**2.1.3 Control program**

The program collects data from a sensor, enters the value into a PID equation, which outputs a value to represent necessary valve position change. Like the data logging program, all of this occurs within a while loop which runs until the user presses the stop button. The front panel consists of a chart, which displays the calibrated sensor value and another chart, which displays the motor outputs. The front panel also has fields which enable the user to control setpoint as well as the tuning parameters of the controller.

## **2.2 LEGO education resources (eLab example)**

The LEGO Education eLAB series introduces students to concepts of energy; allowing them to take the next natural step in the development of their scientific and technological knowledge and experience.

With a unique combination of LEGO® System sets, a motor, solar panel and capacitor, students can investigate how to generate, store and use sources of energy. The eLAB Renewable Energy Set allows students to build and test realistic models of wind and water mills, and a solar-powered Ferris wheel.

LEGO Education offers a scheme of work to use with the Renewable Energy Set, consisting of 49 activities designed to help students explore, investigate and solve problems.

Find out how to use the eLAB series together with the intelligent LEGO brick, the RCX, which features in the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® for Schools series.

## **2.2.1 Science & technology**

Science and Technology solutions from LEGO Education help teachers to capitalize on students' natural curiosity and enthusiasm about the world around them. Tools and design tasks for exploration and experimentation are provided, so that teachers can introduce the basics and let students try out their own ideas. Students build structures and simple machines and mechanisms, and test forces and motion. They experiment with the functions of wheels and axles, gears, levers and pulleys. They investigate the effects of friction and gravity on speed, and explore sources of energy. The series starts with a range of LEGO® DUPLO® construction sets for year 2 dynamics (MMB 222 course) students and continues with LEGO® System and eLAB sets that introduce motorized power and other forms of energy such as wind and solar power, for students in subsequent years.

in order for it to be used for analysis. Typical examples that students performed include step test (sudden increase in control valve position) and height of the liquid in the tank recorded by he data logging program of the Siemens programmable controllers (PLC). The program also allows for user control of a flow control valve so that, a change in valve position can be logged along with the resulting sensor reading. The data could be transferred to control station (Cooper, Doug, 2002) or a spreadsheet and a First Order Plus Dead Time model for

Another feature of this program is its calibration element. The user may enter a maximum and minimum calibration value to coincide with the raw value of 0 and 1023. Raw numbers are the values recorded by the RCX when receiving a signal from a sensor. The user can get the computer to output the actual raw values by altering calibration values in a range of 0 to 100% of a given attribute (i.e. full scale defection, span or reading) or the actual height of a

The program collects data from a sensor, enters the value into a PID equation, which outputs a value to represent necessary valve position change. Like the data logging program, all of this occurs within a while loop which runs until the user presses the stop button. The front panel consists of a chart, which displays the calibrated sensor value and another chart, which displays the motor outputs. The front panel also has fields which

The LEGO Education eLAB series introduces students to concepts of energy; allowing them to take the next natural step in the development of their scientific and technological

With a unique combination of LEGO® System sets, a motor, solar panel and capacitor, students can investigate how to generate, store and use sources of energy. The eLAB Renewable Energy Set allows students to build and test realistic models of wind and water

LEGO Education offers a scheme of work to use with the Renewable Energy Set, consisting

Find out how to use the eLAB series together with the intelligent LEGO brick, the RCX,

Science and Technology solutions from LEGO Education help teachers to capitalize on students' natural curiosity and enthusiasm about the world around them. Tools and design tasks for exploration and experimentation are provided, so that teachers can introduce the basics and let students try out their own ideas. Students build structures and simple machines and mechanisms, and test forces and motion. They experiment with the functions of wheels and axles, gears, levers and pulleys. They investigate the effects of friction and gravity on speed, and explore sources of energy. The series starts with a range of LEGO® DUPLO® construction sets for year 2 dynamics (MMB 222 course) students and continues with LEGO® System and eLAB sets that introduce motorized power and other forms of

of 49 activities designed to help students explore, investigate and solve problems.

which features in the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® for Schools series.

energy such as wind and solar power, for students in subsequent years.

enable the user to control setpoint as well as the tuning parameters of the controller.

the system can be obtained.

liquid in a vessel.

**2.1.3 Control program**

knowledge and experience.

**2.2.1 Science & technology**

**2.2 LEGO education resources (eLab example)**

mills, and a solar-powered Ferris wheel.
