4 field, and then, having collected all the “bumps”, make the assembly field larger (at least 4x6, or better yet 6x8).
One more question remained - what to make the contacts from. The ideal is a copper strip. The problem of the ideal is where to get it. Also, copper is non-magnetic and it would be necessary to install magnets both on the field and on the blocks. Taking into account the fact that to place them under the contacts it would be necessary to have more powerful magnets (and this would mean money and time for shipping), the search for a suitable material continued. And my gaze fell on the staples for the stapler. At home there were staples of different sizes, they were steel (that is, they carried current and were magnetic) and there were a lot of them.
As a result, the list of necessary components was determined - staples for stapler No. 35 (26/6 1 package), neodymium magnets C-5x2-N35 and C-5x3-N35 with nickel coating (conducting current), cardboard (micro-corrugated cardboard left over from packaging from under photographs and boxes), wire, solder, LED, resistor, micro bulb, diode and button. To glue the parts, it was decided to use PVA glue, and to punch holes for the magnets, a regular hole punch was suitable.
The materials were determined, the dimensions were determined (cell 40x40 mm, block 38x38 mm) and the immediate process began.
The field is a sheet of cardboard, marked into 40x40 mm squares, the side edges of which are stapled in the center with a block of staples.
I took the same staples as for the cube blocks, but then I made my first mistake. I didn't notice that the staples were covered with a non-conductive material on top and therefore had to protect them later. I also tried to tin them (which did not turn out very well) and the size of the staples should be taken larger so as not to depend on the errors in the manufacture of the blocks. If you decide to repeat this design, take staples about 20 mm wide and make a block 1 cm wide.
The staples were inserted into the cardboard slots and folded over on the reverse side. In the photo, the side wires are needed to “imitate” the common bus of the board game “Chain” and in the final version of the constructor they will be replaced with blocks.
So, as a result of this painstaking work, we get a field with contact pads to which our contact magnets are well magnetized.
Now it was necessary to make the blocks themselves with conductors and radio components. The problem was that the board game had elements with a cross-shaped intersection and crossing conductors, and it was impossible to ensure contact of all 4 magnets (remember how many points the plane passes through). Therefore, it was decided to abandon such blocks and make maximum T-shaped elements. For crossing elements, I plan to use special bridge wires in the future.
The block itself consists of three squares of cardboard measuring 38x38 mm. On average, there are holes for magnets and slots for staples. A second square with only slots for staples is glued onto it with PVA glue. After this, a small 5x2 mm magnet is installed in the hole and closed on top with a block of staples that are bent on the other side. Radio components or conductors are soldered to them. On the other side we place 5x3 mm magnets and glue a square with holes. Due to the fact that the magnets “stick” to the magnets under the brackets, they hold very tightly and do not remain on the field.
In this way we produce blanks with two and three magnetic pads. Then we solder the conductors or radio components.
We glue cardboard strips on top (two or three layers depending on the height of the parts) and cover everything with a cardboard “lid”, on which we draw a designation with a marker (straight conductor, angled, T-shaped or radio element).
As a result, we got this field and a set of parts. I did not make the battery in the form of a block (although there is an idea to use a 5 V tablet in the future), but made an element with two wires, to which 3 batteries are connected.
During testing, it turned out that the light bulb did not light up if there was an LED or a resistor in the circuit, and the LED could not be used without resistance (the smell of burnt plastic clearly showed this). Therefore, to simulate the gameplay, it was decided to assemble a “signal” circuit from another LED and a resistor on a breadboard, and simplify the game a little, leaving only one LED that needs to be “lit” to win. This turned out to be not critical and this option was even more interesting, since it allowed us to change the starting conditions of the game. The Chain game itself in the tabletop version will also be redesigned and moved to a larger field, with multiple lamps and LEDs and different starting positions.
Cards were also prepared for the game, by drawing which the player understands which element he can use. Below is the final photo of the radio construction game, as well as the game process.
Electronic construction kits are well known to many from Soviet times: it was very interesting to assemble circuits and watch how the device began to really work! Today such sets are also on sale, and they have become even better and more interesting.
A set of electronic components and connections that allows you to design electrical circuits without soldering.
Manufacturer of these sets today: Znatnok.
There are different electronic construction sets in the series, differing in the number of circuits.
The largest set is 999 schemes + school.
The electronic designer Znatok has been released in a new version “For educational institutions”. These are 21 practical lessons for school and many schemes for additional activities. And for the home, such a set is a real dream!
The main task of practical classes is to show the connection between the school curriculum and the modern life around us. That is why the designer contains elements that are present in almost all the technology around us - computers, phones, cars, photo and video cameras, televisions, musical equipment, etc.
Practical classes are consistent with the existing school curriculum and physics textbooks for grades 8, 9, 10 and 11. But since education is becoming more and more differentiated, the tasks are divided not into classes, but into 3 groups of different levels of difficulty:
Blue – entry level;
Green – medium level;
Red – above average level.
A practical lesson contains one or more tasks. The teacher, depending on the level of preparedness and career guidance of the students, may require completion of all tasks or only part of them.
The proposed practical tasks can be performed while studying the following topics and sections: Mechanical vibrations and waves. Sound, Basics of electronics, Integrated circuits, Digital technology. Logic circuits, Electrical phenomena. Direct current, Electromagnetic phenomena, Electrostatics, Electric current in various media. Semiconductor components.
This product has been highly praised by experts in the field of electronics, and has also been tested in many Russian schools and institutions working with children.
There is a smaller set, for example, 180 schemes:
Very good designer!
From reviews:
I bought one like this for my son when he was 5 years old and, frankly speaking, I was worried whether it was too early, whether the child would be able to understand what it is, what is the point of constructing all kinds of circuits and, most importantly, whether he would be interested.
At first, my son and I assembled simple circuits together, and what pleased me most was that already on the third day, he was able to assemble a relatively complex device on his own (of course, using the instructions included with the construction set) without anyone’s help and was sincerely happy about it.
So, despite the apparent complexity and use of the “dark forces of electricity” in the designer, even a small child who has not yet reached school age will be able, with the help of his parents, to understand it and in the future create various circuits that implement various special effects.
What can we say for schoolchildren: they can figure out the diagrams themselves, without the help of their parents, and this one is really very interesting! 
With these construction sets, real magic manifests itself - several connected elements, and now a sound is born under the breath of the breeze, when a person approaches, a light comes on, music is heard from nowhere (with the help of the construction set you can also assemble a simple radio) - so please your children, and at the same time in Teach the simplest basics of electrical engineering in a playful way.
Physics in action! The essence of the designer is that you need to assemble electrical circuits according to the diagrams; when assembled correctly, either a light bulb lights up, or a fan turns on, or music plays, etc. Moreover, according to one scheme, when various changes are made to it, it is possible to achieve, for example, that the propeller from the fan flies into the air or the light bulb and LED blink alternately. This is wonderful for younger children! For older children - live physics.
The designer is made with high quality, everything works, the parts are attached perfectly, according to the principle of buttons.
In addition, Znatok produces a series for the games Magic Tricks with Hmayak Hakobyan, electronic sound posters, and much more.
Electronic designer "Alternative energy sources"
This is also a set from a series.
Environmental protection is a global issue that has no borders and crosses all oceans. The destruction of the environment by industry leads to irreversible consequences for life on the planet.
The designer allows you to understand the principles of operation of innovative resource-saving technologies.
The electronic designer covers 5 programs on the following topics: solar energy, wind energy, water energy, hydrogen energy, mechanical energy.
The designer comes with a color book - a guide to assembling 126 projects.
If you wish, you can come up with new projects yourself and collect them. All elements of this construction set are compatible with other electronic construction sets from the Znatok series.
Radio-controlled all-terrain vehicle "Leader"
Also from the Connoisseur series.
New electronic construction kit for creating a radio-controlled all-terrain vehicle; machines that work in the dark, and more than 20 different projects.
Open the box and find in it: more than 30 different parts for constructing models; remote control; all-terrain vehicle body; detailed color instructions; description of more than 20 different projects; special projects for those who have already become the owner of the “Connoisseur” construction set, since the parts of this construction set are compatible with parts from other series.
If you give your child this set, he will be able to: assemble different cars; control the car using the remote control - make it move forward and backward, left and right; turn on and off headlights, red and blue side lights; observe the movement of mechanisms in the car; work on many different electronics projects; connect parts and get different sound effects; learn Morse code; watch how the machine he assembled moves in complete darkness; create a machine with two signal volume levels; construct a lighthouse yourself; Have a fun time doing not only a very interesting, but also a very educational and useful activity.
Using unique schemes, you can create numerous educational projects, which are clearly described in the instructions. More than 20 projects. A very useful toy and a wonderful gift for a boy.
An electronic construction set is great entertainment for a child, which allows you to combine play with gaining knowledge about the physical world. By creating electronic circuits, the child will get acquainted with the world of electronics and will get great pleasure from the gameplay.
An electronic construction set is most useful for children. At this time, they receive basic knowledge about electronics, and playing with a construction set allows them to deepen it. The student has the opportunity to independently create a sound simulator, a voice recorder, or all these radio-electronic devices are contained in the notes that come with the designer.
Not only schoolchildren, but also younger children can play with the electronic construction set. The fact is that to create an electronic circuit, the parts do not need to be soldered - they are connected using buttons. This allows you to easily and quickly make the desired electronic device. And if you don’t like the result, then the details can be disassembled. And start all over again.
When purchasing an electronic construction set, remember that only children over 4 years old can play with it independently. The construction set contains many small parts that the baby may accidentally swallow. Therefore, if your child has not yet reached the recommended age, then assemble the electronic circuits yourself, and the child will watch with interest all the manipulations being carried out.
In the production of the designer, only environmentally friendly materials are used - non-toxic plastic and metal connecting elements. This ensures that (subject to operating rules) the construction parts will not emit any harmful chemicals.
Electronic circuits can be assembled either on a table or on a special plastic platform, which is included in the kit. But, of course, the second option is much more practical and convenient - the finished electronic device can be easily moved from place to place, due to the fact that all its elements are fixed on a rigid and solid “substrate”.
Electronic kits are created by different manufacturers. The electronic designer “Znatok” is especially popular in Russia. There are many reasons for this. It is noteworthy that the electronic designer can be produced in different variations (the number of circuits varies). Naturally, the more there are, the higher the price, since the kit includes additional parts.
As already mentioned, a high-quality construction kit comes with detailed instructions in which you can find images of electronic circuits. Their number depends on the variation of the designer. At the very beginning of the outline there are diagrams, the assembly of which is not particularly difficult - even a preschooler can construct them. On subsequent sheets the complexity of the circuits increases. It is better to start the game with the simplest options.
In general, an electronic construction set is a great way to keep your child busy with an exciting game that will increase his intellectual abilities. In addition, playing with a construction set develops fine motor skills - in the future, when the baby masters writing, this will undoubtedly be beneficial. And for schoolchildren, the constructor will make it easier to gain knowledge about electronics and transform this process into a game form.
