S5 Use software for circuit simulation
Initial skills rating *
I have never used or even seen software for circuit simulation. I will need to take a look at this to find out what it is.
Circuit simulation **
Programs like Yenka, Circuit Wizard and Flowol are used in schools to simulate electrical circuits. I have never seen anything like this before. I thought they were amazing.
The circuits in Yenka are made from electrical symbols dragged to the computer screen and joined up. The circuits can then be tested using the simulator. If the circuit is wrong the electrical components burn before your eyes. This is so good! This is so cheep. All you need is the software and students can build circuits over and over again quickly.I found myself deliberately building them wrong just to watch the program.
The circuits in Yenka are made from electrical symbols dragged to the computer screen and joined up. The circuits can then be tested using the simulator. If the circuit is wrong the electrical components burn before your eyes. This is so good! This is so cheep. All you need is the software and students can build circuits over and over again quickly.I found myself deliberately building them wrong just to watch the program.
Circuit Wizard
Circuit wizard is less fun. When the components are wired up incorrectly as in the circuit opposite the diodes just fade out.
The circuit simulation in Flowol is used to test written programs. Today I made a simple circuit using a flowchart to turn an out put on and off. The circuit simulator show the pin light up and go out again.
Circuit simulation using chips
I thought I would be able to test my circuit for my spider money box using circuit simulation but nothing was happening. When I thought about it of course it would not work because although I can select an eight pin chip it has no programming which is specific to my program.
Using Flowol simulation - I got there in the end! ***
28th March 2012
Yenka
I was really strugling to keep records of my work at the beginning of this course when we were introduced to circuit simulators. I have decided to put a little YouTube clip to remind myself what Yenka looked like. When I play the clip back it reminds me where I started my learning.