Valentine’s Love Heart Kit

Product features

• Width: 88 mm
• Height: 78 mm
• Depth: 30 mm

Requires 2 x AAA batteries (not included)

Kit contents

• Printed circuit board (PCB)
• STC89C52RC CPU
• 40 pin IC socket
• 12 MHz crystal oscillator
• 3V to 5V boost converter module
• 5 mm multi colour LED (32)
• 10 μF 25V electrolytic capacitor
• 22 pF ceramic capacitor (2)
• 1 KΩ metal film resistor (32)
• 10 KΩ metal film resistor
• SMD toggle switch
• Battery terminals set
• Connecting wires (2)
• Acrylic case
• Foam padding
• Screws (6)

Age: 12+

Difficulty: Beginner - Intermediate

Time to assemble: 2-4 hours

Young children require adult supervision when soldering

The Heart LED Electronics STEM kit provides insights into some key scientific principles including:

Circuitry and Electricity

Learn about the flow of electricity and the function of components in electronics. Understanding the function of individual electronic components is crucial for electronic engineers.

The kit includes 32 LEDs and demonstrates how they can be programmed via the CPU to provide visual output from a circuit.

It includes capacitors which store and release electrical energy, acting as temporary reservoirs that smooth voltage fluctuations, filters signals, and facilitate timing functions in electronic circuits.

It includes resistors which are for controlling current to protect sensitive components such as low voltage LEDs. Learners gain an understanding of how different electronic components require different electrical conditions to work properly.

Soldering Techniques

Gain practical experience in soldering, a fundamental skill in electronics. For engineers wishing to design their own electronic devices, traditional soldering skills are essential for prototyping. The skills one learns from this beginner level project will provide an excellent basis to progress onto more advanced electronics projects.

Central Processing Units

The kit includes an integrated CPU that gives insight into the complexity involved in today's electronic devices. You will learn about the role of CPU's to process electrical signals and control the visual output of the circuit. For this circuit, the CPU controls the sequence in which the LED's light up in addition to the colour of the light emitted. This knowledge is important for understanding advanced electronic systems.

Power sources

The kit also provides learners with practice installing a battery compartment into a circuit. Since many devices these days are powered by USB/integrated batteries, this element of the project broadens learners perspectives on the variety of power sources that can be employed in devices.

Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

Assembling the kit involves working with a printed circuit board. Learners gain insight into PCB design. They can explore the intricacies of the PCB to learn how connections are made. They also learn how parts are strategically arranged on PCBs to ensure devices are as small as possible (which makes them more practical) while also ensuring low interference between components.

Practical Problem Solving

Building the LED heart encourages budding electronics engineers to troubleshoot and problem-solve. They learn to find issues in the circuits and how to fix problems. This promotes a practical approach to solving real challenges in electronics.