This description has been updated for version 2, released in May 2025

What is it?

A logic gates kit, intended for demonstrations for students. You can use it for your own kids, in math clubs and circles, and with some introductory EE/CS classes in schools and colleges.

The boards are large (4x6 cm), making it possible to show them to a group of students. Included magnets allow the kit to be placed on vertical magnetic surfaces such as magnetic whiteboards used in classrooms.

Why did you make it?

When teaching a Math Circle, I was discussing with the students various logic operations and logic gates. We went from basic AND and OR gates to constructing flip-flop circuit and full adder - using software simulation. I wanted to show them real electronics gates, so I started looking for a demonstration kit which would be

• functional: enough pieces to build something interesting such as flip-flop or adder
• easy to use
• clean-looking - breadboard with a rat's nest of wires doesn't make a good demonstration kit
• large enough so that it can be shown to a group of several students
• not too expensive: under $50 for the whole kit

I didn't find such a kit; the closest I found was this one from SparkFun, but it was still falling short of my requirements. So I decided to make my own.

What is included?

• Input board, with switches to control 3 input bits
• 8 logic gates boards (2 AND, 2 OR, 2 NOT, 1 NAND, 1 XOR)
• a flip-flop (S-R latch) board
• 6 cables (20 cm)
• magnets (3mm thick) and 2-sided sticky tape for attaching them to the boards

You will also need a USB-C cable for powering the kit (not included).

Each of the logic gate boards is 4x6 cm. The input board is 4x9.6 cm.

Magnets allow the kit to be placed on vertical magnetic surfaces such as magnetic whiteboards used in classrooms.

Optionally, you can also include the plastic storage case shown in the photos. Case outside dimensions are 13x13x5 cm.

Usage

Attach the magnets, using the included two-sided stickers. It is suggested that you keep track of magnet polarity and put them all in the same orientation (e.g. North pole up) - this will make it much easier to store your boards. For input board, you will need to double up the magnets, forming two stacks of two magnets each; for all other boards, use two magnets.

To power the input board, use a CR2032 battery or a USB-C cable, but not both!

Use the included cables to build your own logic circuit and flip the switches on the input board to watch logic in action!

Some hints:

• the cables can only be plugged one way - do not try to force them. See photos for correct orientation.

• each board has two outputs. They provide identical signal; the reason for having two is that sometimes you want to split your signal routing it to two destinations.