WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD Never connect E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ to the electrical outlets in your home in any way! ! WARNING: Only use the battery holder with the cover securely in place. ! WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD Small parts. Not for children under 3 years. ! WARNING: MOVING PARTS Do not touch the fan while it is spinning. -1- WARNING: Always check your wiring before turning on a circuit. Never leave a circuit unattended while the batteries are installed.
! Batteries: l Use only 1.5V “AA” type, alkaline batteries (not included). l Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries. l Insert batteries with correct polarity. l Remove batteries when they are used up. l Non-rechargeable recharged. batteries should not be l Rechargeable batteries should only be charged under adult supervision, and should not be recharged while in the product. l Do not mix old and new batteries.
About Electricity (Science) 1. What is Science? Q: What do we mean when we say “Science”? A: Science is defined as the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. Early scientists were curious people that wondered what made lightning. They decided to experiment to see if they could understand lightning and even make their own somehow. 3.
About Electricity (Technology) 5. What is Technology? Q: What is technology and who used technology in the past? A: Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. Dating back to the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin (a famous American) proved that lightning was caused by electricity by performing an experiment in which an electrical conductor would be used to extract power from a thundercloud.
About Electricity (Engineering) 9. What is Engineering? Q: What is Engineering? What do engineers do? 10. Is Engineering only about Electronics? Q: Besides Electronics what else do Engineers do? A: Engineering is the application of Science, Technology, and Mathematics to make products that are useful to people. Engineers are skillful in using their knowledge to make products.
About Electricity (Mathematics) 13. Ohm’s Law 14. Switches and Power Ohms Law states that Voltage equals Current multiplied by Resistance. If V = Voltage, I = Current, and R = Resistance, then mathematically Ohms Law is V = I x R where “x” stands for “multiplied by”. Since the law starts with Voltage, we need a voltage source or a Power Supply. There are both DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current) power supplies. Batteries are also a source of DC voltage.
About Electricity (STEM) 17. Circuit Blox™ 18. Short Circuits in Circuit Blox™ For Circuit Blox™, the definition of an electrical circuit is: The complete path for an electric current flow, usually including the source of electric energy. The path shown in the circuit below is from the battery, through the blue 2-wire, through the motor under the fan, through the blue 4-wire, through the switch, through the blue 2-wire, and then back to the battery.
Parts List (colors and styles may vary) Symbols and Numbers Important: If any parts are missing or damaged, DO NOT RETURN TO RETAILER. Call toll-free (855) MY EBLOX (6932569) or e-mail us at: support@myeblox.com. Customer Service: 880 Asbury Dr., Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 U.S.A. Qty. Name 2 Symbol Part # Qty.
Qty. Name 1 Speaker Symbol Part # Magnet 6EB2X07 3 Fan Blade 6EB2X60 -9- Motor Name Symbol Part # 1 Base Grid 6EB2X39 1 Three-inOne 6EB2X11 1 Battery Holder 6EB2X91 1 Battery Cover 6EB2X91C 6EB2X93 1 1 Qty.
How to Use Your E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ Set E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ parts contain a PC board with connectors so you can build the different electrical and electronic circuits in the projects. Each block has a function: there are switch blocks, a light block, battery block, wire blocks, etc. These blocks are different colors and have numbers on them so that you can easily identify them. For Example: This is the press switch, it is green and has the marking 61 on it.
About Your E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ Parts (Part designs are subject to change without notice). The base grid functions like the printed circuit boards found in most electronic products. It is a platform for mounting parts and wire blocks (though the wires are usually “printed” on the board). The blue wire blocks are just wires used to connect other components, they are used to transport electricity and do not affect circuit performance.
About Your E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ Parts motor are three coils of wire with many loops. If a large electric current flows through the loops, the magnetic effects become concentrated enough to move the coils. The motor has a magnet inside, so as the electricity moves the coils to align them with the permanent magnet, the shaft spins. Some types of electronic components can be superminiaturized, allowing many thousands of parts to fit into an area smaller that your fingernail.
DOs and DON’Ts of Building Circuits After building the circuits given in this booklet, you may wish to experiment on your own. Use the projects in this booklet as a guide, as many important design concepts are introduced throughout them. Every circuit will include a power source (the batteries), a resistance (which might be an LED, lamp, motor, integrated circuit, etc.), and wiring paths between them and back.
Examples of SHORT CIRCUITS – NEVER DO THIS! Placing a wire block directly across the battery holder is a SHORT CIRCUIT, indicated by a flashing LED in the battery holder. When the switch (S1) is turned on, this large circuit has a SHORT CIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows). The short circuit prevents any other portions of the circuit from ever working.
Advanced Troubleshooting (adult supervision recommended) E-Blox® is not responsible for parts damaged due to incorrect wiring. If you suspect you have damaged parts, you can follow this procedure to systematically determine which ones need replacing: 1. Lamp (76), LED (69), Battery Holder (91): Place part directly across the battery holder as shown, it should light. If none work, then replace your batteries and repeat, if still bad then the battery holder is damaged.
Project Listings # Description 1. Closed Circuit 2. LED, the Check Valve Light 3. Magnetic Switch 4. Alarm Switches 5. The ‘Momentary’ Switch 6. Electrical to Mechanical Energy 7. Proximity Sensor 8. Newton’s First Law of Motion 9. Newton’s Second Law of Motion 10. Launching versus Latching Forces 11. Magnet-controlled Flying Saucer 12. Parts Connected in Series 13. Inertia 14. Parts Connected in Parallel 15. Electrical Current Indicators 16. Power ‘ON’ Indicator 17. Electronic Efficiency 18.
Project Listings # Description 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. -17- Page # Description Siren & Red Light Warning 48 88. Perfect Timing Counts Gun with Flash on Shot 48 89. Changing Power ON Effect Fire Siren & Red Light Warning 48 90. Music Loudness Reduction Magnet-controlled Fire Siren with Red Light Warning 48 91. Parallel LED Resistance Five Space Battle Sound Effects 49 92. Mr.
1. Closed Circuit E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ uses electronic blocks that plug into a clear plastic grid to build different circuits. These blocks have different colors and numbers on them so that you can easily identify them. Build the circuit shown on the left by placing all the parts that plug into the first layer base. Then, assemble the parts that connect to the secondary layer. Install three (3) “AA” batteries (not included) into the battery holder (91). Secure the battery cover before using it.
5. The ‘Momentary’ Switch Build the circuit to the left. Press and hold the press switch (61) and the lamp (76) will turn on. Release the press switch (61) and the lamp (76) will turn off. Replace the lamp (76) with the LED (69) making sure the LED is in the correct direction, and repeat above directions. This type of switch is called a ‘momentary’ switch since it is only on when pressed. 6. Electrical to Mechanical Energy Assemble the fan by following the assembly diagram below.
7. Proximity Sensor Build the circuit on the left, then move the magnet (7) near the reed switch (83) and the motor (95) will turn on. Move the magnet (7) away and the motor (95) will turn off. Proximity sensing like this is often used to control things like blow drying your car in a car wash. ! WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan or motor during operation. Do not lean over the motor. 8.
9. Newton’s Second Law of Motion Remove the cap (59) that is on the fan blade (60). Hold the press switch (61) for ten seconds. Release the press switch (61) and the flying saucer should take off (Caution! Never let it fly near your face!). If the fan does not fly, make sure the batteries are fresh, the motor (95) is in the correct direction, and give the fan a tap from underneath with the top of your fingernail.
12. Parts Connected in Series Build the circuit to the left. When the switch (62) is ON, the same current will flow through the motor (95) then through the lamp (76) and both will be active. When the switch (62) is OFF, the circuit is open and current will be zero, so everything will stop. Notice that the fan spins slower in this circuit than in project #6. This is because the lamp (76) has resistance so when put in series with the motor (95), it limits the current flowing in the circuit. 13.
15. Electrical Current Indicators 1st level Level block 16. Power ‘ON’ Indicator 1st level Build the circuit to the left. Press the switch (62), the LED (69) will light up and the motor (95) will start spinning. Without the fan blade it is difficult to see if the motor is ‘ON’ when far from the circuit. With the LED in parallel with the motor, a visual indicator that the motor is ‘ON’ can be seen from a distance. Red LEDs are often used on electrical devices to show they are ‘ON’.
17. Electronic Efficiency Electronic Efficiency is defined as the Useful Power Output divided by the Total Power Input. Build the circuit to the left and press the switch (62). The LED (69) will light, but the lamp (76) will not light. There is resistance built into the LED (69) to protect it (too much current could damage an LED), and this resistance is limiting the current in the circuit.
19. Ohm’s Law Using Ohm’s Law the resistance of each part could be calculated. Build the circuit to the left. In this circuit the motor (95), the LED (69), and the lamp (76) are in series so they all see the same current. If you had a voltmeter and measured the voltage drop across each component, you would see that the voltage drop across the LED (69) is much greater than the voltage drop across the lamp (76) or motor (95).
21. Kirchhoff’s Second Law Kirchhoff’s second law states: The sum of the voltages around a closed network is zero. 1st level Build the circuit to the left. If a drop in voltage is considered as a negative voltage and a rise in voltage a positive voltage, then the following equation is a mathematical representation of Kirchhoff’s second law: VH44 H1 + VH14 A1 + VA14 A4 + VA44 H1 = 0 1st level This shows that the voltage drop across the battery module (91) of 4.
1st level 23. Motor Speed Build the circuit to the left and press and hold the press switch (61). The LED (69) will light indicating the motor has voltage, the lamp (76) will light dimly showing that current is coming from the motor (95) and the motor (95) will spin slowly. The motor (95) spins slower in this circuit than in project #8. Remove the LED (69) from the circuit and place the fan blade on the motor (95) to make the reduction in speed even more obvious.
24. Simulation of a PTC-fused Lamp 1st level Build the circuit to the left and turn ON the switch (62). The LED (69) will glow red simulating the PTC fuse is warm. Pretend the magnet (7) is a piece of ice and place it near the reed switch (83). The PTC fuse cools down, allowing current to flow and the lamp (76) to light. 25. Fused Motors 1st level Replace the lamp (76) with the motor (95). Some motors have fuses that pop-out when they are triggered.
! 1st level WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan or motor during operation. Do not lean over the motor. 28. Magnet 2-speed Fan Build the circuit to the left. Press the switch (62), the lamp (76) will turn on dimly and the fan will spin slowly. Did you notice that the lamp (76) started out being bright and then got dim? This is because motors have very high startup currents, but once they gain speed the current through the motor drops.
. Ship-to-Ship Morse Code Press the press switch (61), the LED (69) will blink. This can be used as a Morse code typing simulator. Morse code uses various sequences of long and short on-off tones, lights or clicks to represent letters, numbers, and text. Since World War II, the process for sending messages using signal lamps has barely changed. It requires someone trained in Morse code to operate the lamp’s shutter by hand, receiving, decoding, and replying to messages. 32.
33. Electronic ‘AND’ Gate Build the circuit to the left. Note that the lamp (76) only turns on when both the switch (62) and press switch (61) are ON. In digital electronics there are seven logic gates: AND, OR, XOR, NOT, NAND, NOR, and XNOR. This circuit represents an AND gate. If ON = True and OFF = False then an AND gate is best defined as: The output is TRUE only when both inputs are True.
35. Triple Input ‘AND’ Gate Build the circuit on the left, turn the switch (62) ON, press and hold the press switch (61) to turn it ON, and move the magnet (7) towards the reed switch (83). Only when all three switches (INPUTS) are ON (True) will the lamp (OUTPUT) be ON (True). Electronic AND Gates can have two or more inputs but the function is still the same. All inputs must be True (ON) for the output to be True (ON). 36.
37. Series-Parallel Circuit Paths Build the circuit above. In this circuit, the lamp (76) that indicates current flow cannot turn on by just turning the switch (62) ON. If you turn the switch (62) ON and press and hold the press switch (61), then current will flow. Or if you turn the switch (62) ON and move the magnet (7) towards the reed switch (83), then current will flow.
2nd level 2nd level 38. Series-Parallel Connection 2 Build the circuit above. There are two ways to light the lamp (76) in this circuit. You can either press the switch (62), or place the magnet (7) next to the reed switch (83) and press the press switch (61). Using the hotel analogy from the last project, the reed switch (83) could represent the key card holder and the press switch (61) could be a light in the room. But this room now has a master key card holder that only the employees (e.g.
! WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan or motor during operation. Do not lean over the motor. 39. Individually Switch-controlled Electrical Appliances Build the circuit above. Press the switch (62) and the motor (95) will start spinning. Press the switch (62) again and the motor (95) will stop. Press and hold the press switch (61) and the lamp (76) will turn on. Release the press switch (61) and the lamp (76) will turn off.
! WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan or motor during operation. Do not lean over the motor. 40. Main Switch with Motor Press Switch-controlled Electrical Appliances Build the circuit above. Press the switch (62), the lamp (76) will light up. Press and hold the press switch (61), the motor (95) will turn on. Now press the switch (62) again, both the lamp (76) and the motor (95) will turn off. Switch (62) is the Main Switch.
1st level 1st level 1st level ! WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan or motor during operation. Do not lean over the motor. 1st level 41. OR Gate Controlling Parallel Electrical Appliances Build the circuit above. Press either the press switch (61) OR the switch (62) to turn on the lamp (76) and the motor (95). If you want to turn off the lamp (76) or turn off the motor (95), both the press switch (61) and the switch (62) must be OFF.
1st level ! WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan or motor during operation. Do not lean over the motor. 42. AND Gate Controlling Parallel Electrical Devices Build the circuit above. In the paralleled connection, to start the motor (95) and light the lamp (76), turn the switch (62) ON, AND turn ON switch (61) at the same time. The motor (95) and the lamp (76) will turn on. Sometimes, for safety reasons, it is required that two switches be ON before machinery will run.
1st level 43. Three-Person Rocket Launch Build the circuit above. In this circuit, pretend the lamp (76) and the LED (69) are a rocket. To launch the rocket the switch (62) must be ON, AND the press switch (61) must be ON, AND the reed switch (83) must be turned ON with the magnet (7). Systems like this are used to prevent accidental rocket launching by having the switches placed far enough apart that it requires three people to turn them on simultaneously.
1st level 1st level 44. Siren Build the circuit above. Press the switch (62) and you will hear the siren from the speaker (93). The Three-in-One (11) contains an Integrated Circuit (IC) that produces the siren sound. An IC is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or “chip”) of semiconductor material, normally silicon.
1st level 2nd level 1st level 45. Machine Gun Sounds Build the circuit above. Press the switch (62), you will hear some siren sounds from the speaker (93). When you touch and release the touch plate (80) you will hear a gun sound. Continually press the touch plate (80) and now you will hear machine gun sounds. Sound technicians use electronics like this on the job.
1st level 2nd level 1st level 46. Space Battle Sounds Press the switch (62), you will hear space battle sounds from the speaker (93). Press the press switch (61) multiple times and the space battle sounds will change. Note that the 4-wire (4) on the Three-in-One (11) in this circuit is activating the space war sounds by grounding the I/O2 pin. In electronics this type of input is called “active low”.
1st level 1st level 47. Music (I) Build the circuit above. Press the switch (62) and the speaker (93) will play music. This music is electronically generated and stored in this module during production and usually checked by a quality control technician to insure good audio quality.
1st level 1st level 2nd level 48. Emergency Fire Siren Build the circuit above. Press the switch (62) and a siren sound should come from the speaker (93). When you hold the press switch (61) you will hear a fire engine siren. A siren like this is designed by an engineer to cover a large spectrum of sound so all people can hear it, even if they have hearing problems.
49. Touch-controlled Sound Effects Build the circuit shown. Press the switch (62) and you will hear the siren from the speaker (93). Now touch the touch plate (80) several times and you will hear gun sounds. Hold the touch plate (80) and you will hear machine gun sounds. Note that in this circuit your finger is a good enough conductor to activate the gun sounds with the touch plate (80) even though your finger was not a good enough conductor to activate the LED (69) in project #30.
52. Space Battle Sounds Build the circuit shown here. Turn the switch (62) ON to hear the sounds of space battle from the speaker (93). Sounds will change to different space effects each time you press the press switch (61). Many movie sound effects are made electronically like this. 1st level 2nd level Level block 1st level 53. Touch-controlled Sounds of Space Battle Press the switch (62), you will hear the sounds of space battle from the speaker (93).
55. Music (II) Build the circuit shown. Turn ON the switch (62) and a song should play from the speaker (93). The IC in the Three-in-One (11) is programmed to play music when the I/O1 input is grounded (connected to 0V). 1st level 56. Reset Switch Press the switch (62), you will hear some music from the speaker (93). Hold the press switch (61) and the music will restart. Note that the music stops when you release the press switch (61). 2nd level Level block 1st level 57.
59. Siren & Red Light Warning Build the circuit shown. Press the switch (62) and the siren will be heard from the speaker (93). At the same time you can see the red light flashing in the LED (69). The voltage changes at the speaker input SP2 are changing the voltage across the LED (69), causing it to flicker. 2nd level 1st level 60. Gun with Flash on Shot Press the switch (62), then use a finger and tap the touch plate (80).
2nd level 1st level 63. Five Space Battle Sound Effects Build the circuit shown, and turn ON the switch (62). The sounds of space battle may turn on with the red light (LED 69) flashing with each sound. Press the switch (61) to step through the five different battle sounds. The IC in the Three-in-One (11) has these different sounds stored in memory and accesses them sequentially as you press the press switch (61). 64.
2nd level 66. Music with a Red Beat 1st level Build the circuit and turn ON the switch (62). Notice how the red heart beats with the music. This demonstrates how some devices can synchronize light patterns to music. 67. Repeat Button Turn ON the switch (62) and press the press switch (61) to make the music skip back to the beginning. This demonstrates how the repeat or previous song button operates on a music device works. 68.
70. Distant Siren with Indicator Build the circuit and turn ON the switch (62). A distant police siren will come from the speaker (93) with the red light indicator flashing (LED 69). In this circuit the LED (69) is in series with the speaker (93), the voltage drop across the LED (69) reduces the voltage across the speaker (93) reducing the volume of the sound. 2nd level 1st level 71. Battle Far, Far Away Turn ON the switch (62). A far away siren sound effect will come from the speaker.
74. In a Galaxy Far, Far Away Build the circuit, turn ON with the switch (62), and the speaker (93) will produce the sounds of space battle in a far away galaxy. The flashing red light from the LED (69) is indicator that there is sound in case the room is noisy. 2nd level 1st level 75. Control Drone in Battle Pretend you are controlling a drone in the far away battle by pressing the press switch (61) several times and changing the battle sounds.
78. Soft Playing Heartbeat Music Build the circuit shown, press the switch (62) and you will hear some music in low volume from the speaker (93), with the heart LED (69) beating to the music. This is a crude example of how an audio spectrum display works on an amplifier/ music system. 79. Quiet Musical Chairs Game Tell players they must be very quiet if they want to hear the music. Place chairs in a circle with backs on the inside, one fewer than the number of players.
82. Nearby Siren Build the circuit and turn ON the switch (62). You will hear sounds of a nearby siren and see flashing lights. 2nd level 1st level 83. Bank Robbery Starts Use this circuit to simulate a bank robbery starting just like a sound technician in a movie production. Use one finger on the touch plate (80). You will hear the sounds of a gun nearby. Then hold the touch plate (80) and you will hear the sounds of a machine gun.
86. Engineering a Space Battle Build the circuit shown and press the switch (62) to hear the sounds of a nearby space battle. A sound technician on a movie set might start a scene with this effect. 2nd level 1st level 87. Sound Technicians On movie sets and in many play theaters there are technicians that monitor the sound and create effects. Turn ON the switch (62) and use the press switch (61) to make different space battle sounds that could be used during a movie or play.
90. Music Loudness Reduction Build the circuit shown and turn ON the switch (62). Music will play at a reduced volume because the resistance in the lamp (76) is in series with the speaker (93) and reduces the voltage across the speaker. 2nd level 1st level 91. Parallel LED Resistance Press the switch (62), you will hear some music in medium volume from the speaker (93) with the lamp (76) and LED (69) on. Remove the LED (69) and notice the loudness does not change.
1st level 1st level 94. Flickering Candle Build the circuit and press the switch (62). The lamp (76) will flicker like a candle in a gentle breeze. 95. Silent Morse Code 2nd level Turn ON the switch (62), use one finger and tap the touch plate (80) and the lamp (76) will go off. You can now use your finger to tap out a silent Morse code signal in the dark. 96. Automated Code Press the switch (62), the lamp (76) will flash steadily.
98. Two-channel Monitor Build the circuit shown and turn ON the switch (62). The lamp (76) will simulate Morse code being silently monitored. Then press the press switch (61) and the simulated Morse code signal will change. This is similar to what a technician working for the FBI or CIA may see when they change the channel they are monitoring. 1st level 1st level Codes are only simulated, not real. 99.
101. Four Beats per Second Build and turn ON the circuit shown. The lamp (76) will flash approximately four times per second. 1st level 1st level 102. Taking a Rest Turn ON the switch (62) and if the lamp (76) is flashing press and release the press switch (61) and the lamp (76) will turn off. Now hold the press switch (61) and the lamp (76) will flash the beat again. Release the press switch (61) to take a rest. 2nd level 103.
105. Erratic Heartbeat Build the circuit, press the switch (62) and see an erratic heartbeat. 106. Heart Failure and Shock Press the switch (62) and the heart LED (69) will flash steadily. Press the press switch (61) and the heartbeat will fail. Touch the touch plate (80) to simulate a shock that makes the heart beat come back on. 1st level 1st level 107. Simulating CPR Turn ON the switch (62) and press the press switch (61) to simulate a heart failure.
1st level 1st level 109. Different Heartbeats Build the circuit and turn ON the switch (62). If the heart (69) is not beating, start by touching the touch plate (80). Change the heartbeat by clicking switch (61). There are many different types of cardiac arrhythmias (pronounced ahr-rith-mee-ahs) ranging from the completely benign to the immediately life threatening. Arrhythmia simply means “abnormal heart rhythm.” 2nd level 110. Attention Please Press the switch (62) to turn ON power.
112. Normal Heartbeat Build the circuit and turn ON the switch (62). Tap the touch plate (80) if the heart (69) is not beating. A more normal heartbeat should be seen on the LED (69). 113. Morse Code Heartbeat Build the circuit and turn ON the switch (62). Press the press switch (61) and the LED (69) will turn off. Now press the press switch (61) quickly for a “dot” and twice as long for a “dash”. Use the dots and dashes to see Morse Code in the heartbeat. 1st level 1st level 114.
Other E-Blox® Products More sets available! Visit www.myeblox.
Other E-Blox® Products More sets available! Visit www.myeblox.com TM Builds Deluxe Builds Plus Contains over 100 parts, including 8 LEDs. Contains over 70 parts, including 6 LEDs. Compatible other toy sets. Compatible with other toy brick sets. with brick Flashing Frenzy Starter Contains 25 patented parts, including 6 LEDs. Compatible other toy sets. with brick Contains over 125 patented parts, including 50 LEDs. Online instructions available for three models.
Other E-Blox® Products TM Story Blox™ include a storybook with QR codes that create an interactive learning environment using online resources. Eight models are built one at time in several parts of the story using a fully illustrated and easy-to-follow assembly manual, further enhancing the learning experience. Seymour E. Blox and his robot Robyn investigate a mysterious light in the distant ocean horizon.
Your E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ is compatible with other E-Blox® products! Your E-Blox® Circuit Blox™ kit has an available add on consisting of two tin plated blocks (part # 6EB2X101) which allow you to connect to other E-Blox® sets. A simple demo circuit is shown on the right and the parts needed to build it are shown below.
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