science

OOPic

OOPic is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OOPic rather than just read about it. In short: The OOPic is an Object Oriented Programmable Integrated Circuit. Created by Savage Innovations, this PIC microcontroller comes with an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that supports programming in syntaxes based on the BASIC, Java and C programming languages.

Key takeaways

OOPic belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect OOPic to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of OOPic from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The OOPic is an Object Oriented Programmable Integrated Circuit. Created by Savage Innovations, this PIC microcontroller comes with an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that supports programming in syntaxes based on the BASIC, Java and C programming languages. The last three versions released to market were the OOPic-R, the OOPic-S and the OOPic-C, which is a miniature version of the former. The oldest model is the OOPic I, which uses the A.2 version of the firmware.

Architecture The OOPic firmware defines numerous built-in "objects," which can provide custom methods and properties. The objects may be wrappers for hardware, such as an external infrared sensor or a built-in LED, or logic helpers, such as dividers or logic gates. The OOPic also makes use of "virtual circuits," where the programmer can create links between object properties.

Example program The following is an example piece of code written in the BASIC syntax, which links a built-in clock that cycles every 1 Hz to an LED.

This virtual circuit behaviour gives the programmer considerable control and flexibility, and allows for better reaction to real-time behaviours thanks to "Events". The OOPic actually spends the majority of its time updating the virtual circuits, compared to looping through a user's code, so it's in the programmers best interest to use virtual circuits over traditional programming techniques as often as possible.

Other meanings OOPIC also refers to Object Oriented Particle In Cell which is an object-oriented implementation, written at Berkeley, of a specific method of plasma physics simulation known as particle in cell.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OOPic

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OOPic claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OOPic before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OOPic ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OOPic

In research: OOPic appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses OOPic in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: OOPic is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Microchip Technology hardware, Microcontrollers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OOPic outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study OOPic in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what OOPic means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain OOPic out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OOPic in simple terms?

Why does OOPic matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OOPic?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OOPic.