Applied Inspirations

This simple kit can be used as an introduction to the basics of real electronics. After assembly, pressing the momentary switch button causes the LED to light and change colors. After about 2 minutes, the circuit turns the LED off. Only a #2 pencil is needed to do the experiments that demonstrate how resistors, capacitors, and transistors work to control the Color Changing LED. An optional Digital Multimeter can be used to enhance an understanding of what the components are actually doing.

A short guide on how to solder is included and explains "what to do," but cannot cover the full scope of technique and safety details; therefore, an instructor is recommended. Usually a workshop can be done in as little as 30 minutes or as long as an hour or two depending upon the class size.

With this simple circuit, students can:

• Learn How to Solder
• Identify Components
• Understand How and Why those Components Work
• Read Schematics
• Learn Basic Electronic Theory
• Do Experiments using only a #2 Pencil to test that theory.

Recommended ages: 6 and up with instructor, 10 and up independently.

Component parts, including battery, are provided along with detailed assembly instructions (6 pages of instructions including 22 illustrations), operation theory, and troubleshooting guide. Tools not included; Small Quality Tool Set (sol d-separately) includes the tools needed to complete this kit.

You may have heard the term to "Bread-Board" a new idea as a way to test the first version: "Let's bread-Board this sales idea." Ever wonder where it comes from? Discover the history and fun of building your very own Bread Board Circuit as you build active LED display circuit on a block of wood. And our Blinky Bread Board includes a screw-eye so you can hang your electronic project on your wall as art!

Construction will take place step-by-step as you test and demonstrate how transistors, resistors, and capacitors work together to form an active 3-phase Flip-Flop (AKA astable multivibrator) circuit driving three LEDs. You'll learn to read schematic diagrams by having the parts laid out on the block of wood in the same pattern.

All component parts are included: Wood Block, Brass Nails, Transistors, Resistors, Capacitors, Insulated Wires, Un-Insulated "Bus-Wire, Split Vinyl Tubing, Switch Battery terminal Brass parts, Sandpaper, Nail Placement Guide, 16 pages of Instructions with 37 illustrations, and 2-AA Batteries. Tools not included; Small Quality Tool Set (sold separately) includes the tools needed to complete this kit.

Even though a basic description of how to solder is included, an experienced instructor/teacher is recommended to fill in more technical and safety details.

Recommended ages: 7 and up (with instructor.) Independently ages 10 and up.

The wearable animated LED display Blue-Board Kit features 13 selectable light patterns that not only teaches students how to solder, but also introduces how a micro-controller can be used to create a light display. It's fun to do and fun to wear!

Many "Learn to Solder" kits barely give enough soldering practice to become proficient and the instructions are minimal. Applied Inspirations includes detailed instructions on how to solder along with safety details and a schematic. . . plus this kit has over 50 solder joints, which should be enough for anyone to become comfortable with soldering! This kit also includes "Fast Start" soldering instructions as a review for those who have had some soldering experience.

By using a micro-controller chip and a technique called "charlieplexing," only 4 signal lines are required to control the LEDs, instead of the usual 10 for its 13 selectable light patterns.

All parts, battery, safety lanyard are included with detailed instructions and schematic. Recommended Age 10 and up (7 - 9 with an Adult).

The "LED Scope Part 1" is the first installment of a comprehensive two part course in basic Electronics, and when combined with Part 2, provides enough training in both theory and practice to hopefully get an entry level job as an electronics technician. Part 1 by itself will provide an excellent, foundational understanding of the nature of electricity. While learning the practical skills of soldering, and with a basic understanding of circuits, the student gains an ability to trouble shoot and repair basic low voltage circuits.

Hands-on and student-directed, this course is ideal for science-loving kids who have an interest in how everything works! After the first five short chapters cover the foundations of electronics and safety, each chapter begins with the basic theory and an overview of the circuit they are going to build, and what tools and components they will use. Next, detailed, step by step directions lead the student through the assembly of the circuit, and include "best practice" construction tips as applicable. After construction, step by step testing, measuring, and evaluation of the circuit proves the theory given at the start of the chapter. Finally, each chapter closes with a few bullet lines of the key points demonstrated in the chapter

Students will learn:

• The nature of "Electricity"
• Basic electronic components
• How to read a schematic diagram
• How to solder
• How to un-solder
• How to use a Digital Multimeter
• How to apply Ohm's law and basic math to analyze circuits
• How individual electronic components work and why
• How these components can work together to build systems

If you have two children who work well together and are willing to share the finished product, you could have them build Part 1 together. However, it is not recommended to have more than two students working on the curriculum together as this would not provide sufficient soldering practice without additional materials.

Part 1 will take approximately 25 hours. Can be completed in one semester or as a summer course. This course does not assume parents have prior knowledge of science or electronics.

The Kit comes in a sturdy shipping box and contains a full size ring-binder notebook, preprinted card stock Schematics and Placement Guides for easy reference, zipper binder pouch of all components and printed circuit boards, ring-binder CD holder, and a wall transformer for power. All the course material is in PDF format on a data CD and consists of over 270 pages of instructions, including 200 diagrams and pictures. Tools and solder are required, but are sold separately.

If you need tools, see the Quality Tool Set (not-included and sold-separately) which includes the tools needed for LED Scope Part 1 & Part 2.

The "LED Scope Part 2" course advances the skills and knowledge developed in Part 1 (not-included and sold-separately - Part 1 is a mandatory pre-requisite, as components built in Part 1 are also used in this course) to build a fully functional oscilloscope-a key analytical instrument used to graph electrical signals as they vary over time. The book explains each new function's criteria, and then has students build and test a circuit module-as they progress, the controls of an oscilloscope are developed one at a time.

Each chapter begins with the basic theory and an overview of the circuit required and the components needed. Then detailed, step by step directions for its assembly, including "best practice" techniques, are given. Students then see the display graph the invisible electrical signals from the Part 1 circuits. Each chapter also closes with a summary page with a few bullet lines of the key principles demonstrated.

In this course students learn more complex electronic circuits and the how's and why's of using an oscilloscope at the same time. In addition, since the LED display array requires about 500 neat solder joints, this course provides additional purposeful and motivated soldering practice.

Part 2 will take approximately 30-35 hours; this course can be completed in one semester or over the summer. More than two students may complete Part 2 as learning occurs while doing the testing of the circuit additions, rather than the assembly skills.

LED Scope Part 2 comes in a sturdy shipping box containing a full size ring-binder notebook, preprinted card stock Schematics and Placement Guides for easy reference, a "Handy-Sheet" of formulas, key codes, and component details, Four packets of all the components and printed circuit boards, and a ring-binder CD holder and CD with all the course material in PDF format. Over 250 pages of instructions, including 250 diagrams and pictures, are provided. Tools and solder not included; the same tools and solder that were used in Part 1 are required for Part 2. If you need these tools, the Quality Tool Set is available to purchase separately.

This kit contains both "LED-Scope, Part 1, Basic Electronics" and "LED-Scope, Part 2, LED Array Oscilloscope" kits and provides a comprehensive two part course in basic Electronics. Hands-on and student-directed, this course is ideal for science-loving kids who have an interest in how everything works!

Part 1 teaches kids the practical skills of soldering, and with a basic understanding of circuits, the student gains an ability to trouble shoot and repair basic low voltage circuits. Part 1 covers the nature of electricity, basic electronic components, how to read a schematic diagram, how to solder/un-solder, how to use a digital multimeter, how to apply Ohm's law and basic math to analyze circuits, how individual electronic components work and why.

Part 2 advances the skills and knowledge developed in Part 1 to build a fully functional oscilloscope-a key analytical instrument used to graph electrical signals as they vary over time. The book explains each new function's criteria, and then has students build and test a circuit module-as they progress, the controls of an oscilloscope are developed one at a time. In this course students learn more complex electronic circuits and the how's and why's of using an oscilloscope at the same time. In addition, since the LED display array requires about 500 neat solder joints, this course provides additional purposeful and motivated soldering practice.

If you have two children who work well together and are willing to share the finished product, you could have them build Part 1 together. However, it is not recommended to have more than two students working on Part 1 together as this would not provide sufficient soldering practice without additional materials. Part 2 can be used with 2 or more students

Part 1 will take approximately 25 hours. Part 2 will take approximately 30-35 hours. Each part can be completed in one semester or as a summer course. This course does not assume parents have prior knowledge of science or electronics.

Tools are not included; if you do not already have the necessary tools the Quality Tool Set is available for purchase separately.

Part 1 contains a full size ring-binder notebook, preprinted card stock Schematics and Placement Guides for easy reference, zipper binder pouch of all components and printed circuit boards, ring-binder CD holder, and a wall transformer for power. All the course material is in PDF format on a data CD and consists of over 270 pages of instructions, including 200 diagrams and pictures. Tools and solder are required, but are sold separately.

Part 2 contains a full size ring-binder notebook, preprinted card stock Schematics and Placement Guides for easy reference, a "Handy-Sheet" of formulas, key codes, and component details, Four packets of all the components and printed circuit boards, and a ring-binder CD holder and CD with all the course material in PDF format. Over 250 pages of instructions, including 250 diagrams and pictures, are provided. Tools and solder not included; the same tools and solder that were used in Part 1 are required for Part 2.

This "Quality Tool Set" includes the tools recommended for the Applied Inspirations Electronic kits that require soldering; these tools are needed for both the LED Scope Part 1 & Part 2 kits (sold-separately and not-included).

Tools in the set include:

• 25W Pencil-Tip Soldering Iron
• Cage-Type Soldering Iron Stand
• Safety Glasses
• 60/40 Tin/Lead Rosin Core Solder Wire (0.025' Dia.)
• Long Narrow Tweezers
• De-Soldering Pump
• De-Soldering Braid
• Universal Wire Strippers & Cutters
• Fine Flush Wire Cutters
• Needle-Nose Pliers
• Basic Digital Multi Meter with Test Leads

Note: Lead based solder is included. Tin-Lead alloy solder is used because they are much easier to use and to learn soldering with than with the pure tin types.

This Quality Tool Set is a tool set that provides a smaller number of tools than the Large Quality Tool Set; this set provides the tools you'll need for the LED American Beacon Kit, Simple Color Synthesizer Kit, Blinky Bread Board Kit, and Red-Board: Intro to Electronics Kit.

Tools in this set include:

• Soldering Iron

• Cage-type Soldering Iron Stand
• ANSI Safety Glasses
• Long Nose Pliers
• Flush/Fine Wire Cutters
• Solder

With electronic devices getting smaller and more compact, individual electronic components are also getting smaller. The purpose of the "Surface Mount Soldering Practice Kit" is to provide an economical and thorough means to practice and test surface mount device (SMD) assembly and soldering techniques. This kit can be divided into 8 separate modules to test different techniques.

The kit does not contain specific instructions on SMD soldering techniques because there are many different methods: fine tipped soldering iron, hot-air soldering, hotplate/griddle, and toaster oven to name a few. To this end, the kit provides for the assembling of real components in a compact format to create real, functional circuits instead of soldering dummy components. If dummy components are over heated how would you know? If real parts are over heated, they do not work and you know you need to change your process. Mistakes can be made and learned from without great loss, and then corrections can be tried on the next section.

The 131 components (includes spare parts) are packaged in booklet-style to provide easy organization and access to these tiny parts, along with a parts placement guide and an explanation of the circuits' operation.

When successfully assembled, the board provides a Blinking-LED-Light Display consisting of six flip-flop circuits and two 4-bit ring counters. The circuit's operating voltage range is from 3 to 6 volts, but operates best on 3-AA cells (4.5 volts DC).

Recommended for Ages 12 and up.

An optional Battery Holder for Surface Mount Soldering Practice Kit is available (sold-separately) if desired.

This battery case has a built-in on/off switch, red/black wire leads, and holds 3 "AA" batteries. This will supply the 4.5 volts DC which is the ideal voltage -- 3 to 5 volts -- to power the Surface Mount Soldering Practice Kit. (Batteries not included.)