Northwestern Design Competition

DC2011

Milestone 1

• On a button press, read the value of a potentiometer and change the brightness of an LED accordingly using PWM. Note: Do not use an h-bridge or motor as previously assigned.
• Due before Workshop 2 on Wed, 2/9.
• Sample code from Workshop 1

Milestone 2

• Due before Workshop 3 on Wed, 2/23.
• Use code from NU32v2: Nokia 5110 LCD and NU32v2: Analog Input to read a potentiometer and print the voltage to the Nokia 5110
• Optically isolate a motor and control its velocity based on the potentiometer reading
• Do 1 of the following:
  • Mount a phototransistor to a laser and detect a cake OR
  • Detect a line of electrical tape on white paper with an optoreflector

Previous Years

Wiki pages on sensors, actuators, programming, and microcontrollers: use pages below

• Parts in the DC2008 quick start pack
• PIC C intro slides, as presented 2008/01/24 (pdf)
• PIC interfacing slides, as presented 2008/01/28 (pdf)
• Link to all sample PIC code here.

Sensors and actuators for DC

• Solderless Breadboard & wiring that works
• Using LEDs & IREDs
• Using a laser
• Infrared reflectivity
  • Using phototransistors
  • Sensing optical tape
• Comparators : the analog digital interface
• Faulhaber MiniMotor SA gearmotor with encoder, as well as the local wiki page
• Adding a magnetic encoder to a GM3 Gearmotor
  • Using magnetic switches (Hall Effect)
• Driving high-current devices: several options
• Driving a Stepper Motor
• Driving an RC Servo
• Accelerometers
• Strain gauges
• Basic Stamp Microcontroller Not recommended for DC2008
• NiMH rechargable batteries and chargers