{"id":13,"date":"2014-06-24T14:28:25","date_gmt":"2014-06-24T18:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physicalcomputing\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2025-05-03T10:26:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T14:26:41","slug":"lessons","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This section contains introductory&nbsp;reading&nbsp;on technical topics in physical computing. &nbsp;If you learn new material best through reading, you&#8217;ll find this section valuable. If you prefer learning new material through video, check out the <a title=\"Videos\" href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/videos\/\">Video<\/a> menu. To understand these topics through hands-on exercises, see the <a title=\"Labs\" href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/labs\/\">Labs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These notes are divided into several sections:<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Electronics\"><\/span>Electronics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An overview of basic electronics concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/labs\/breadboard-layouts\/\">Breadboard Layouts<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/distance-sensors-the-basics\/\">Distance Sensors: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/electronics\/electricity-the-basics\/\">Electricity: the Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/electronics\/transistors-relays-and-controlling-high-current-loads\/\">Transistors, Relays, and Controlling High-Current Loads<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/electronics\/understanding-dc-power-supplies\/\">Understanding DC Power Supplies<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Microcontroller_Fundamentals\"><\/span>Microcontroller Fundamentals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What a microcontroller is, how they work, and what their most common input and output functions are.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/resources\/microcontroller-pin-functions\/\">Microcontroller Pin Functions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/microcontrollers-the-basics\/\">Microcontrollers: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/digital-input-output\/\">Digital Input &#038; Output<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/interpreting-serial-data\/\">Interpreting Serial Data<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/analog-input\/\">Analog Input<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/resources\/picking-a-microcontroller\/\">Picking a Microcontroller<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/analog-output\/\">Analog Output<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Programming\"><\/span>Programming<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>General concepts and terminology of computer programming. The topics covered here are mostly about programming as applied to microcontroller programming. <\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/resources\/using-the-arduino-command-line-interface\/\">Using the Arduino Command Line Interface<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/resources\/using-a-programming-editor\/\">Using a Programming Editor<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/variables\/\">Variables<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/microcontrollers-the-basics\/\">Microcontrollers: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/programming-terms-and-programming-environments\/\">Programming Terms and Programming Environments<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/interpreting-serial-data\/\">Interpreting Serial Data<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/analog-input\/\">Analog Input<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/p5-serialport-and-p5-webserial-compared\/\">p5.serialport and p5.webserial Compared<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sensors\"><\/span>Sensors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sensors are components that convert other forms of&nbsp;energy, such as heat, light, and motion, &nbsp;into&nbsp;electrical energy. This section introduces sensors and explains how to interface them to microcontrollers.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/distance-sensors-the-basics\/\">Distance Sensors: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/analog-input\/\">Analog Input<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/synchronous-serial-communication-the-basics\/\">Synchronous Serial Communication: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/accelerometers-gyros-and-imus-the-basics\/\">Accelerometers, Gyros, and IMUs: The Basics<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Serial_Communication\"><\/span>Serial Communication<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Computers, including microcontrollers, communicate with each other through various forms of serial communication. This section introduces both synchronous and asynchronous serial communication.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/serial-communication-the-basics\/\">Asynchronous Serial Communication: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/interpreting-serial-data\/\">Interpreting Serial Data<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/synchronous-serial-communication-the-basics\/\">Synchronous Serial Communication: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/p5-serialport-and-p5-webserial-compared\/\">p5.serialport and p5.webserial Compared<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Motors\"><\/span>Motors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to control&nbsp;motion from an electrical circuit, you need a motor. This section introduces DC motors and how they work, and how to interface them to electronic circuits.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"lcp_catlist\" id=\"lcp_instance_0\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/dc-motors-the-basics\/\">DC Motors: The Basics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/electronics\/transistors-relays-and-controlling-high-current-loads\/\">Transistors, Relays, and Controlling High-Current Loads<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/stepper-motors\/\">Controlling Stepper Motors<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/analog-output\/\">Analog Output<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This section contains introductory&nbsp;reading&nbsp;on technical topics in physical computing. &nbsp;If you learn new material best through reading, you&#8217;ll find this section valuable. If you prefer learning new material through video, check out the Video menu. To understand these topics through hands-on exercises, see the Labs. These notes are divided into several sections: Electronics An overview &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/lessons\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Lessons&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7720,"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions\/7720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/physcomp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}