Arduino and basic electronics

Complete the challenge

Get an Arduino that has the ThinkerShield attached.

Open a new Arduino window.

Save your Arduino sketch. Name it C2-level2.

Copy the sketch below into your Arduino window. Remember to delete the other sketch first.

void setup() {
    pinMode(12, OUTPUT);    // set up pin 12 as an output.
}

void loop() {
    digitalWrite(12, HIGH); // turn the LED on
    delay(1000);            // wait for 1 second
    digitalWrite(12, LOW);  // turn the LED off
    delay(1000);            // wait for 1 second
}

See if you can work out how to change the length of time the LED is off. Make a change, upload the sketch to the Arduino, and see if it works right.

Remember, the challenge is to get the LED to stay off for 2 seconds. It should blink like this:

Animation illustrating LED on for 1 second and off for 2 seconds

I can give you some hints if you need them, but have a go by yourself first.

Can you see a comment in the sketch that says “wait for a second”? (comments start with //. Everything after // is for people to read, not the computer).

The command delay(1000); tells the Arduino to wait for 1000 milliseconds. 1000 milliseconds is 1 second.

Change the second delay(1000); to delay(2000);.

Claim your achievement

I did it!

That’s fantastic!

Now claim your achievement.

Copy the saved sketch to your Year 8 Digital Tech folder on Google Drive. Here are instructions about how to do this.
Complete a claim slip. The code is C2 and the level is 2.

Activity C2 — Blink (the delay function)

Level 2 — Change the blink “off” time

Complete the challenge

Claim your achievement