Circuitmess MARV User manual

Introduction
The beginning
Welcome to MARV's build guide!
By following this build guide, you'll learn how to assemble your wacky robot - Marv.
Marv is a beginner-friendly 12-piece kit that will help you learn about soldering and
the difference between a pushbutton and a switch.
Age group
This product is 9+.
MARV, The Wacky Robot
Build Guide
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Make sure to have an adult helping you with the assembly process. It's okay to ask
for help.
Assembly time
It should take you approximately 1 hour to fully assemble your MARV.
Skills
You don't need to have any specific skills before getting your hands dirty with this
DIY project.
The main objective here is to have fun and learn something new.
What's in the kit?
Let's meet all the components that arrived!
In case something is missing, please contact us at[email protected].
Send us a photo of everything that came in the box, and we'll get back to you as
soon as possible to resolve the issue.  
Here's the list of components:
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1. Battery holder
2. Resistors
3. Circuit board
4. 5mm blue LEDs
5. 3V coin cell battery
6. Switch
7. Pushbuttons
Electronics 101
Let's learn something about the components
you've got!
Don't worry, it won't last long, and we will try to make it fun.
1. Circuit board
The blue head-shaped thingy you've gotten in your kit is called a circuit board.
Professionals call this a printed circuit board or PCB.
A PCB is a laminated sandwich structure of conductive and insulating layers.
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What does it do?
Your circuit board has two functions:
1. It holds all the electronic components in place.
2. It provides electrical connections between the electronic components.
Because of the circuit board, all electronic components can work together as a
team.
What are those tiny lines on my circuit board?
They allow electrical charges to flow between components. This way, electronic
components are powered, and they can do clever stuff using electricity.
What is my circuit board made of?
Circuit boards are usually made out of fiberglass-reinforced epoxy-laminated
sheets.
These are also referred to as “FR4” sheets.
The FR4 sheets are used as the insulating non-conductive material, and copper is
used as a conductive material.
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If material is conductive, it conducts electricity; electrical charge can flow
through that material easily.
FR4 and copper are both sandwiched together in thin sheets, and that’s how you
get a circuit board.
Where are PCBs used?
They’re used everywhere!
In your phone, in your laptop, in your refrigerator, air conditioner. Basically, every
electronic device you use has a unique printed circuit board that makes it work.
Did you know?
A PCB is one of the most important inventions of the last 100 years.
Space travel wouldn’t be possible without them.
PCBs were invented by Paul Eisler.
He invented it in the 1930s, but the predecessors of modern-day PCBs have been
around since the age of gramophones and vacuum tube radios, just in a
somewhat different form.
2. Resistors
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Resistors are the most basic electronic components found in almost every
electronic device.
They fall in the category of passive electronic components.
Passive electronic components do not generate electrical power and do not need
electrical power to work.
They just modify the flow of electrical energy in their own unique way.
Resistors that you have gotten in your package have a cylindrical shape and two
tiny metal legs.
We call these legs “component leads”.
Resistance
Resistors have a property of resistance - they lower the amount of electrical
energy flowing through the circuit. They “resist” the flow of electrical energy.
The unit of resistance is called ohm and it was named after German physicist
Georg Simon Ohm.
Resistors are used for tasks such as adjusting the flow of electricity through an
electronic circuit.
The exact value of a resistor is measured with a device called an ohmmeter.
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Can we compare it to something we see in everyday life?
If we make an analogy to water flowing through pipes, the resistor is a thin pipe
that reduces the water flow.
Scientists and engineers have come up with different symbols for each and
every electronic component.
This is an electronic symbol for a resistor:
This is Georg Simon Ohm:
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3. 3V coin cell battery
A battery is a source of electric power consisting of electrochemical cells.
Every battery stores chemicals. These chemicals cause chemical reactions and
generate electrical energy.
This battery is made out of a material called lithium.
Do you see the tiny “3V” written on the battery?
This is read as “three volts”.
Volts are the units used to describe electrical voltage.
You will see the number of volts written on almost every battery as it’s one of the
most important pieces of information about the battery.
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Voltage is a type of “pressure” that drives charge through an electrical circuit.
Different electronic devices have different batteries with different voltages.
For example, a mobile phone has a battery of 3.7 volts, and a car has a battery with
a voltage of 12 volts.
Useful tip:
This particular battery size and model is called a CR2032 coin cell battery.
4. Battery holder
The battery holder is not as complex as the rest of the components, but it deserves
a word or two.
It's made out of plastics and has two pins that you'll have to solder in order to keep
it on Marv's body.
The battery holder will be used for holding the battery and giving life to your wacky
robot.
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5. Switch
The switch you got in your kit is a power switch, andit helps you turn Marv on and
off. You can easily do so with one simple push.
The power switch controls the flow of power to an electric device - in other words,it
connects and disconnects an electrical circuit.
Switches are used in almost every electronic device. They are found in your mobile
phone, computer, air conditioner, etc.
Historical fun fact:
An electrical switch was invented in 1884 by John Henry Holmes, who used it for
turning lights on and off.
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6. Pushbuttons
A pushbutton switch is a small, sealed mechanism that completes an electric
circuit when you press on it.
When a pushbutton is pressed, a small metal spring inside makes contact with
two wires, allowing electrical energy to flow.
When you release your finger from the pushbutton, the spring retracts, the
electrical contact is interrupted, and electrical energy won't flow through the
switch.
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What's the difference between a switch and a pushbutton?
Switches have an on and off state that can be switched between by pushing the
switch with your finger.
A pushbutton also has two states - on and off. A pushbutton will change its state if
you push it with your finger, but it will automatically retract back to its original state
when you remove your finger.
7. Blue LEDs
These electronic components will make your MARV’s eyes light up.
LED stands for light-emitting diodes.
LEDs convert electrical energy into visible light.
This is an electronic symbol for a light-emitting diode:
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Watch out - LEDs are polarized!
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are polarized.
This means that they only allow current to flow in one direction.
Because of this, you need to pay attention to how you are going to place your LED
in the electronic circuit.
The tiny metal legs of every LED are not the same length.
They mark polarity!
The positive leg is longer (we call this one the anode), and the shorter one is
negative (this one has a funny name - cathode).
Electrical energy flows from the anode to the cathode and not in the opposite
direction.
If you put the LED in the wrong way, it won't light up because the electrical energy
will not be able to flow through it.
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Resistors and LEDs make a great team!
LEDs can be damaged if they receive too much energy.
Oh no! The coin cell battery supplied with your MARV is too much for the poor little
LEDs”.
But don't worry, we sent resistors to the rescue!
Resistors will limit the amount of electrical energy flowing through the circuit and
save your LEDs from getting damaged.
Historical fun facts:
A Russian inventor Oleg Vladimirovich Losev made the first LED in 1927.
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Did you know?
LED lightbulbs are the most efficient type of lightbulbs.
Unlike “regular” “old” bulbs (we call these incandescent lightbulbs), which release
90% of their energy as heat, LEDs use energy far more efficiently with very little
wasted heat.
Meet the tools!
Let’s assemble your wacky robot!
First, we’ll need some tools!
i i
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Soldering iron
For the assembly, any entry-level soldering iron will suffice.
Although, if you plan to dive into the world of DIY projects, you should consider
getting a more expensive one with more features.
You’ll also need a soldering iron stand and a small reel of rosin-cored solder.
Diagonal cutter pliers
We prefer this type shown in the picture (Plato, model 170), but any other type will
do.

Soldering sponge
Make sure your soldering toolkit has a sponge that can be used for wiping your
soldering iron clean.Make sure that the sponge isn't dripping wet or bone dry - it
should be damp.
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Assembly
How do I solder?
One of the things you'll do as a part of Marv's assembly process is soldering!
Have you ever done that before? If your answer is no, we suggest you look at the
following few links where you'll find useful tutorials and blogs about soldering. It will
only take you 10 minutes to get into the zone and understand how it's done. Here
are the links:
Adafruit’s video tutorial featuring Collin Cunningham-A tutorial featuring
Collin Cunningham, a super charismatic electronics guru.
Adafruit’s standard soldering tutorial-A great and thorough video tutorial. An
absolute must-read, even if you know how to solder. Make sure to check the
“common soldering mistakes” section at the end.
Sparkfun’s video soldering tutorial-Another well-made how-to-solder video
tutorial.
Sparkfun’s standard soldering tutorial- A detailed tutorial made by Sparkfun.
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Here is an awesome picture by Adafruit industries that can help you (thank you
Adafruit!):
These are the rules for soldering you should follow
every time:
Never inhale the dust and the fumes that can be produced by the soldering
iron!
Soldering iron gets hot! Do not touch the tip of the soldering iron!Even if the
soldering iron is turned off or completely disconnected from the power source,
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there is still a possibility that it’s very hot and, therefore, can cause very
uncomfortable pain if touched.Always keep the soldering iron facing away
from your hands.If you’re finished soldering, unplug the soldering iron from
the power source and leave it to cool off for at least five minutes before
putting it back in your toolbox.
Clean the soldering iron!Make sure to use the sponge often and clean your
soldering iron if you wish to have an easy and simple soldering
experience.Carefully hold an end of the sponge with one hand and wipe the
tip of the soldering iron on the other end of the sponge to remove the extra
solder. Repeat the process until the tip of the iron is nice and clean.
Check your solder joints twice (at least)!
Keep the soldering iron on the stand when you’re not using it.
Know how much solder is needed!Make sure to put just enough solder.
Not too much, and not too little, since both can cause your newly-made
device to malfunction.
Don’t leave any residual solder on the board!The solder should only be on
the parts where the pins connect to the board.
Keep the rest of the board clean!
Using the soldering iron
If you're using your soldering iron for the first time or need help with cleaning its tip,
check our video tutorial.
The soldering iron is very easy to use but only when used properly.
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Step 1 - plug it in
Put the soldering iron on a soldering iron stand, and plug it into a power outlet.
Step 2 - select the right temperature
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