Course Outline

   WEEK 1

Topic: introduction and Preparation

Readings

  • Introduction of the SparkFun Inventor’s Kit for Arduino Experimenter’s Guide
  • Experiment 1: Blinking an LED in the SparkFun Inventor’s Kit for Arduino Experimenter’s Guide
  • Experiment 2: Reading a Potentiometer in the SparkFun Inventor’s Kit for Arduino Experimenter’s Guide

Assignments

  • Download Arduino IDE
  • Install Solidworks 
  • Complete equipment trainings 

 

   WEEK 2

Topic: Introduction to Solidworks

Prototyping: Introduction to 3D CAD demo with simple shapes, intro to laser cutter, intro to linkages, physical prototyping

Readings

  • N/A

Assignments

  • Design and laser cut a set of gears and linkages to convert rotary motion into linear motion.
  • Can be hand-powered but must have some affordances to actuate it ergonomically and move something.
  • No touching the gear directly, output motion should be highlighted by physical design.

 

   WEEK 3

Topic: Introduction to Arduino

Electronics: Installation, problem solving, and introduction to basic Arduino capabilities (digitalRead(), digitalWrite(), analogRead(), analogWrite()). Using a transistor to control a high current load (motor).

Readings

  • Ardunio’s Digital Read Serial
  • SparkFun’s Switch Basics Tutorial

Assignments

  • Use a switch or Photoresistor to control the servo motor in your origami project
  • Combine one of your origami/kirigami from last week's homework with the 

Arduino servo sketch to create something that changes shape (mechanical linkage, accordion, etc.). Feel free to remake your origami/kirigami if you decide that what you have is not conducive to the servo assignment. Servo and origami must be mounted solid to a base and brought to class.

 

   WEEK 4

Topic: Mechanisms

Prototyping: mechanisms

Readings

  • Adafruit’s Arduino lesson 13: DC Motors
  • SparkFun’s Motor overview
  • Adafruit’s Arduino lesson 14: Servo motors
  • Adafruit’s All About Stepper Motors
  • Adafruit’s Stepper Motor lesson
  • Wikipedia’s Stepper Motor article

Assignments

Project #1: Drawing machine

  • Must leave a mark on paper or other surface.
  • You may use any of the sensors and actuators we've learned about.
  • Must be repeatable and operate with only input motion (can not be held in place, supported by hands, pushed or knocked to get started or other physical assistance).

 

   WEEK  5 

Topic: Motors

Electronics: Introduction to current and Ohm’s law, labs (DC motor and transistor, DC motor and H­bridge), presentation of week 4’s homework

Readings

  • SparkFun’s How to use a Multimeter
  • Adafruit’s Multimeter tutorial

Assignments

Project #1: Drawing machine: hand powered mechanical prototype

  • You may use any of the sensors and actuators we've learned about.
  • Must be repeatable and operate with only input motion (can not be held in place, supported by hands, pushed or knocked to get started or other physical assistance).

 

   WEEK 6

Topic: Soldering, Perforated breadboard, Arduino Prototyping Shield Electronics: Homework presentation of drawing machine, Arduino prototyping shield introduction, Arduino Wire selection, connectors, soldering, wiring management

Readings

  • N/A

Assignments

  • N/A

 

   WEEK 7

Topic: Arduino shield examples; Adhesives and Fasteners

Electronics: show and tell of a variety of shields Prototyping: adhesives, fasteners

Readings

  • Adafruit’s Guide to Excellent Soldering

Assignments

Project #1 (Drawing Machine) due

Project #2: Remote controlled vehicle

  • Low fidelity prototype of three chassis designs using laser cut cardboard, 3Dprinted parts, bamboo skewers, straws, etc...
  • Must be actual size and have functionality of final design. i.e. wheels must steer, body must articulate, etc. No electronics, just mechanics.

 

   WEEK 8

Topic: PCB design and creation

Electronics: PCB layout and Othermill including soldering Prototyping: Drive by wire/Arduino control

 

Readings

Fritzing introduction, Othermill tutorial, Bluetooth tutorial

  • Fritzing Getting Started
  • Building a Fritzing Circuit
  • Designing a PCB in Fritzing
  • Designing an Arduino shield in Fritzing
  • Introduction to the Othermill
  • Othermill Hello World project
  • Othermill PCB Design Considerations
  • Introducing the Adafruit Bluefruit LE SPI Friend

Assignments

  • Project #2: Chassis refinement

 

   WEEK 9

Topic: Wireless: Bluetooth LE; 3D printing

Electronics: Arduino­Bluetooth

Prototyping: 3D printing, mechanical prototyping, chassis

Readings

  • Chuck Rosenberg’s Robot building tips

Assignments

  • Mill and solder your PCB on the Othermillo
  • Medium Fidelity chassis, working steering, working motors.
  • We will set up a test track and your vehicle will be graded on how well it performs the required criteria, i.e. does it steer, can it move on its own, climb the ramp?

 

   WEEK 10

Topic: Student Presentations

 

   WEEK 11

Topic: Advanced electronics: Dealing with low frequency and high frequency electrical noise

Electronics: Review voltage, resistance, and current and the relationship between the three, the difference between ideal conductors and real conductors: resistance, capacitance, inductance, power distribution considerations, low frequency voltage sag, high frequency noise from motors, things to watch out for when you wire up your vehicle

Readings

  • Tronixstuff’s Arduino and the SPI Bus
  • Sparkfun’s SPI Interface
  • Sparkfun’s I2C interface
  • Tronixstuff’s Arduino and the I2C Bus

Assignments

Project #2: a finished fully functional, Bluetooth controlled vehicle

  • working steering, working motors
  • Testing on track, vehicle will be graded on how well it performs the required criteria, i.e. does it steer, can it move on its own, climb the ramp?

 

   WEEK 12

Topic: Advanced Arduino interfaces

Electronics: Arduino schematic, pins with special functionality, advanced interfaces

Readings

  • Adafruit’s Arduino Processor Interrupts tutorial
  • Sparkfun’s Processor Interrupts with Arduino tutorial
  • Adafruit’s Timer Interrupts tutorial

Assignments

  • N/A

 

   WEEK 13

Topic: Arduino timers and interrupts; finishing prototypes Electronics: Arduino timers and interrupts

Prototyping: fit and finish, coatings and paint, lubrication

Readings

  • N/A

Assignments

  • Prepare questions for next week

 

WEEK 14

Topic: Class choice of topics in electronics

Electronics: Q&A session about electronics

Prototyping: Review of vehicle designs, failure proofing demos

Readings

  • Adafruit’s What’s the difference between Arduino, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBoard, etc?
  • Browse Internet of Things Hardware Roundup
  • Browse Make: The Maker's Guide to Boards

Assignments

  • Vehicle refinement­­incorporate critique feedback to vehicle design

 

   WEEK 15

Topic: Other microcontrollers; best practices, and the future

Electronics:  Other microcontrollers

Prototyping: best practices, emerging/future technology

Readings

  • N/A

Assignments

  • Clean up/refine prototype vehicles for presentations

 

   WEEK 16

Student Final Presentations (Project Showcase)