Matrix E-blocks Notice D'utilisation page 3

1. I
ntroduCtIon to
Congratulations. You have just bought into the
world's most flexible range of electronics
system development kits. The E-blocks range
is made up of more than 150 individual prod-
ucts that allows you to both learn how elec-
tronic systems work, and to rapidly develop
electronic systems of your own.
The range is split into several parts:
Hardware
There are two kinds of hardware E-blocks:
• Upstream boards
'Upstream' is a computing term which
indicates that this is the board that controls
the flow of information in a system. Upstream
boards are usually device programmers of
some kind. Any device which contains 'intel-
ligence' and can dictate the direction of flow
of information on the bus can be thought of
as an 'upstream' device. Examples include mi-
crocontroller boards and Programmable Logic
Device boards. You can see a full list of boards
at www.matrixmultimedia.com.
• Downstream boards
Any device which responds to these changes
and whose behaviour is determined by another
device can be thought of as a 'downstream'
device. Examples include LED boards, RS232
boards, internet boards etc.
Downstream boards are controlled by the
upstream board - but information can flow
into them and from them.
Upstream and downstream boards can be
snapped together to form a complete elec-
tronic systems for learning and development.
• Accessories
In addition to the circuit boards themselves
you will find that there are more than 60
Fig 2 - Accelerometer
e-
bloCks
sensors and accessories - including the
Accelerometer sensor shown in Figure 2.
Software
The software you use will depend on your
choice of upstream board(s). In the E-blocks
range you will find C compilers, assemblers
and Flowcode - a unique graphical program-
ming tool based on flow charts which allows
those with little experience to develop
complex electronic systems.
Curriculum and applications
If you are just starting to learn electronics,
or if you an experienced engineer learning
VHDL, you will find that the E-blocks range is
supported by a fantastic amount of curriculum
materials, datasheets, and project articles.
Much of this is available on CD ROM, but you
will also find our web site a great source of
information.
User guide
This short guide will introduce you to the
E-blocks system and explain how it works
from electrical and mechanical points of view.
It will also give you some hints and tips on
how to use E-blocks so that you can get the
best from your equipment.
Fig 3 - Flowcode 3
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