Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session
Overview
The course provides a hands-on introduction to the resources for designing and fabricating smart systems, including CAD/CAM/CAE; NC machining, 3-D printing, injection molding, laser cutting; PCB layout and fabrication; sensors and actuators; analog instrumentation; embedded digital processing; wired and wireless communications. Emphasis is placed on learning how to use the tools as well as understanding how they work.
Topics
Design Tools
Design and model a solution to a problem from ThinkCycle.
- Cobalt Tutorial
- 3D Modeling Diatribe: Should I Use Rhino or Cobalt? (Hayes Raffle)
- Folding Tutorial: How to Model a Polyhedron by "Folding Up" Flat Polygons (Hayes Raffle)
Laser, Waterjet, NC Knife Cutting
Cut and fabricate something using as many types of materials as possible:
- Laser Cutter Tutorial
- Water Cutter Tutorial
- Manuals for the Laser Cutter and Water Cutter
- Rasterizing Images on the Laser Cutter (by Amanda Parkes)
Microcontroller Programming
- Microcontroller Info (by David Merril)
- Driving Solenoids (by David Merrill)
Machining
Circuit Design
- Joe Paradiso's Electronics Primer Notes (Updated by Michael Sung)
- Useful Electronic Parts and Circuits Information (Scanned by Michael Sung)
- Simple Pseudo-Random Sound Generator Example
- A Funny Video of Circuit De-bugging
Problem 1: How to drive stepmotors?
- Driving Stepmotors (by Axel Kilian)
- Color Coding of Resistors (by Saoirse Higgins)
- Web Sites Used for Help with Circuit Design (by David Merril, Kyle Steinfeld):
- http://www.findchips.com/
- http://www.digikey.com/ (Voted "The Best Source")
- http://www.TI.com
- Midi Stuff:
- Useful Book: Practical Electronics for Inventors (Good Theory Explanations, Bad Schematics)
3D Printing and NC Machining
- Modela Instructions (by C. Scott Ananian)
- 3D Printer Instructions (by C. Scott Ananian)
- John's FabLab Tutorials (by Difrancesco)
- Site for Making Gears with Printers of Cutters (by Axel Killian)
PCB Design
- Making a New Schematic/PCB Part in Protel '99 (By David Merrill)
- Making a PCB on the Modela (Instructions and Software, by CSA)
- Carving a Protel Circuit Board on the Roland Mill (Additional Suggestions from Hayes Raffle)
- Making a PCB Fixture Bed (Instructions and CAD Files, by CSA)
Forming and Joining
- Handy Page of Links to Forming and Joining Resources (Hayes Raffle)
Sensors, Actuators and Displays
- Joe P Revisited (Parutron)
3D Input
Wired and Wireless Communications
- Networking Standards Definitions (Axel Kilian with Krikorian)
- Networking Hardware Schematics, Assembly Code and ORCAD Files
- Presentation by Raffi Krikorian