Elab Volume 3

ELAB – Electronics Lab Volume 3 is where circuits meet code. The third level of the ELAB STEM program (ages 11–14) introduces programming with an original Arduino Nano R4 — included in the kit together with the ELAB Nano Breakout board and USB-C cable. This is not abstract coding: students write real programs that light LEDs, read buttons, play melodies, and finally build a complete interactive game — Simon — from scratch. Across 10 chapters and more than 30 hands-on coding experiments, learners discover the most important idea in computing: machines don't decide, they execute instructions — and the instructions are yours to write. Recommended after Volumes 1 and 2, but accessible to anyone with basic electronics fundamentals.

The illustrated manual is available in English and Italian

Write the code. Control the real world.

ELAB Volume 3 marks the decisive step of the ELAB journey: from analog electronics to programming. With an original Arduino Nano R4 and the proprietary ELAB Nano Breakout board, young learners write code that acts on the physical world — lighting LEDs, reading buttons and trimmers, generating sounds, and creating a real interactive game.

Every chapter alternates theory and practice: learn a concept, then immediately apply it by building a circuit and writing the program that controls it. Along the way, students absorb the fundamental mental model behind all computing — a computer does exactly what its instructions say, step by step. Understanding this is not just the key to programming: it is the foundation for making sense of every technology they will meet, from apps to artificial intelligence.

A structured learning path

The illustrated manual contains 10 chapters, from the origins of programming to a complete final project:

1. A Journey Through the History of Programming — from Ada Lovelace and the Jacquard loom to ENIAC, modern languages, and Arduino
2. What Is Programming? — the cooking-recipe metaphor, programming languages, the compiler, and your first lines of code
3. Hardware and Software — microcontroller, CPU, Flash, RAM; firmware vs. software
4. Introducing Arduino — the Nano R4, the IDE, the ELAB breakout board, and setting up the environment
5. Our First Program: Blink! — setup and loop, compiling, uploading; the classic "Hello World" of electronics
6. The Discrete World: Digital Pins — HIGH and LOW, digitalRead, if/else, variables, for loops; build a programmable traffic light
7. The Continuous World: Analog Pins — analogRead, trimmers, 0–1023 values, analogWrite and PWM to dim LEDs
8. Visualizing Data: The Serial Monitor — Serial.print, real-time debugging, and the serial plotter for sensor data
9. The Piezo: Let's Make Music! — the tone() function, frequencies and musical notes; build a four-button piano
10. The Final Project: The Simon Game! — 4 LEDs, 4 pushbuttons, 1 buzzer: program a memory game with random sequences, sounds, and arrays

For students, families, and teachers

• Young learners (11–14): ready to code. They learn variables, conditions, loops, functions, and arrays — not on a screen alone, but applied to real circuits they build themselves.
• Parents and families: the perfect gift for a young inventor who loved Volumes 1 and 2. An educational activity that unites electronics and coding, ending with a game they programmed themselves — and will proudly challenge the whole family to play.
• Teachers and schools: the third year of the ELAB three-year program. It introduces programming and computational thinking in a guided, progressive way, with lessons that fit standard 45–60 minute class periods. One kit is recommended for every 3–4 students, with one computer per group.

An original Arduino, made classroom-ready

The kit includes an original Arduino Nano R4 — not a clone — guaranteeing full compatibility with the free Arduino IDE, firmware updates, and official support. It comes with the proprietary ELAB Nano Breakout board, designed specifically to simplify classroom use: clearly labeled pins and an integrated ON/OFF switch make wiring fast, readable, and mistake-proof.

Safe by design

Arduino is powered via USB from the computer (5V), so all activities run at very low voltage. No soldering is required, and the kit is CE marked. Every experiment is designed to be safe and repeatable.

Supported by software

The kit is complemented by ELAB's support platform, including an AI assistant, a circuit-drawing engine, and real-time help for both teachers and students. The Arduino IDE is free and available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

The completion of a full program

Volume 3 completes the three-volume ELAB path: Volume 1 covers the fundamentals of electricity and breadboard circuits, Volume 2 introduces real measurement and advanced components, and Volume 3 brings it all together with programming. Each volume is self-contained but designed to build into a complete, progressive electronics and coding curriculum.

What's in the box

Over 100 professional-quality components — everything needed to complete all 10 chapters, with no additional purchases required:

• 1x Original Arduino Nano R4 microcontroller
• 1x ELAB Nano Breakout board (proprietary), with labeled pins and integrated ON/OFF switch
• 1x USB-C cable (power and program upload)
• 1x Breadboard, 830 tie points
• Jumper wires in assorted lengths
• 1x 9V battery clip with header (for external power)
• 60x 4-band resistors (10 each: 100 Ω, 220 Ω, 330 Ω, 470 Ω, 1 kΩ, 10 kΩ)
• 25x colored LEDs (5 each: blue, red, green, yellow, white)
• 5x Pushbuttons
• 3x Trimmers / potentiometers 10 kΩ with shaft
• 1x Buzzer (piezo)
• 1x Project stand
• 1x Illustrated manual, 172 pages, 10 chapters with step-by-step explanations, code, and illustrations

Note: a computer is required to write and upload programs. The Arduino IDE is free and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.