Principles of Engineering: Mechatronics
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Grades:


35% Labs, 65% Project.
Labs:


During the first third of the semester, you will be working in groups of two or three on a series of three labs in which you will gain experience working with the PIC18F2455 microcontroller. Such devices are essentially single-chip computers, with a small amount of data and program memory, and a host of peripheral devices that are useful in embedded systems and computer interfaces. You will be learning how to build circuits around these processors, how to write firmware for them, how to program them, and how to use those peripherals that are most relevant to designing mechatronic systems. Each lab group will submit a joint lab report. These reports will be due in the next class period after a lab is completed.
Project:


During the last two thirds of the semester, you will be working in a group of four or five students in the class on a design project of your own choosing. I will provide several project suggestions, which you can adopt, modify, or ignore and devise your own. At the start of the project phase of the course, each group will be required to submit a brief project preproposal sketching your project idea. Then, one week into the project phase of the course, each group will turn in a brief project proposal, specifying the system you would like to design and prototype. As the project progresses, each group will be required to schedule and deliver two oral design reviews, detailing the progress of your project. Finally, at the end of the semester, each group will need to submit a final report, documenting the entire project. Your final report can either be a written report or a project web site. On the last day of class, each group will be required to provide a demo of their prototype for all of the other students in the class.
Course Policies:


Late Reports/Milestones. Lab reports and project milestones will be due in class on the announced dates. Late reports/milestones will be penalized at a rate of 5% per day or fraction thereof.

Project Budgets. Each project group will have a total project budget of $350 to cover the cost of materials, suppplies, fabrication, and shipping. You are certainly welcome to spend more than $350 on your projects, but you will be responsible for covering the additional costs.

Ordering Project Supplies. Electronic components should generally be ordered through the on-line ECE Stockroom system, called Yoink. To purchase other types of supplies you might need, you will need to purchase them and get reimbursed. To do so, you will need to provide original receipts, fill out a copy of the Student Reimbursement Form, which you can get on the public drive in the "Student Projects" folder, have the course instructor sign it, and turn it in to Holly Bennett (OC 360). Please note that Olin will not reimburse you for purchases made from another student in the class. In such cases, the student who made the original purchase and has the original receipt should seek reimbursement from the College. Please also note that you must have direct deposit set up with the College to be reimbursed. The College also discourages the use of expedited shipping, and will not generally reimburse for overnight shipping. Please plan your orders accordingly.

Page maintained by Bradley A. Minch – Last modified January 21, 2008