Session Objectives

SPICE Session Objectives

We recommend each of these sessions to take about a half-day, split into two one-hour sessions separated by a break. For anyone reusing this material and not building the pinball machine, the Jukebox Challenge could serve as a final activity, and that prototype can be expanded into a showpiece.

1. Lights and Colors
   • Learn to control regular and RGB LEDs.
   • Ends with a simple blink pattern when reset is triggered.
2. Patterns and Loops
   • Learn to use shift registers to control many LEDs, and timed events to prevent timing errors.
   • Ends with a fancy shift register blink pattern when reset is triggered.
3. Sounds and Senses:
   • Learn to use analog inputs, the scoreboard, and the tone() function.
   • Ends with the light bar exercise.
4. Jukebox Challenge:
   • Learn to play tunes and looped soundtracks.
   • Ends with a jukebox.
   • Homework: think of tunes required for pinball. Use an online keyboard to help figure out the notes for the tunes. Teams may choose to divide the song writing between partners.
5. Pinball Kickstart:
   • Discuss pinball template code.
   • Complete Program Outline worksheet.
   • Finish tunes and sound effects for pinball.
   • Practice adding functionality one step at a time.
   • Add special function placeholders to pinball template (according to Program Outline)

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