Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

control systems & microcontrollers

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: control systems & microcontrollers

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about control systems & microcontrollers. Then check against the key terms: key terms from control systems & microcontrollers. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from control systems & microcontrollers.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: control systems & microcontrollers. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Electronics because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of control systems & microcontrollers

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about control systems & microcontrollers.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: control systems & microcontrollers

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on control systems & microcontrollers. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: An open-loop control system has no feedback; the output is not checked against the desired value, so errors are not corrected automatically.
Key Fact: A closed-loop (feedback) control system measures the output and compares it with the set point, adjusting the input to reduce any error.
Key Fact: Closed-loop control uses a sensor to measure the output, a comparator to find the error, and a controller to correct it.
Key Fact: A microcontroller is a single-chip computer containing a processor, memory and input/output peripherals for embedded control.
Key Fact: ADC (Analogue-to-Digital Converter) converts a sensor's analogue output into a digital value the microcontroller can process.
Key Fact: DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) converts a digital value from the microcontroller into an analogue voltage to drive actuators.

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of control systems & microcontrollers

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: control systems & microcontrollers

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: key terms from control systems & microcontrollers. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: control systems & microcontrollers

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Compare open-loop and closed-loop control systems, and explain how a microcontroller can implement a closed-loop temperature control system. <div class="

An open-loop control system applies an input to a process without checking the result; it is simple and cheap but cannot correct for disturbances or component variations. A closed-loop system measures the actual output using a sensor, compares it with the desired set point using a comparator, and adjusts the controller output to reduce the error. This feedback makes closed-loop systems more accurate and robust, though more complex. A microcontroller can implement closed-loop temperature control as follows: a temperature sensor (e.g. thermistor in a potential divider) produces an analogue voltage proportional to temperature. The microcontroller's ADC converts this to a digital value. The control program compares the reading with the set point stored in software. If the temperature is below the set point, the microcontroller turns on a heater (via a transistor or relay); if above, it turns the heater off. Adding hysteresis (separate on and off thresholds) prevents rapid cycling. PWM can provide proportional control rather than simple on/off, adjusting the heater power according to the error magnitude. The program runs in a continuous loop, reading the sensor, calculating the error an

Exam Tips: Always draw a block diagram for control system questions, showing sensor, comparator, controller and actuator with feedback path. | Distinguish clearly between open-loop (no feedback) and closed-loop (feedback with error correction). | For microcontroller questions, mention the specific peripherals needed: ADC for analogue sensors, PWM for motor/LED control. | When describing a control program, outline the loop structure: read inputs → process data → update outputs → repeat. | Explain the purpose of each component in a block diagram rather than just naming it.
Common Errors: ✗ Describing a closed-loop system as having no feedback. ✓ A closed-loop system uses feedback from the output to correct errors; open-loop systems have no feedback. ✗ Confusing ADC and DAC functions. ✓ An ADC converts analogue signals to digital (for reading sensors); a DAC converts digital to analogue (for driving actuators). ✗ Assuming a microcontroller can read analogue sensors directly without an ADC. ✓ Analogue sensor voltages must be converted to digital by the ADC peripheral before the microcontroller processor can use them. ✗ Stating that PWM changes the amplitude of the output voltage. ✓ PWM changes the duty cycle (on-time proportion), not the amplitude; the average power is control
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how control systems &amp; microcontrollers connects to another Electronics topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of control systems &amp; microcontrollers
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in control systems &amp; microcontrollers?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)