Posted April 28, 2015 by Chris

Hello PyroEDU Students!

Are you ready for another PyroEDU course? In 2 days on 4/30 we will begin the Introduction to Sensors course on uReddit and PyroEDU.

The Introduction to Sensors course will teach how different sensors work and how to interface to them with digital electronics. A few of the sensors we will be using are magnetic, light, distance, temperature and tilt sensors just to name a few. With each sensor we will apply the PyroEDU learning method which is introducing the sensor, explaining the theory, building up an experiment step-by-step and then looking at some real world examples of how the sensor is used.

Join the course here at uReddit: http://ureddit.com/class/128165/an-introduction-to-sensors

The Gadgetory is also offering the sensors parts kit for this course, if you plan to follow along with us.

Looking forward to a brand new and fun class!

Chris @ PyroElectro.com

Posted April 23, 2015 by Chris

We are only 1 week away from the launch of the new PyroEDU course: An Introduction to Sensors! This course comes right on the heels of our two courses: An Introduction To CPLD and FPGA and An Introduction To Microcontrollers and as such, it will use knowledge from both previous courses to further expand your knowledge of how to build sensor interfaces. Also, thanks again to all of our kickstarter backers who originally got us started! Read more at the course page at PyroEDU

If you have not already signed up, go on over to uReddit or P2PU and join the online class to get weekly updates about each lesson as they are taught.

Posted April 14, 2015 by Chris

Thanks to continued support and feedback from all of YOU, we are excited to announce that the 6th course of PyroEDU: An Introduction To Sensors will begin in two weeks! Here’s a preview of the course overview:

“This course is meant to create a pathway into learning about sensors, for people who are scared of the math and general trickery that usually comes with them. A hands-on approach is taken in this course through a combination of lecture and experimentation to teach you about the different basic components used as sensors. Additionally, visuals are used throughout lectures to explain the theory behind how each sensor works and their role in the everyday electronics that we use, while keeping the math to a minimum.”

This course comes right on the heels of our two courses: An Introduction To CPLD and FPGA and An Introduction To Microcontrollers and as such, it will use knowledge from both previous courses to further expand your knowledge of how to build sensor interfaces. Also, thanks again to all of our kickstarter backers who originally got us started! Read more at the course page at PyroEDU

Posted September 6, 2014 by Syd

We are excited to announce the winners of the Pyro POV Contest! Thank you everyone who participated. Your entries were all great examples of Persistence of Vision and we enjoyed looking through each of them.

Check out the winners’ entries »

Posted August 28, 2014 by Chris

This week, we’re finishing off An Introduction to CPLD and FPGA with Lesson 10: VHDL vs Verilog vs Schematic. Here’s a short overview of the lesson:

"There are many ways to create a CPLD or FPGA image. The most common methods are with VHDL, Verilog or schematic capture. In this lesson we’ll explore and compare all three."

Posted August 22, 2014 by Syd

Just a reminder to all you Pyros out there: there are just 8 days left to enter the Pyro POV Contest! If you’re not sure how to build a POV device, no problem, PyroEDU has you covered! Check out our latest lesson Course 5: FPGA and CPLD » Lesson 9: Design a Handheld POV to learn how. Get those entries in soon for your chance to win a Basys2 Spartan-3E FPGA Development Board. Good luck!

Posted August 21, 2014 by Chris

This week we’ll take a look at a very cool effect – persistence of vision in Lesson 9: Handheld LED POV. This is part of our new PyroEDU course: An Introduction to CPLD and FPGA. Here’s a short overview of the lesson:

"A very fascinating effect called persistence of vision can easily be created by repeatedly telling a single row of LEDs to output a message. Let’s build a POV with a secret message!"

Posted August 14, 2014 by Chris

This week we’re moving onto a fun topic: Lesson 8: LED Dimming Via PWM where we’ll use PWM signals to control the brightness of some LEDs with VHDL code. This is part of our new PyroEDU course: An Introduction to CPLD and FPGA. Here’s a short overview of the lesson:

"We have used PWM in many other courses before, but creating PWM in an FPGA or CPLD requires a different way of thinking. Let’s make our own PWM output module to change the brightness of some LEDs. "

Posted August 7, 2014 by Chris

Did you know that FPGAs and CPLDs allow you to design hardware inside of them that operate entirely in parallel? This week, we explore this topic in Lesson 7: Parallel Hardware as part of our new PyroEDU course: An Introduction to CPLD and FPGA. Here’s a short overview of the lesson:

"A powerful tool of CPLD and FPGA design is being able to create multiple modules that perform operations in parallel. Let’s explore how this is done and why it is so awesome. "

Posted July 31, 2014 by Chris

Timing and CPLDs is such an important idea that we dedicated a whole lesson to the topic. This week, we’re moving on to: Lesson 6: Design A Binary Timer as part of our new PyroEDU course: An Introduction to CPLD and FPGA. Here’s an overview of the lesson:

"We built a binary counter using all hardware components in the Digital Course, but now let’s build a binary counter by programming it using VHDL code."