Weekly updates

Archive of Weekly Update Emails #

Week 13, Wednesday, 11/30/22 #

Things due in Week 13:

  • Nothing is due this week, but the Project 4 due date is coming up soon: next Tuesday, Dec. 6, at noon. On that date, we will NOT meet in our regular JCC classroom. Instead, we will set up the Project 4 test “hallway” for your robots in the SEC lobby. Each team will be assigned a 5-minute slot (within our 12-1:15pm class time) to come by and test your robot with Kristen and Brandon. LAs will be supporting troubleshooting during this time (probably in Nolop).

Learning goals for Week 13:

  • Describe how the internet works.
  • Identify the main components and functions of the Raspberry Pi.
  • Gain familiarity with Linux basics and explain how they relate to the functioning of a Raspberry Pi.
  • Build one or more nodes in an internet-connected, electromechanical system.

What you should read on the ME 30 website for Week 13:

Week 12, Monday, 11/21/22 #

Course housekeeping:

PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF YOUR MOTORS, POWER SUPPLIES, AND OTHER NON-CONSUMABLES! The kit fee that you paid covered the cost of the small consumables in your kit – the LEDs, wires, transistors, resistors.  But the department has paid for the reusables, and we must collect them back at the end of the semester so that ME 30 is possible again next year.  Please keep track of the following items so that you can return them on Dec. 15: 1. Stepper motor 2. DC gear motor 3. 12-V power supply 4. RPi power supply 5. Raspberry Pi 6. Feather 7. Multimeter  

Things due in Week 12:

  • By Tuesday, 11/22, please email Brandon and Kristen to note your partners for Projects 4 and 5, if you are choosing your own. If we don’t get a note from you about partners  by tomorrow, we will assign your partners.
  • We don’t expect you to be working on Project 4 over the Thanksgiving break. We hope you will rest and recharge. As long as you have your Raspberry Pi set up (i.e., you’ve gotten through #5 on the Raspberry Pi challenges), you will have enough time to complete Project 4 in the 9 days after the Thanksgiving break.  

Learning goals for Week 12:

  • Identify the main components and functions of the Raspberry Pi.  

What you should read for Week 12:

Week 11, Monday, 11/14/22 #

Thanks for your hard and creative work on Project 3, and your participation in sharing out in class last week. Make sure you save your Project 3 video and take some good photos of your work so that you have it for portfolios and career opportunities down the road.

Course housekeeping:

  • If you have a micro SD card reader, please bring it to class this week along with your ME 30 kit. We’ll use them for putting operating systems onto your Raspberry Pis.

Things due in Week 11:

  • By class time on Thursday, 11/17, please have your Raspberry Pi set up so that you can log into it. Post a photo on Canvas to show your Pi setup or let us know where you are stuck. We’ll go over the Pi set-up steps in class on Tuesday, 11/15.

Learning goals for Week 11:

  • Identify the main components and functions of the Raspberry Pi.

What you should watch and read for Week 11:

Week 10, Monday, 11/7/22 #

We’d like to start this week’s email with some big-picture perspective. While there is a deadline coming up this week (Thursday, for Project 3), the point of ME 30 projects is the process, not the particular endpoint you reach by the deadline. If you don’t find yourself on a journey, that’s a concern (and please reach out so we can help you get started). But if you don’t find yourself landing at the exact destination you’d hoped for by Thursday at 12pm – that is okay. The learning comes from the journey, and that’s what this is all about. Remember that project grading is based on fulfilling the project criteria by the due date (syllabus section on project grading: http://andnowforelectronics.com/logistics/syllabus/#projects-100). We’re NOT grading you based on how complicated your game is.

Course housekeeping:

Things due in Week 10:

  • Project 3 Final. Bring your completed game to class on Thursday, Nov. 10. We’ll dedicate the class time to playing each other’s games and reflecting. Post documentation of your game to Canvas by midnight on Thursday.

Learning goals for Week 10:

  • Continue gaining familiarity with motor control, digital and analog input, and CircuitPython programming.

Resources for Project 3:

Week 9, Monday, 10/31/22 #

Course housekeeping:

Things due in Week 9:

  • Project 3 prototype is due in class on Tuesday, Nov. 1, with documentation due on Canvas at 11:59pm. We are not expecting to see a working prototype of your entire game, but rather an initial attempt at one of its “critical modules” – this could be the wiring and basic code for its motor, the circuitry and code for its user input, the mechanism that will connect the motor to the game piece(s), etc.
  • By class time on Thursday, Nov., 3, read the short excerpt (on Canvas) from Chapter 1 of Ruha Benjamin’s Race After Technology and respond to the short reflection question on Canvas. This pre-work is important for your ability to engage in our in-class activity on discriminatory design.

Learning goal for Week 9:

  • Continue gaining familiarity with motor control, digital and analog input, and CircuitPython programming.

What you should read for Week 9 in ME 30:

  • Project 3 description
  • Feather programming
  • Discriminatory design

FAQs about resources for Project 3:

Where can I find example code for programming Feather inputs and outputs?

How do I figure out how to convert the motor shaft’s rotational motion into other useful motion?

Week 8, Tuesday, 10/25/22 #

Course housekeeping:

  • For class today (10/25), don’t forget your P 2.5 motor hub.
  • If you can, please bring a water bottle to class today (10/25) to use as a testing weight.
  • Aim to complete all 10 Feather challenges this week. Use office hours, peers, Nolop, and/or the ME 30 Slack channel for support to complete them.

Things due in Week 8:

  • Project 2.5 is due by the start of class next Tuesday, Oct. 25
  • Two sentences about your tentative plans for Project 3 are due on Canvas on Thursday, Oct. 27.

Learning goals for Week 8:

  • Use the Feather microcontroller to process both analog and digital inputs and outputs.
  • Write Python code to complete all 10 Feather challenges.
  • Gain familiarity with incorporating microcontroller hardware peripherals into circuit designs, including the PWM module.

What you should read for Week 8 in ME 30:

  • Project 3 description
  • Feather programming
  • Motors

Week 7, Tuesday, 10/18/22 #

Course housekeeping:

  • In class this week, you will need your Feather microcontroller with soldered header pins a laptop, and a USB-C cable that connects your Feather and laptop.

Things due in Week 7:

  • Nothing is due on Canvas this week, but Project 2.5 is due by the start of class next Tuesday, Oct. 25
  • We’ll be working on these Feather challenges in class in Week 7.

Learning goals for Week 7:

  • Gain enough familiarity with Python programming to code the Feather microcontroller to process simple inputs and outputs.
  • Gain familiarity with incorporating microcontroller hardware peripherals into circuit designs, including the PWM module.

What you should read for Week 7:

Optional reading for Week 7:

Week 6, Wednesday, 10/12/22 #

Course housekeeping:

  • In class on Thursday, Oct. 13, you will need your Feather microcontroller (the pink circuit board in your kit), a laptop, and a USB-C cable that connects your Feather and laptop. Please bring all three of these things to class.

Things due in Week 6:

  • Project 2 PCB design to Canvas by Thursday, Oct. 13, 11:59pm

Learning goals for Week 6:

  • Improve your skills with PCB design strategies and software.
  • Gain basic familiarity with microcontroller hardware.
  • Learn to set up the Feather RP2040 microcontroller to run simple Python code

What you should watch and read in Week 6:

Optional reading for Week 6:

Week 5: Tuesday, 10/4/22 #

Course housekeeping:

  • Each week, please use the course website “Calendar” to see what website notes and videos you should watch that week. These course website resources will help you understand the circuits we are building in class and for your projects.

Things due in Week 5:

  • Project 2 breadboard prototype to Canvas by Thursday, Oct. 6, 11:59pm (and P2 PCB is due next Thurs.)

Learning goals for Week 5:

  • 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

What you should watch and read for Week 5:

  • H-bridges website notes
  • Motors website notes
  • For Project 2 completion: If you’re feeling iffy about PCB design generally, or KiCad specifically, make sure you’ve reviewed the PCB design website notes.

Optional additional reading for Week 5:

  • Note that both of our optional course textbooks are available online for free from Tisch Library
  • “Chapter 15: Motors” (pgs. 933-945) in Practical Electronics for Inventors (Scherz & Monk)
  • “Chapter 6: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Motor: Options for Creating and Controlling Motion” (pgs. 123-181) in Making Things Move (Roberts)

Week 4: Tuesday, 9/29/22 #

Course housekeeping:

  • Each week, please use the course website Calendar to see what website notes and videos to view that week. These course website resources will help you understand the circuits we are building in class and for your projects.
  • If you’ve missed class due to illness, please check both the Calendar and the Exercises section of the website to see what we did in class. Reach out to an instructor or Learning Assistant if you have questions.
  • Come visit us at office hours!

Things due in Week 4:

  • Nothing due this week. Project 2 prototype will be due next Thursday, Oct. 6.

Learning goals for Week 4:

  • Explain how to use transistors to control high power with low power.
  • Build circuits incorporating motors.
  • Explain how an H-bridge motor controller works.

What you should watch and read this week:

Optional additional reading for Week 4:

  • If you’re curious to know about what’s going on inside your transistors, try Veritasium’s 6-minute video on how transistors work
  • Note that both of our optional course textbooks are available online for free from Tisch Library
  • “Transistors” (Section 4.3, pgs. 429-467) in Practical Electronics for Inventors (Scherz & Monk)
  • “Chapter 6: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Motor: Options for Creating and Controlling Motion” (pgs. 123-181) in Making Things Move (Roberts)

Week 3: Tuesday, 9/20/22 #

Course housekeeping:

  • Thanks for all of your hard work learning Kicad for Project 1!
  • If you’ve missed class due to illness, please check both the “Calendar” and the “Exercises” section of the website to see what we did in class the day(s) you missed. Reach out to an instructor or Learning Assistant if you have questions.

Things due in Week 3:

  • Project 1 PCB design due Thursday, Sep. 22, 11:59pm to Canvas. Submission requirements: (1) screenshot of your OSH Park order confirmation, (2) screenshot of your Kicad schematic diagram, (3) photo of your Project 1 breadboard prototype

Learning goals for Week 3:

  • 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.

Resources for your learning for Week 3: For Week 3, these are the resources we’re suggesting:

  • In-class exercises: Exercise #4 (Motor Power Supply PCB) and Exercise #5 (Control a motor with a resistor)
  • Website notes: Low power/high power (includes two mini-lecture videos)
  • “Transistors” section of Scherz & Monk textbook (available here from Tisch Library online) (section 4.3)
  • Office hours with instructors or LAs

Week 2: Tuesday, 9/13/22 #

Course housekeeping:

  • Friendly reminder about paying for your consumables kit if you have not already done so: the cost is $43, payable by Venmo to @tuftsnolop. If the cost is a hardship, please let us know and we will help.
  • You’ll need KiCad installed on your computer to complete Project 1. If you’re having trouble installing it, please reach out to an LA or instructor.

Things due in Week 2:

  • Nothing due this week, but you should be working steadily on Project 1 (Breadboard Power Supply)

Learning goals for Week 2:

  • Deepening your understanding of voltage, current, resistance, and power, as they relate to your Project 1 Breadboard Power Supply circuit (featuring voltage regulators)
  • How to take a breadboard prototype and turn it into a PCB design using KiCad software

Resources for your learning for Week 2: For Week 2, these are the resources we’re suggesting:

  • In-class exercise: Exercise #3 (Build a voltage regulation circuit)
  • Website notes/videos on concepts: Voltage regulation, Voltage & current*, Series vs. parallel, Resistors, Capacitors*
  • Website notes/videos on skills: Prototyping*, PCB design, Demo videos*
  • PCB design section of Scherz & Monk textbook (available here from Tisch Library online)
  • Office hours with instructors or LAs

Week 1: Wednesday, 9/7/22 #

Some course housekeeping:

  • Starting next week, we’ll send an organizational email every Tuesday morning. But this first week, we’re doing it on Wednesday.
  • Don’t forget to bring your electronics kit back to class on Thursday 9/8, and every class after that.
  • The course website is http://andnowforelectronics.com/. It includes:
  1. The syllabus which includes 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
  • If you did not get an electronics kit on 9/6, please reach out. The cost is $43, payable by Venmo to @tuftsnolop. If the cost is a hardship, please let us know and we will help.

Things due in Week 1:

  • Project 0 (in-class LED-pushbutton circuit) due Thurs., 9/8, 11:59pm. Canvas deliverable: Upload a photo of your working 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 and to a voltage regulator 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:

  • In-class exercises: Exercise #1 (Power an LED with “wall power”) and Exercise #2 (Build voltage dividers)
  • Website notes on concepts: Voltage regulation, Voltage & current*, Series vs. parallel, Resistors, Capacitors*
  • Website notes on skills: Prototyping*
  • Electric current and Voltage sections (2.2 and 2.3) of Scherz & Monk textbook (which is optional, and available here from Tisch Library online)
  • Office hours with instructors or LAs

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