Insight Into Electronics
‘Insight Into Electronics’ is an exciting initiative from the UKESF. It is a self-paced, interactive and FREE course that provides young people with a hands-on introduction to microcontrollers, Electronics and programming. A collaboration between the UKESF and Aston University, with support from Imagination, the course is specifically designed for UK-based sixth formers and KS4 pupils (S4 in Scotland) interested in Engineering, Electronics and Computer Science. It will provide a fascinating insight into these technologies, for those thinking about studying these subjects at college or university.
Sign Up
If you are an individual UK student aged 14-18, please register your interest HERE.
If you are a teacher interested in distributing kits to your pupils, please note that we have now reached the limit on how many kits we can supply to schools. Please contact us at [email protected]
Download the Guide
Download the ‘Insight Into Electronics’ course guide HERE.
Watch the Video
The following video introduces the kit and covers everything you need to know to get started with programming and uploading your own code to the board.
The extension video below serves as a guide for creating your own projects using the kit, showing the design procedure of a spirit level program using the accelerometer and OLED display on the board. Click HERE to download the code needed for the level meter.
FAQ
Is it really free – is there a catch?
It’s really free and there’s no catch! Complete the course in your own time and there’s no need to return the board.
Do you ship outside the UK?
No, the course is limited to UK residents only.
What happens if the Arduino doesn’t work – who do I contact?
Please email [email protected].
If I need more help understanding how to programme the Arduino, who can I ask?
Please email [email protected].
Where can I find more information about careers in Electronics?
Visit the UKESF’s Find Out More About Electronics page.
Where can I find out more about projects using the Arduino?
A good place to start is the Arduino project hub, via this link.
Where can I purchase additional resources and components?
Search for “Arduino kit” on the Internet and you’ll find many pre-made kits containing common electronic components.
What do I need to support this project?
You will need a PC, Mac or laptop using Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X. The Arduino software is not easily compatible with the Chromebook operating system.
The guide and videos look good but before I start, I was wondering whether the code that was running on the board when I received it was available somewhere?
Details of the code and how to download can be found here.
Why doesn’t my Arduino work with some of the experiments?
We have released a new version of the UKESF Sixth Formers Arduino library (v2.0.2) which will now work with both old and new Grove kits and their temperature and humidity sensors. Instructions on finding out which sensor model you have are included in the Guide on p. 11. Please download the new version of the library from the Library Manager by opening the Arduino software and navigating to Tools à Library Manager à and search for “ukesf”
Feedback from recipients of the kit
“Truly thanks a lot for the Arduino, as it really helped me delve further into Electronics through the aid of the kit. I would otherwise normally not have been able to access such technology.”
“I love that a little kit has inspired me to get into microelectronics and much more.”
“The online resources were brilliant at walking me through step by step on the capabilities of the kit. Very logical and more importantly helpful.”
“I now want a career involving Electronics!”
Many thanks to the Scotland 5G Centre for their support to launch this initiative in 2021.