6.3 BLOX: Inputs and Sensors

Most of the projects you'll do with BLOX will involve an event in the form of a sensor or other input kicking off something that needs to happen

Analog sensors measure values that can vary continuously within a range.

For most simple sensors, the value from an analog sensor is typically represented as a changing voltage, which your BLOX converts to a digital number (0-4095 as ADC is equivalent to 0-3.3v at the analog input terminal)

Some more advanced sensors uses I2C or SPI to communicate and provides a more direct value like a temperature or distance in actual units.

You usually respond to analog sensor readings by setting thresholds. For instance, if the temperature exceeds 30°C, you might trigger a fan to turn on, and if it drops below 30°C, the fan stays off.

This approach allows for more nuanced control based on the varying data the sensor provides.

Digital sensors work like a simple switch, offering just two possible states: on or off, triggered or idle.

For example, a motion sensor might detect movement (on) or no movement (off).

Since digital sensors only have these two states, your program simply need checks whether the sensor is triggered or not and reacts accordingly.

This type of sensor is often used for straightforward tasks like detecting the presence of an object or whether a button has been pressed.

BLOX supports using a PS2 gamepad as an input device