OK time to put some components onto my board to see if I’ve got this right so far. The soldering was quite easy, some of my GCSE knowledge came drifting back up from where it was buried in my brain plus a couple of the guy’s here have worked as electrical engineers (thanks Steve!) Tips: […]

To programme my PIC chip I’m using the PICAXE Programming Editor, you can either programme using flow charts or in code, I’ll detail both below. Right a nice simple programme, make an LED blink at regular intervals, I started with the flowchart programme as I find it easier to visualise:   So you can see […]

While the dragon’s face is beautiful it would need simplification or I will spen the bulk of my time making the form.

Ok, I have presented my two ideas to the rest of my class and my tutor and have made a decision on the product I will be making. Both ideas were well received however one will be much more achievable in the time scale I have to complete this project. While the dragon money box would be […]

Right, time to set out the details of what I want to achieve: To produce a toy safe using the Tech Supplies keypad kit as a starting point. As stated in my Project Brief the safe needs to be able to be part of a batch production, to this end I need to utilise 2D/3D […]

Right, now I have decided on my product I need to purchase the keypad kit, put it together and make my alterations. The kit comes from a company called Tech Supplies (http://www.techsupplies.co.uk/epages/Store.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Store.TechSupplies/Products/CHI008) and contains the basics I need for making my safe. Before I received my kit I had assumed that the keypad would work by […]

Ok, to get my safe to lock I need something to act as a locking mechanism, The Tech Supplies kit is designed to run a solenoid bolt but what is a solenoid?  A solenoid in it’s simplest form is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical movement. It is a coil of wire that […]