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Teacher’s notes in the Notes Page

Flash activity (these are not editable)Icons:

Unit 7 Systems and Control

Worksheet or support sheet available

7.2 Control devices

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Curriculum links

This presentation supports the following areas of knowledge in the Naace Curriculum Framework for KS3 ICT:

This presentation supports the following sectionsof the Programme of Study for KS3 Computing:

design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems

understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems

undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users

Skills – Control, data-logging and programming, problem solvingTechnology in the World – Use of ICT in practical contextsTechnical Understanding – How computing devices work, embedded systems, programming and control

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Learning objectives

By the end of this presentation we will have learned:

what a control device is

where control devices are used in the real world

how control devices work.

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A world without control devices

Imagine that you wake up tomorrow morning and all technology has stopped working.

Your alarm clock wouldn’t sound.

Many simple, day-to-day activities would become very difficult without technology to help us.

Your shower would be cold.

Your toaster wouldn’t operate.

Cars and buses wouldn’t work, so you would have to walk to school.

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Control devices

Fortunately, you have grown up in the age of the microprocessor. This small device can be found in many household objects, and has worked tirelessly to make your life easier since before you were born.

They can repeat the same task many times in exactly the same way.

A control device uses a microprocessor, sensors and output devices to complete tasks. Control devices have many advantages:

They can go into dangerous places, like nuclear reactors.

They never get bored or tired and never need a break.

Where else could a control device be used?

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Spot the control device

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Input process output model

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IPO model in a kettle