ME 333 Introduction to Mechatronics (Archive Winter 2012)
Winter Quarter 2012 -- ***UNDER CONSTRUCTION***
First day of class is Thursday Jan 5!
- Section 20: Prof. Kevin Lynch, T Th, 11:00-12:20, Tech LR5
- Section 21: Prof. Nick Marchuk, T Th, 12:30-1:50, Tech LR5
- TAs: Nelson Rosa, nelsonrosa2013 at u.northwestern.edu; Jarvis Schultz, JarvisSchultz2012 at u.northwestern.edu
- Office Hours: TBA
- Circuits Q&A Session: TBA
- Final demo (in lieu of final exam): 11-12:20 section Wed March 14 9-11 AM; 12:30-1:50 section Monday March 12 3-5 PM
Checklist to Complete Before the First Day of Class
Attendance at the first day of class (Thursday Jan 5) is mandatory. By the first day of class, you should:
- Be able to solve circuit problems similar to those on the practice problem set and last year's quiz at the bottom of this page. Be prepared for a short quiz on this material in the second week of class. We will only spend one class period reviewing this material.
- Have a laptop with at least 2 USB ports. Any operating system is fine. One port will be used to program and communicate with your PIC microcontroller, and the other will be used for your portable oscilloscope. Your laptop should have Matlab installed.
- Download and install the Netbeans C compiler following the instructions ***here***. Verify that you can compile and run this starter C program and this second, more complex, tutorial C program. If you are new to C, it would be a good idea to experiment with these in advance of the course and to read the portions of Essential C referenced in the second tutorial program. This will allow you to start quickly in ME 333.
- Download and install software described on this page.
- Buy your class kit [http:// here]. You will not be able to start the course until you have purchased your kit. If you decide to drop the course, you will be refunded the purchase price upon return of all the equipment in working shape.
Student Contract
By signing up for this course, you agree to complete the checklist above before the course starts. You understand that learning from classmates is encouraged, up to the stage of conceptualizing solutions. You understand that copying assignment solutions and program code plagiarism is not tolerated. You will report instances of code plagiarism you are aware of. Code plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
- Allowing another student to copy your code.
- Copying another student's code, in whole or in part.
- Transforming copied sections of code to try to disguise their origin.
- Borrowing code from others not in the course, e.g., code found on the internet, without attribution. Borrowing code found on the internet is acceptable if the source is clearly indicated in your code comments.
On our part (faculty and TAs), we commit to do our best to provide you a curriculum and set of experimental materials to get you up to speed on sophisticated mechatronics integration as quickly and efficiently as possible, while giving you a foundation in concepts needed to go further in future projects and courses.
Prerequisite
ME 233 Electronics Design or similar (EECS 221, 225) is required. You will be expected to analyze circuits with resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, and op-amps on the first day of class. There will be a quiz on this material on the second day of class, but you are on your own to prepare for it. To see if you have the right background, or if you will need to freshen up before the quarter starts, do the practice problem set and the 2011 quiz on this page.
Reading
Required:
- Essential C: A brief introduction to the C programming language
- PIC32 Data Sheet (254 pages, 5 MB pdf)
- PIC32 Family Reference Manual, by chapter. Lots of useful and detailed information on the PIC32 architecture and how the peripherals work, including detailed description of their SFRs. Only certain parts of certain chapters will be assigned.
- PIC32MX Peripheral Library (included as a .chm file under "Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB C32\doc" with your C32 compiler installation)
Useful, but not required:
- Programming 32-bit Microcontrollers in C: Exploring the PIC32 by Lucio Di Jasio. This is an easy to read and informative exploration of the PIC32.
- MPLAB C32 Libraries Guide and MPLAB C32 User Guide, included under "doc" of your C32 compiler installation
- Other C resources, such as online as well as this pdf version of "The C Book," and the classic C Programming Language reference book by Kernighan and Ritchie
Grading
Grades will be approximately 40% quizzes and 60% assignments. We will have short quizzes once a week at the beginning of class covering material on the previous assignment. Bring a sheet of paper you can turn in with your quiz answers. We will have a final demo in lieu of a final exam.
Approximate Syllabus
ME 333 focuses on three topics: (1) general C programming; (2) Microchip PIC microcontroller architecture and C programming specific to the PIC (e.g., using the PIC's peripherals, such as analog inputs, digital I/O, counters/timers, comm ports, etc.); and (3) interfacing the PIC to sensors and actuators, some theory of sensor and actuator operation, and interface circuitry and signal processing.
You will bring your laptop to each class. As the quarter progresses, we will be handing out other equipment that you will need to bring to class, such as the NU32v2 development board that breaks out the PIC32MX795F512L microcontroller.
Topics we will cover include:
- introduction to C programming (here's a simple tutorial C program)
- quiz on circuits
- introduction to the PIC32 hardware, and programming the PIC32 in C
- digital I/O
- counters/timers and interrupts
- analog input
- sensor smorgasbord
- digital signal processing: filters and FFTs
- analog output and pulse-width modulation
- brushed permanent magnet DC motors: theory and control
- stepper motors and RC servo motors
- communication by SPI, I2C, and RS-232
By class (note: DS = Data Sheet, RM = Reference Manual):
Class 1
- Quiz: None.
- Topic: Course overview. Circuits review.
- Reading: Practice problem set and quiz on this page, as well as background reading as needed.
Class 2
- Quiz: None.
- Topic: Introduction to C (bits, bytes, binary, hex, data types, memory, pointers, compiling).
- Reading: Sample program, Essential C (page numbers referenced in program comments).
Class 3
- Quiz: Circuits.
- Topic: Introduction to C (cont).
- Reading:
- Assignment out:
Final Demo: Monday 3/12, 3-5 PM, for 12:30-1:50 section; Wednesday 3/14, 9-11 AM, for 11:00-12:20 section
FAQ
Q: Do I need to know the C language to take this course?
A: No. But if you already know C, there is still plenty else in this course for you. If you already know C, know how to use microcontrollers for real-time control, and have a good understanding how common sensors and actuators work and how to interface to them, this course may not be for you. Consider taking ME 433 Advanced Mechatronics in the spring quarter.
Q: Is there an independent project?
A: There is no large independent project. There will be an individual two-week project at the end of the course, but there will be no machining. For a significant project, do a quarter-long project in ME 433 Advanced Mechatronics, offered in the spring quarter. ME 333 is good preparation for ME 433.
Q: What kind of laptop do I need?
A: You need a laptop with at least 2 USB ports. Any operating system is fine.
ME 333 Winter 2010 (obsolete)
- ME 333 Circuits Review Material
- NUmechatronics youtube channel
- ME 333 final projects
- PCB Artist
- ME 333 Suggested Final Projects
- ME 333 end of course schedule
- ME 333 Lab Kits
- Processing (software allowing you to create GUIs on your PC and interface through your USB port)
- Labs from Winter 2010
- Ungraded study problems (be sure to attempt to solve the problems before looking at the solutions!)
