Digital Electronics, Microcontrollers, and Robotics

1. Digital Electronics,Microcontrollers, and Robotics

2. Outline • Who • Dave Wittry & Don Allen (Troy), Ken Gracey (Parallax) • Why • show you enough fun things that you might want to start/add to a class • Game plan • ICT, Microcontroller Course, Parallax • www.troyhigh.com/wittry • all info today can be found here • docs, this presentation, more… (for tests/quizzes, contact us)

3. ICT • History of the development of the class. • from general electronics to digital/computer electronics • the infusion of ACSL-like topics

4. A bit - about - the bits … that make up the class

5. Numbering Systems (1.5 weeks) • conversions: Baseany BaseanyOther • addition/subtraction

6. Logic gates (3 weeks) • AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR • wiring the labs • breadboards, chips, led’s (little exploding devices) • lab sheets/assignments • the lab itself

7. Karnaugh (K-Maps), NAND Implementations, Minterms (2 weeks) • method of simplifying boolean algebra expressions

8. Boolean Algebra (2 weeks) • basic laws plus some specific only to boolean values • DeMorgan’s Laws

9. Door–Goat–Wolf, AirLock, Football Projects • ties all topics to this point together • requirements Project

10. Flip-Flops (2 weeks) • RS, RS-clocked, D, J-K • basic building block of shift-registers, counters, memory devices • students find it cool that the same switch combination can result in a different output (output based on last outcome)

11. Counters (3 weeks) • up, down, mod-N counters, using a 555-timer

12. Shift Registers (2 weeks) • left, right, re-circulating • multiplying/dividing by 2 • bit string flicking (ACSL)

13. Adders/Subtractors (3 weeks) • ½ adders, full adders, ½ subtractor, full subtractors • 1’s and 2’s Complement, integer math • binary multiplication

14. Equipment costs • Per group (2 students) • breadboard, power supply ($75) • 20 chips ($15) • wires, template • 6 LED’s ($1) • Class set • logic probe ($10), multi-meter ($15) • pliers, cutters, stripers, solder, solder-iron, misc. ($50)

15. Programming Microcontrollers & Robotics • History and Motivation for the class • melding of hardware & software • freedom to experiment and have fun with practical labs before it gets serious in college • BS2 sounded like fun and the means to my end – took 2-day educator course from Parallax • great if you’re a newbie to controllers • the curriculum is fun (WAM, BAD, IC, Robotics)

16. Programming Microcontrollers & Robotics (cont’d) • much harder to get physical, real-world projects to do exactly what you want (neat!) as opposed to a software (theoretical) class • they’ll need time to experiment and try algorithms • cool thing I learned right away: watch out how much you tell them – they’re smarter/more creative than you! Let them suggest lab ideas and then try some.

17. Teaching Style & Prerequisites • if you plan on teaching this type of course using a facilitative approach, keep prerequisites high • 20 students or so • otherwise you’re in for a nightmare with such an independent, self-motivated type curriculum and somewhat expensive hardware • great for middle-schools students as well • this class is LOTS of fun to teach

18. The BS2 and How it Works Code Wiring

19. Interfacing to the real-world through a variety of devices • limited only by your imagination • Types of devices you can interface to the BasicStamp • almost anything! • simple electronics stuff – plus the more advanced/fun things (sound module, RF receiver/transmitter, video, web server…more from Ken)

20. Electronics Component Companies • http://www.stampsinclass.com (Parallax) • http://www.elexp.com/ (Electronix Express) • http://www.jameco.com/ (Jameco) • http://www.kelvin.com/ (Kelvin) • … more; easy to find on web

21. Robotics Labs • great curriculum, well-written, nice springboard to bigger better things, great for Back-To-School night • usage of servos, usage of devices already ‘played’ with (potentiometer for direction control, button for go/stop, etc.) (Francisco)

22. Robotics Labs (cont’d) • line following (photo-resistors, “TROY” sign-following • Maze labs (spend as much time as you want here – it’s where they have the most fun) • maze construction/development • floor, walls, costs • one-hallway maze • find way in, ‘report’ at end, find way out • using “whiskers” • using infrared devices

23. Robotics Labs (cont’d) • algorithms learned/discovered (careful how much you tell them) • follow-wall-right (quick bit on “Karel”) • spin off idea (stay straight and follow wall) • will be neat to try with Fuzzy Logic concepts • bump-and-turn

24. Student-Designed Project • provided you have a budget, let students go through web sites, magazines/catalogs (Parallax, Nuts-And-Volts, Robot Magazine, Mouser, etc.), books and design a project. Limit them as to how much they can spend. Have them “prove” they can make it work - then buy materials and have them go at it

25. Fuzzy Logic (optional topic) • read a book in an engineering class? boy am I mean! • Bart Kosko’s “Fuzzy Thinking” is a nice, friendly place to start • current technology used in control systems to give smoother, simpler control of complex systems • eventually implement a fuzzy-controlled system with Parallax’s new Java-enabled microcontroller