Hi team! I’m Hannah and I work with kids up to 11 making things using electronics.
I don’t have an electronics background but I am an enthusiast and willing to learn!
The children have been making items with a micro controller called a Crumble which is an amazing, simple to use piece of hardware that comes with its own compatible components.
Now I am ready to move onto prototyping so I purchased a Proto Gizmo which should enable me to connect the Crumble with other components such as a regular motor rather than the D shaft motor the Crumble comes with.
Just one problem… I have no idea how to use it!
Because I am a single mother, I am not able to come to the electrnocs nights on Thursday unfortunately so any support whatsoever pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Hi my name is Hannah and I have Crumble troubles!
Hello Hannah,
I’m Andrea, one of the host of the electronics night.
I never used the Crumble before but as far as I can see from here, it does appear to have an integrated motor driver on the board , with micro controllers like Arduino or the Micro:bit you have to buy the motor driver separately.
A motor driver is important to drive properly a motor for 2 reasons , it give you the possibility to deliver more power to the motors and protect you microcontrollers from damaged due to a physics called back emf that would damage it.
The Proto Gizmo is just an empty PCB board, is designed to let you build your own circuit board starting from a compact form factor, it doesn’t do anything or have nothing more than a power socket (the black thing) .
You can already drive different motors with the integrated motor drive , just connect them the same way you do with your actual D shaft motor .
Which kind of motor you want to connect?
I was thinking to organise a sunday electronics afternoon for families and kids, maybe once a month? We had a lot of single mums and families with kids at the last event and is clear that they can’t manage to come during the thursday night but at the moment is all in my head (well, and here 
)
Thank you for the info about motor drivers. I am able to attach different motors via the integrated motor driver but what I should have added is that this is only possible if you connect to the micro controller with crocodile clips. Due to the age range of the children I work with, this can be too fiddly and also unstable which was the reason why I liked the PCB board pictured. I would like to connect components to it so that the children only have to worry about connecting it to the micro controller with a lead. I would like to attach ultrasonic and PIR sensors, accelerometers and a wireless receiver to the PCB board.
The 4tronix website says this is possible…
p.s organising a grp on a Sunday would be excellent! make it between 2-5ish and I’ll be there lol.
From what I can see you have 2 alternatives :
-Screw and nuts to keep the wire connected to the board
-solder the cable to the circuit
I’m happy to solder, but the PCB board has specific sections for ground, signal and power. Similarly an ultrasonic sensor has a four way female header while a PIR has three (hope this is the right terminology - the metal pins that you attach to your controller). I need to know how to connect what with what…
Ok, I’m getting confused.
You plan is making the motor more robust, right? then you just need to replace the alligator clips with cables and solder them to the board…
Hi hannah if you join then I will be happy to help you out , or if you are doing this you are doing this "for the good of mankind " then I am sure that we will be happy to help you out , and find some time other than Thursday night.
You have no idea how many people turn up and expect me to fix , teach them electronics or just make them something.
Sorry Andrea, I confused you by mentioning motors to begin with. Motors r just one of the components i want to connect through the jack and lead. I can’t make a permanent connection by soldering because the kids dismantle old projects and build new ones. I would like each component to b soldered to the PCB board pictured to allow for this ease of experimentation, I just know that there is a specific way to do it.
The week of the 29th May i may be able to come to the electronics night as it’s half term. besides I’m free on saturdays and wednesdays during the day. Dont worry if it’s not possible - i appreciate people may have other commitments. just putting it out there.
ps- ultimately I hope it will b for the good of humanity- equiping kids to design the future( plus it’s good fun!)!