Glossary

This book contains a number of terms that may be unfamiliar to a reader. Refer to this glossary any time you encounter a word or phrase you don’t understand.

3D design program A program that allows the user to design an object for output on a 3D printer.

3D printer A machine capable of extruding and depositing layers of plastic to form a three-dimensional object.

accelerometer A sensor that determines its speed and acceleration, and returns that value to a microcontroller.

actuator Motors and other mechanical assemblies triggered by electricity, pneumatics, hydraulics, or some other force.

analog Data sent in a continuous wave of varying voltage, as opposed to digital, which sends data with a series of on-and-off signals.

Arduino Microcontroller board designed for artists and beginners.

BeagleBone Black Microcomputer about the size of a credit card but capable of behaving like a fully-fledged Linux PC.

Bionicle eye A largely cosmetic part (P/N 41669) found in the EV3 set.

BrickPi An interface board between a Raspberry Pi microcomputer and Mindstorms’ proprietary motors and sensors.

bushing Small sleeves designed to secure the end of an axle. The EV3 set comes with red bushings and yellow half-thickness bushings.

cape In the BeagleBone Black context, it’s an add-on board that adds sensors and other capabilities to the base unit.

Cartesian coordinates The system that describes a specific point in a three-dimensional space. This is represented as X (left and right), Y (forward and backward), and Z (up and down).

chassis brick Also known as a beam frame, the chassis brick consists of a rectangular beam in the shape of a hollow rectangle and is good for making a vehicle chassis and for strengthening a complicated structure.

computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools Computer-controlled power tools that precisely follow paths as directed by a computer program.

dongle A small device that can be plugged into a computer to give it additional capabilities.

Ethernet A computer networking protocol.

ground The return path of an electric circuit. On a battery the ground is marked with a – (minus sign). Ground is often abbreviated GND in electronic parlance.

HDMI A standard for connecting high-definition televisions to peripherals.

hub wheel An electrically powered wheel with the motor contained inside the wheel itself.

infrared (IR) light A bandwidth of light outside the visible range for humans; IR light is often modulated to send small amounts of data—for instance, the “off” signal for a TV.

Intelligent Brick The control brick that ships with the Mindstorms EV3 set.

iteration Each successive version of an existing project is an iteration.

laser cutter Also known as a laser etcher, a laser cutter burns through thin materials such as cardboard, MDF, and particle board.

LeJos An alternate operating system that can be installed on Mindstorms Intelligent Bricks.

linear actuator A motor that extends and retracts a rod rather than turning an axle.

mechanum wheel A wheel with smaller wheels along the rim, allowing a robot to move sideways as well as forward and backward. Also known as omni wheels.

micro USB The smallest standard size of USB cable.

microcomputer A circuit board computer capable of running Linux, connecting to the Internet, and running programs.

microcontroller A simplistic computer, capable of taking input from sensors and activating motors and lights.

Molex plug A plastic socket system for securely connecting two electronic components.

multiplexer (mux) A device capable of taking input from multiple sources and sending it to a controller via a single data connection.

open-source hardware and software Electronics projects where the code and electronic designs are shared freely, and anyone is free to modify or recreate it.

parametric In the 3D printing world, this term refers to interactive designs that can be modified by the end user. For instance, changing the diameter of a wheel.

plotter A drawing machine that uses a pen to draw shapes on a sheet of paper.

pneumatic valve A valve that controls a pressurized air system.

proximity sensor A sensor that detects a nearby object, often by sending out a pulse of infrared light and sensing the reflection.

Raspberry Pi A microcomputer capable of running Linux, connecting to the Internet, and other tasks computers perform.

reflash To reprogram the firmware on an EV3 Intelligent Brick.

relay An electromechanical switch capable of controlling high-voltage circuits.

RGB LED A light-emitting module consisting of three elements, one each of red, blue, and green. By lighting one or more of these elements, a large variety of colors can be created.

SCL (serial clock) One of the two wires of a serial data connection.

SDA (serial data) One of the two wires of a serial data connection.

servo A motor equipped with a gearbox and encoder, enabling precision control of how far the motor’s shaft turns.

sketch Arduino parlance for the program that controls the Arduino’s pins and contains instructions for the microcontroller’s processor.

STL A common 3D printing file format.

thermal infrared sensor A sensor that detects movement by scanning changes in infrared light in its proximity.

torque The twisting force exhibited by a rotating object.

ultrasonic sensor A sensor that detects obstructions and measures distances by transmitting a beam of inaudible sound and then listening for an echo.

worm drive A spiral-shaped gear assembly featuring a low-speed but high torque.