PicPatch Introduction

KEI has produced a kit set product called PicPatch, which is a small microcontroller interface circuit board that it can be configured in various ways and programmed for different control system applications.
This flexibility provides a useful tool for both electronic education and for industrial applications.
The development time is very short, implementation is simple and the cost is very minimal, which opens up many possibilities from the very basic to the more advanced control system that otherwise could be an expensive exercise. Such applications may include a robot invented by a School student, a farmer who requires a specialised automatic gate control system or local control system for a factory or process plant.

The PicPactch⁰⁸ facilitates various Microchip PicÔ microcontrollers, and in particular the PicaxeÔ microcontroller devices from Revolution Education. These devices can be programmed using a Basic Editor Software development tool which you can download for free from www.picaxe.com.

Various information documents are available to down load for free from our web site or you may purchase these on compact disk.

For more information please see the Product tree.

These documents include:

· Getting Started with PicPatch⁰⁸,

• PicPatch⁰⁸ Assembly instructions,
• PicPatch⁰⁸ Data sheet,

Various project sheets are available on practical applications and exercises to follow.
These project sheets start with a basic application and progress to more complex problems.
They are structured to accommodate Level 2 and Level 3 New Zealand Electro-Technology
(NZET) unit standards. Specific unit standard numbers will be listed in due course.

Tutor information and answers to the questions are located at the end of each project sheet.

• Water detection

· Light detection

· Thermal detection

· Motor control

Also available on CD:

• Soldering Techniques
• Ohms Law Poster
• Binary Notation document
• “Night Light” Power Point Presentation

The following PicPatch⁰⁸control features are possible with external devices attached:

Input Sensing	Output Indication and Control
Moisture	Audible sound effects and tunes
Temperature	LED Light indicators
Light	Serial communication to a remote PC Station
Mechanical switches	Serial communication to an LCD display
Infrared remote control	Serial communication to wireless RF transceivers
Passive Infrared Movement	Servo Motor control
Proximity detection	Power relay control for - Lighting
Motion sensing	Pumps, Motors and Fans