If you have a bunch of school kids rearing to have a go at the most popular single board computer, the Raspberry Pi or RBPi, then this 37-sensor kit is something that can keep them happy for hours on end. Fans of the open source RBPi will relish the different kinds of experiments they can try out with the funny and completed modules in this new kit.
The modules in the kit connect to your RBPi and send it all kinds of different signals from the physical world. Using these modules by connecting them to the RBPi is very simple as the manufacturer of the kit provides detailed information and usage guidelines for all the sensors in the kit.
The latest kit from SunFounder comes with the sensors neatly packed in a plastic box, along with the 168-page user manual. The improved Fritzing breadboard and the sensors are suitable for the RBPi Model B+ and RBPi2. The kit also contains the detailed material list of each module. Users get the improved code in Python and C along with the Fritzing images. That certainly helps the user to learn to use the sensors for their individual applications.
You must have your own RBPi for using the sensors in this kit, as the kit itself does not come with the RBPi. Moreover, the 40-pin GPIO expansion board included with the kit is for the RBPi B+. The most interesting part of the kit is the 16×2 LCD module and the Breadboard. Using these and the several sensors you can try out about 35 experiments listed in the kit.
The experiments cover a mixture of analog and digital electronics. For example, you can learn about how a relay works, how a mercury tilt-switch functions or how to make an active or a passive buzzer sound the alarm. Those interested in remote sensing will find the Hall sensor fascinating, along with the sound sensor and the gas sensor. With the Ultrasonic Ranging Module, you can easily measure distances without approaching the distant object.
For those interested in temperature measurements, there is the DS18820 Temperature Sensor and the Thermistor module. The RTC-DS1302 module will help in measuring in real time, while the Barometric-BMP180 and the Humidity sensor will help in determining or predicting the weather.
Experiments in light interest many. For them, the kit includes dual color LEDs, RGB LEDs, and Auto-Flash LED modules. Photo-interrupter modules, IR obstacle modules, IR remote control module and the IR receiver modules will help those interested in communication with light beams.
Control experiments that are more sophisticated are also possible. For example, those interested in Analog to Digital and Digital to Analog conversion and control will find the AD/DA Converter PCF8591 module to be useful. Other modules such as the Rotary Encoder module, the Joystick PS2 module, the MPU6050 module hold promises of still further sophistication.
The kit is suitable for all types of beginners, learners and the more initiated. It is an attempt to allow users to learn the basics of analog and digital electronics. Users can then move over to experimenting with different types of sensors and learn about controlling their physical world.
