A denshi block (or electronic block; the name "denshi" is Japanese word for "electronics") is a small plastic box containing an electronic component. The blocks are used in some educational electronics kits, such as the Gakken EX-150, to allow experiments to be performed easily and safely.

Description

The size and shape of denshi blocks depend on the kit they are from. The blocks of a particular kit will have the same height, usually a few centimetres, and cover a square or rectangular area a few centimetres on either side. They are designed to fit into a grid of squares, so blocks always occupy some rectangular area of these squares, with the majority of blocks occupying just one square. Most blocks contain either a single electronic component, for example a

resistor A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active el ...

, just some wiring or both. Some unusual blocks contain complex circuitry, for example, a sound

synthesiser A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...

in the

Gakken EX-System The Gakken EX-System is a series of educational electronics kits produced by Gakken in the late 1970s. The kits use denshi blocks (also known as ''electronic blocks'') to allow electronics experiments to be performed easily and safely. Over 25 yea ...

or a

microcomputer A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU) made out of a microprocessor. The computer also includes memory and input/output (I/O) circuitry together mounted on a printed circuit board (PC ...

in the

Gakken FX-System is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales is reported at ¥ 90 billion ($789 million US). Gakken publishes educational books and magazines and produces other ...

. Usually, a schematic representation of the block's contents is printed on its top. On the sides of each block are conductive metal strips, so that when two blocks are placed side-by-side, their metal strips touch allowing electricity to flow between them. A circuit is built by placing a configuration of denshi blocks in a two dimensional grid. The instructions for building the circuit need only illustrate where to place the blocks in the grid. Because of the two dimensional layout and the labels on the blocks, a configuration of blocks resembles a schematic of the circuit.

External links and references

*
Denshi Blocks Mfg. Co. Ltd. Home Page
*

* Dostál, J
Electronic kits in education.
Olomouc, EU: Votobia, 2008. 74 s. . Educational toys {{Toy-stub