Weekly updates

Weekly Update Emails #

Week 8: Sunday, 10/19/25 #

This week we’ll support H-bridge de-bugging. We’ll also dig into the details of PCB design for more complex circuits (including your H-bridge), and we’ll explore motor power and efficiency. View the course Calendar for all upcoming class topics and activities.

Things due in Week 8:

  • Breadboard Prototype for Project 3, the H-bridge motor controller, is due tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 20, 11:59pm. The assignment is to upload a photo of your breadboard H-bridge circuit (with 4 MOSFETs and 2 BJTs) to Canvas.
  • (If it doesn’t work yet, no penalty at this point, so don’t worry. We expect many students will still be de-bugging. However, if it is working, make sure you record a video so you have it to submit with Project 3 final submission next week!)
  • Your KiCad PCB design for Project 3 is due next Monday, Oct. 27, 11:59pm.

Learning goals for Week 8:

  • Explain how an H-bridge motor controller works.
  • Improve your skills with PCB design strategies and software.
  • Estimate motor power and efficiency using electrical and mechanical measurements

Course website (andnowforelectronics.com) pages to study in Week 8:

Optional additional reading for Week 8:

  • “Chapter 15: Motors” (pgs. 933-945) in Practical Electronics for Inventors (Scherz & Monk) (available here from Tisch Library online)

Week 7: Tuesday, 10/14/25 #

Thanks for your creativity and resourcefulness on Project 2 games! Now that you’re familiar with the basics of transistor circuits, we’re moving on to using transistors in combination with your KB2040 microcontroller for bi-directional motor control.

Things due in Week 7:

  • If you have not completed Challenge #6 the KB2040 challenges, you should finish that this week and upload a video to Canvas. Ask an LA, instructor, or classmate for help if needed.
  • Not due this week, but looking ahead: Project 3 (H-bridge) breadboard prototype attempt due Monday night (10/20), and we’d like everyone to solder components onto your Project 1 PCB by 10/26 at the latest.

Learning goal for Week 7:

  • Explain how an H-bridge motor controller works.

Class and labs this week

  • The main activity for lab this week is to wire and test a breadboard H-bridge circuit, which we will begin in class on Wednesday, 10/15.

Course website (andnowforelectronics.com) pages to study in Week 7:

Week 6: Sunday, 10/5/2025 #

Things due in Week 6:

  • Bring your Project 2 simple game to class on Wednesday, Oct. 8. We’ll devote some class time to play games and reflect on your work. Canvas documentation for Project 2 is due on Wednesday night, 11:59pm.
  • Looking for a place to work on Project 2? Nolop and Blake are both great locations, and you’re also welcome to work in the Bray Design Studio. It’s the workshop room across the hall from the machine shop, and you’ll find soldering irons, hand tools, and 5 workshop tables there. (And it’s next to Bray’s 3D printer room.)

Learning goals for Week 6:

  • Incorporate a DC gearmotor into a simple electromechanical system.
  • Gain enough familiarity with Python programming to code the KB2040 microcontroller to process simple inputs and outputs.
  • (Begin to) explain how an H-bridge motor controller works.

Labs are OPTIONAL in Week 6 (and Sunday 10/12 labs cancelled)

  • Labs on 10/8, 10/9, and 10/10 (Wed/Th/Fri) are OPTIONAL. They will focus on the KB2040 challenges. Our goal is to support students who are newer to programming microcontrollers. If writing code for the KB2040 feels totally new to you, please come and work through the challenges with LA support.
  • Due to the holiday weekend, labs on Sunday, 10/12 are cancelled.
  • There will still be office hours on Sunday from 8-9pm, focusing on KB2040 Challenges support.

Course website (andnowforelectronics.com) pages to study in Week 6:

Suggested reading for Week 6:

Week 5: Sunday, 9/28/25 #

Thanks for your hard work learning KiCad for Project 1. Looking forward to seeing you put those PCBs in action for later projects.

Course housekeeping:

  • In labs, one focus has been soldering pins onto your KB2040 microcontroller. Please have your pins soldered onto your KB2040 by class time on Wed., Oct. 1. Ask Nolop staff member can help you with soldering any time Nolop is open; just ask!
  • In class on Wed., Oct. 1, you will need your KB2040 microcontroller, a laptop, and a data-sync cable that connects your KB2040 USB-C port with your laptop. We have a few extra USB-C data-sync cables, but if you have one of your own, please bring it. Make sure it can transfer data, not just power.
  • Project 2 is now up on the Projects page

Labs in Week 5

  • Labs this week will focus on testing out your motor hubs, so be sure to bring yours to lab.
  • You’ll also be trouble-shooting transistor circuits and planning for Project 2.

Things due in Week 5:

  • Your Project 0 motor hub is due for testing at your lab (and documentation is due to Canvas on Sunday, 10/5, 11:59pm).

Learning goals for Week 5:

  • Explain how to use both BJT and MOSFET transistors to control high power with low power.
  • Build circuits incorporating motors.
  • Gain basic familiarity with microcontroller hardware.
  • Learn to set up the KB2040 microcontroller to run very simple Python code.

Course website (andnowforelectronics.com) pages to study in Week 5:

Suggested reading for Week 5:

Week 4: Sunday, 9/21/25 #

Happy autumn! This week is a big transition week in ME 30. In Phase 1 of the course, we focused on fundamental circuits concepts, breadboarding skills, and introductory PCB design. In class on Monday, we’ll talk about the physical construction of printed circuit boards and how to order yours from OSH Park. Then we’ll provide time for KiCad questions and troubleshooting. Starting on Wednesday, 9/24, we’ll move on to Phase 2, which introduces the components and circuits used to control motors.

Office hours:

  • Anyone is welcome to stop by, which should really be called “times when we sit and wait for you to come do KiCad or build circuits with us.” Note that in addition to Kristen, Brandon, and Zosia’s office hours, the LAs and TAs have office hours on Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Sun evenings. http://andnowforelectronics.com/logistics/syllabus/

Things due in Week 4:

  • Due on Canvas by Wed., 9/24, 11:59pm: Project 1 PCB. On the Project 1 Canvas assignment, you’ll see instructions to fill out a Project 1 self-assessment checklist, upload a brief video, and upload screenshots of your KiCad schematic diagram, PCB layout, and order confirmation. OSH Park charges by the square inch, and you should be able to keep costs to about $10, but if this cost is a hardship, please reach out to me or the ME department administrator Courtney Russo, and we will cover it, no questions asked.

Learning goals for Week 4:

  • Improve your skills at creating schematics and laying out PCBs on Kicad
  • Explain how to use transistors to control high power with low power.
  • Begin to build circuits incorporating motors.

Course website (andnowforelectronics.com) pages to study in Week 4:

Optional reading for Week 4:

  • “Section 4.3: Transistors” section of Scherz & Monk textbook (available here from Tisch Library online)

Week 3: Sunday, 9/14/25 #

This is the week that Project 1 work clicks into place, with the introduction of (free!) circuit board design software called KiCad. We’ll use KiCad to translate your temporary breadboard circuits into permanent circuit boards. We’ll preview KiCad in class on Monday and recommend that you have it installed on your computer by class time on Wednesday, 9/17. If you’re having trouble installing it, please reach out to an LA or instructor. We’ll also further explore capacitors in class on Monday.

Things due in Week 3:

  • Due Mon., 9/15, 11:59pm, as photo upload to Canvas: Prototype Circuit for Project 1 (Voltage Regulator/Breadboard Power Supply)

Learning goals for Week 3:

  • Deepen your understanding of voltage, current, resistance, and power, as they relate to your Project 1 Breadboard Power Supply circuit (featuring voltage regulators)
  • Build a capacitor charge/discharge circuit and choose resistance and capacitance values to increase its time constant
  • Take a breadboard prototype and turn it into a PCB design using KiCad software

Course website (andnowforelectronics.com) pages to study in Week 3:

Textbook reading for Week 3:

  • From the Scherz & Monk textbook (available here from Tisch Library online
  • Section 3.6 “Capacitors”
  • Section 7.2 “Constructing Circuits” (featuring info on printed circuit board design and construction)

Week 2: Monday, 9/8/25 #

Thanks for a great first day of class last Wednesday. We appreciate how willing you were to lend a hand to classmates once you figured out your own circuit. That spirit of collective learning will take us far this semester.

Course housekeeping:

  • Remember to bring your green box to every class and lab session.
  • Check the Calendar page of the course website to see what we’re doing in class each day and what to study and do every week.
  • Labs begin this week in Nolop on Wed, Sep. 10. Labs are 1 hour. Bring your orange box.

Things due in Week 2:

  • Just the in-class activity uploads to Canvas

Learning goals for Week 2:

  • Describe the difference between a voltage divider circuit and a voltage regulator circuit.
  • Deepen your understanding of voltage, current, resistance, and power, as they relate to voltage divider and voltage regulator circuits.
  • Measure voltage, current, resistance, and continuity with a multimeter.

Resources for your learning for Week 2:

For Week 2, these are the resources we’re suggesting:

Office hours

  • Office hours should really be called “times when we sit and wait for you to come build circuits with us”
  • Kristen’s office hours this week are Fri. 12-2pm in Nolop (but usually 3-5pm Fridays)
  • Brandon’s office hours are whenever he’s in Nolop, M-F, 9a-5p

Week 1: Tuesday, 9/2/25 #

We are excited to start ME 30 with you! Welcome to the course. We’ll send an organizational email to the ME 30 class every Sunday evening. But this first week, we’re doing it on Tuesday.

Course website:

The course website is http://andnowforelectronics.com/. It serves as the required text for the course. It includes:

  1. The syllabus, which lists office hour info
  2. The calendar of topics, suggested readings, and project work due for each class meeting
  3. Notes and brief videos on key topics
  4. Kit component list and data sheets for all components

Electronics kit:

You’ll receive your electronics kit in the first class on 9/3. Bring it back for EVERY class and lab. You’ll return it at the end of the semester.

Labs:

No labs this first week. They will begin on Wednesday, 9/10.

Things due in Week 1:

Your first Canvas deliverable for an in-class exercise: Upload a video from Class #1 introducing yourself and showing us your LED-pushbutton circuit.

Learning goals for Week 1:

  • Build a working circuit prototype on a breadboard
  • Explain how current flows through the pins on a barrel jack
  • Start to make sense of voltage, current, resistance, and power, as they relate to a simple LED circuit

Resources for your learning for Week 1:

In ME 30 we’re aiming to provide a menu of resources to support your electronics learning. We hope you’ll explore and use what works best for you. Some of you may start with the videos we’ve embedded in the website pages; some of you may start by reading a textbook section; some of you may focus on the written website notes; and others may start with broad questions in office hours. Let us know if you’d like help developing a strategy for navigating the different options.

For Week 1, these are the resources we’re suggesting:

NOTE: Many of the website notes pages include mini-lecture videos.