Digital systems hands-on
 
The B4 Spark Core provides everything for students to design and build digital systems from the ground up, exploring how data is represented, stored, and processed inside a computer.
 
Aligned to the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies (AC9TDI), the Core kit supports students in Years 5–10 as they:
 
Understand binary representation and how numbers are stored in digital systems.
Investigate how data moves through and between computer components.
Apply systems thinking to design and test their own programmable calculator.
Develop skills in writing and following algorithms, linking directly to programming fundamentals.
 
By the end of the missions, students have constructed a working, programmable calculator and established a strong conceptual foundation for coding, algorithms, and systems design.
 
 
🔴 B4 Spark Master Programmer (Optional)
The B4 Spark Master Programmer extends the B4 Spark Core by connecting it to the student's laptop. Students extend their understanding of digital systems into software concepts, programming languages, and cyber security. This option connects the hardware journey of the B4 Spark Core to higher-level programming and system design.
 
Curriculum Links:
Digital Systems: Explore internal components (Program Counter, Latch, RAM, Selector), and see how hardware modules interact to form a complete system. Understand how hardware and program instructions work together.
Data Representation, Acquisition & Analysis: Discover how all data is represented in binary and how the computer processes it step by step. Collect and analyse outputs to confirm program behaviour.
Investigating & Defining: Break down problems into smaller steps and decide how to represent them as sequences of instructions.
Generating & Designing: Create program tables that describe and control the flow of data through the system.
Producing & Implementing: Build, wire, and program the B4 to execute arithmetic operations and update results.
Evaluating: Test and observe program runs, compare expected vs. actual outcomes, and refine wiring or program tables.
Collaborating & Managing: Work in pairs or small groups to assemble hardware, troubleshoot issues, and share design solutions.
Privacy & Security: Introduce the idea that all stored data can be inspected, modified, or erased, laying the foundation for discussions of data protection and cyber security.