SIH Level 11 - Raspberry Pi Pico

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STEM Innovators Book Level 11 Copyright © 2024 Author: Erin Goodwin Editors: Asma Mahamedi, Dr Ali Sabra, Hari Mukul Sagar and Rebecca McDowell ISBN: 978-981-17736-0-0 Published by: SKOOL21 PTE. LTD. - Singapore DUO Tower, Level 8 #8-21 3 Fraser Street, 189352, Singapore All rights reserved, first edition 2024.

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permissions or inquiries, please contact: Email: info@skool21.org Website: https://skool21.org For the Ministry of Education approval only

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Preface Welcome to the Future of Learning!

Get ready to explore, build, and imagine like never before! The SKOOL21 STEM Innovators series takes you on an exciting adventure through science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Whether you’re just starting out or already a curious creator, these books are designed to help you think big, solve problems, and invent new ideas that could change the world.

Building on a Strong Foundation: From learning how simple machines work to designing with 3D models, each book builds on the one before it. You’ll travel through time—learning about cool inventions from the Industrial Revolution and creating your own along the way. No matter your grade, there’s something new and exciting to discover.

Learning by Doing: This isn’t just about reading or watching—this is about doing. Each book comes with a STEM kit full of tools and materials so you and your group can jump into hands-on challenges. You’ll build, test, explore, and learn by making things with your own two hands!

Real-World Impact:

Your ideas matter. Every project in this series connects to real problems people around the world are working to solve—like clean water, sustainable energy, and protecting nature. These challenges are based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and your creations could help make the world a better place.

You’re Learning Like a Pro: The SKOOL21 STEM series is trusted by experts and based on international standards.

That means you’re learning the same problem-solving, teamwork, and design skills that real scientists and engineers use every day. You’re not just doing schoolwork— you’re getting ready to shape the future.

Embrace the spirit of innovation, ignite curiosity and empower the next generation of problem solvers with the SKOOL21 STEM Innovators series!

Happy Innovating!

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Introduction to the Kit The SKOOL21 STEM Raspberry Pi Pico Learning Kit is a hands-on electronics and coding kit designed for Level 11 students. Paired with the STEM Innovators Handbook, it introduces learners to embedded systems, physical computing, and real-world automation through engaging, project-based learning.

S#

Component

Image

S#

Component

Image

S#

Component

1

Raspberry Pi Pico

11

4x4 Membrane Keypad

21

IR remote

2

Humidity Sensor

12

Photoresistor

22

Fan

3

LCD 128 x 32 DOT

13

8x8 LED Matrix

23

Button

4

M-F Dupont Wires

14

M-M Jumper Wires

24

Ultrasonic Sensor

5

Breadboard

15

Passive Buzzer

25

220 Ohm Resistors

6

USB cable

16

L293D Motor Driver

26

10 kOhm Resistors

7

Pico Prototype Shield

17

Joystick module

27

Servo motor

8

Motion Sensor

18

Flame sensor

28

Tilt switch

9

RGB LED

19

LED pack

29

1-digit tube display

10

F-F wires

20

CR2303 3V battery

30

DC motor

Image

At the heart of the kit is the Raspberry Pi Pico, a compact yet powerful microcontroller powered by the RP2040 dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor.

It enables students to build responsive systems that connect code with realworld hardware.

Technical Features

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Table of Contents S. NO

STEM PROJECTS

SDG

PAGE NO.

I

INTRODUCTION TO RASPBERRY PI PICO

06

II

BLINKING LED

10

III

THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR

12

IV

THE SERVO MOTOR AND THE SHIELD

14

V

CONTROLLING AN OUTPUT WITH AN INPUT

16

1

BOTANICAL SENSOR

18

2

PREDATOR DETECTOR

29

3

NUTRITION TRACKER

39

4

ADAPTIVE BRIGHTNESS

48

5

TEMPERATURE ALARM

57

6

BONDING MATRIX

67

7

DENSITY CALCULATOR

79

8

REACTION STIRRER

91

9

FLAME MONITOR

101

10

CONVECTION FAN

111

11

COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM

121

12

SERIES AND PARALLEL CIRCUITS

133

13

EARTHQUAKE BRACE

144

14

WATER LEVEL DETECTOR

155

15

ASTEROID DISTANCE SENSOR

166

C

CAPSTONE PROJECT

177116 05

Lesson 1: At the end of the lesson, learners will: Understand the structure and function of the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller.

Be able to install the Thonny IDE and MicroPython firmware to prepare for coding.

VOCABULARY

INTRODUCTION The Raspberry Pi Pico is a PCB, or Printed Circuit Board, that provides power, ground, and signal connection ports. The Pico is also called a microcontroller, or "brain", since it stores the code, or instructions, for the sensors, motors, and lights to follow.

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The ports connect to sensors (inputs) and motors (outputs) through wires.

The diagram below shows the possible connections each port can make. Note that there are power pins called VBUS, VSYS, and 3V3 that can provide power to components such as LEDs and motors. There are also several GND ports, which each component needs to complete the circuit and operate safely.

The micro-USB cable connects the Pico to your device. Code can be sent to the Pico through the USB cable, which also provides power to the Pico from your device. Once code is uploaded, the Pico can be disconnected from the computer and powered by an external 6V battery pack.

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GETTING STARTED

In this lesson, we will set up the Raspberry Pi Pico and prepare it for programming using the Thonny IDE.

1. Thonny is the Python coding platform used to program the Pico. To download the free software, go to thonny.org in your browser and download the version compatible with Windows.

2. Once the download is complete, click the installer package.

3. Follow the prompts to continue through the installation process.

4. Ensure you have enough storage space on the selected installation drive.

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5. Click install and wait for the installation to complete.

Open the software and select “English” as the language.

6. Allow the software to access necessary files.

7. The software will open and display the coding interface.

8. Next, we need to add the Micropython firmware so Thonny can communicate with the pico.

First, unplug the Pico from your device.

Hold down the BOOTSEL button.

While holding it, replug the Pico into your device to enter bootloader mode.

9. Select the firmware option in the bottom right hand corner and select “Install MicroPython”. Then, select the following options, click “Install”, and wait for installation to complete.

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BOTANICAL SENSOR Target 15.5 PROTECT BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL HABITATS Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

OBJECTIVES At the end of this activity the learner will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the following:

Next Generation Science Standards Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems HS-LS2-3 Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Cambridge Science Curriculum Biology: Transport in plants

7.1 Structure of transport tissues

ISTE Standards 1.5 Computational Thinker

Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods.

Engineering Connection Use a Python program with a Raspberry Pi Pico to create a temperature and humidity meter for ideal plant growth.

Common Core Mathematics Interpreting functions HSF.IF.B.4 For a function that models a relationship between two quantitites, interpret key features of graphs and tables in terms of the quantities, and sketch graphs showing key features given a verbal description of the relationship.

STEM Careers Connection This project features tasks that resemble people working in the following careers:

Botanist

Cambridge Math Standard

Phytologist

Algebra and Graphs E2.9.1 Use and interpret graphs in practical situations including travel graphs and conversion graphs.

Agriculturist

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Project 1 : INTRODUCTION Plants, like animals, need water and minerals to survive. When water is poured on plant roots, it is absorbed in root hair cells and transported through xylem, one of two transport tissues in vascular plants. Then it transpires, or evaporates, from the surface of the leaves through stomata. Humidity sensors report the amount of water vapor in the air, which can help botanists decide if plants are getting sufficient moisture for ideal growing conditions. In colder climates, agriculturists use greenhouses to control environmental factors. In general, greenhouses should be kept between 26°C and 29°C and around 80% humidity. It is important to monitor these quantities, as cold plants can freeze and hot plants can wilt. Low humidity may prevent water absorption, and too much humidity can result in pests and pathogens growing on the plants. To ensure optimal growing conditions, greenhouse temperature and humidity meters can be made to measure these values.

High air humidity

Low air humidity

DEFINE THE PROBLEM Two friends want to build a temperature and humidity meter to verify that their greenhouse has the right conditions for ideal plant growth. Can you help?

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MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS Your greenhouse temperature and humidity meter should: 1. Display the temperature and humidity readings to the serial monitor 2. Showthe readings on the LCD

Your greenhouse temperature and humidity meter must: 1. Use only the materials provided 2. Include design ideas from every team member

TEAM ROLES Work with your team to determine who will complete each role for this project.

Project Manager Resource Manager Project Communicator Project Tester

MATERIALS

Raspberry Pi Pico

DHT11 Humidity Sensor

LCD 128 x 32 DOT

7 M-F Dupont Wires

VOCABULARY

20

Pico Prototype Shield

USB cable

GETTING STARTED Locate your Raspberry Pi Pico with the pins face up and find the following ports: GND, 3V3, and GP16.

3V3 is a 3-volt power source. This port will supply power to your sensor.

GND is a ground pin, meaning it sends electricity back to the board, completing the circuit.

GP16 is a general purpose pin. In the code, it will be set to “input” so it can read signals from the sensor.

The Pico will then send the signals to your device through the USB cable.

Part 1: Print temperature and humidity values to the shell.

WIRE Step 1: Place the Raspberry Pi Pico facedown in the prototype shield on the left side. Make sure each pin inserts into its respective hole. The shield makes it easier to connect components.

Step 2: Find the S (signal) port on the sensor. Put the female end of the white wire onto the prong, and connect it to GP16.

Step 2: Find the V (voltage) port on the sensor. Put the female end of the red wire onto the prong, and connect it to 3V3.

Step 3: Find the G (ground) port on the sensor. Put the female end of the black wire onto the prong, and connect it to GND. Note: There are several GND ports on the Pico. The sensor only needs to be connected to one of them. This allows the Pico to ground multiple components at once.

Step 4: Plug the Pico into your device using the USB cable.

If your device doesn’t have a USB port, you may need a USB-to-Lightning adapter.

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Tip: The direction of the sensor pins may vary. Always read the label next to each pin on the sensor to make sure you're connecting it to the correct port on the board.

DHT11

S

V

G

Pico

GP16

3V3

GND

CODE Step 1: Open Thonny.

Step 2: Click View -> Files in the top left corner.

Step 3: Navigate to Documents/Grade 9 Raspberry Pi Pico.

Projects/Projects/Project_1_Temperature_and_Humidity.py. “.py” is the Python extension used for all of our Pico programs.

Step 4: Select MicroPython (RP2040) in the bottom right-hand corner.

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Step 5: Upload the libraries in the folder to your Pico by right-clicking on dht11.py and selecting “Upload to /”. Repeat this for the lcd128_32.py and lcd128_32_fonts.py, as we will need them later to display the readings on the LCD.

Step 6: Click the “Run” button and read the temperature and humidity values printed to the shell. What happens if you change the number in time.sleep(_) and click “Run”?

Part 2: Printing temperature and humidity values to the LCD.

WIRE ADD THE LCD (LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY)

Step 1: Find the “SCL” pin on the LCD and connect it to GP21.

Step 2: Find the “SDA” pin on the LCD and connect it to GP20.

Step 3: Find the “V pin on the LCD and connect it to VUSB. Step 4: Find the “G” pin on the LCD and connect it to GND. Note: the LCD will be blank until you have uploaded the Project 1b code.

LCD

SCL

SDA

V

Pico GP21 GP20 VUSB Shield

G

Tip: The direction of the sensor pins may vary.

Always read the label next to each pin on the sensor to make sure you're connecting it to the correct port on the board.

GND

23

CODE Step 1: Open Project_1b Temperature_and_Humidity_Meter.py in Thonny and click “Run”.

Step 2: Check the values on the LCD screen. Are the conditions in your environment suitable for ideal plant growth in a greenhouse?

CHALLENGE Write the code to check if the temperature and humidity are in the range of the ideal plant growth based on your research. Indicate on the third line of the LCD if the conditions are ideal or not.

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TEST Go back to the 'Measure Your Success' section and check the boxes. Does your project meet all the criteria and constraints?

SHARE AND IMPROVE

Design Strengths

Suggested Improvements

MATH AND SCIENCE CONNECTION 1. To display the readings every hour, what number should be in time.sleep(_)?

2. If the humidity readings are below 80%, what could you add to your greenhouse to increase the amount of water in the air?

3. A tester realizes that GP16 isn’t giving a good signal and hypothesizes that the port is damaged. They want to change the S wire on the DHT11 to GP17 instead.

What line would they need to update in the code? What should they change it to?

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4. You want to send your data to a friend in the United States, where they use Fahrenheit to measure temperature instead of Celsius. The conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit is: 9 F(C)= _ C+ 32 5 a. If the average temperature is 22 ℃ , what is the temperature in Fahrenheit? F(22) = ?

b. Draw a graph to illustrate the relationship between Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures. Take a set of Celsius values, calculate the corresponding Fahrenheit values using the function given above, and plot them on the graph.

What does the graph reveal about the relationship between these two temperature scales?

℃

°F

0 10 20 30

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REFLECT Target 15.5 PROTECT BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL HABITATS Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

1. How can the innovative use of technology, such as the Raspberry Pi Pico and humidity/temperature sensors, help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land?

2. How might professionals in the career fields listed in this project contribute to SDG 15?

I can identify key parts of a problem to solve it effectively.

I can construct a prototype with wired electronic components.

I can program my prototype to accomplish the challenge.

I can work well with my team to accomplish our goals.

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Try to wire and program the solution yourself. If you are having trouble, look at the images below for guidance.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

The code checks whether the temperature and humidity are within certain values using nested “if” loops, then prints the result on the third line of the LCD.

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