Prototype and Practical Skills 2: Electronics Design and Prototyping

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• explain and follow the procedures for working safely in an electronics workshop;
• perform basic soldering tasks;
• use electronics instrumentation such as a DC benchtop power supply, digital multimeter, oscilloscope, and signal generator;
• read the datasheet of an electronic component and identify pertinent information;
• apply testing and measurement techniques to verify proper electronic circuit operation;
• design and prototype electronic circuits containing passive electronic components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors;
• design and prototype electronic circuits containing sensors, such as temperature and pressure, and their requisite amplifier circuits;
• design and prototype electronic circuits containing electro-mechanical actuators, such as motors and relays, and their requisite driver circuits;
• design and prototype electronic circuits containing micro-controllers such as an Arduino;
• design and prototype electronic circuits containing semiconductor components such as diodes, LEDs, and transistors;
• utilize the engineering design process to create a design, consisting of block diagrams and process flow charts or pseudo-code, for an electro-mechanical prototype containing a micro-controller;
• select appropriate electronic components for an electro-mechanical prototype as dictated by a block diagram;
• program a micro-controller according to a high-level design process flow chart;
• assemble an electro-mechanical prototype and verify proper operation of each individual component of the prototype;
• apply testing techniques to verify proper overall operation of an electro-mechanical prototype and troubleshoot to address anomalous operation;
• produce documentation, including block diagrams, process flow charts or pseudo-code, computer generated circuit schematics, and fully commented micro-controller programming code, that captures the design process and iterations involved in creating an electro-mechanical prototype.