#268 ChainBlocks

Testing some “Chain Blocks” and demonstrate an XY Plotter block (with an MCP42010 digital potentiometer) by drawing the PrexLab logo on an Oscilloscope.

Build

Notes

My neighbour is developing a prototyping system called Chain Blocks by PrexLab, and passed me some to try out. Disclaimer: at no charge.

Chain Blocks?

Chain Blocks sit somewhere on the continuum of ideas that are trying to make electronics more approachable especially for novices:

the “building block” approach, perhaps exemplified by littlebits. These require no electronics or coding backgound.
the standard Shield/Cape/Hat approach and a miscellany or modules that can be directly wired to the microcontroller development board. These are moderately approachable by beginners but require some electronics to be learned along the way, and you must be ready to code
kit-assisted breadboard prototyping, like shrimping.it
and beyond that we get into standard protoboard/breadboarding techniques for those willing to dive head-first into electronics as a hobby

I started with a “Chain Nano block with one application block”. I turned the application block into an “XY Plotter Block”.

ChainBlocks_pair

The XY Plotter Block

For a test, I decided to make an XY plotter block, based on the LEAP#265 XYplotter project.

It uses an MCP42010 dual digital potentiometer to draw images on an oscilloscope.

XYBlock_upper

XYBlock_lower

Test Sketch

ChainBlocks.ino is a test sketch that draws “PrexLab” on a scope.

The Python script make_data.py is used to interpolate plotting points over the fundamental text structure. It generates the data.h used by the ChainBlocks.ino sketch: