Michaela Ryan
Michaela's Hello Post
A design/engineering strength and area for growth
I always persist with the struggle when working on project even when everything is going wrong. Something I should work on is planning out the entire project before I start and making sure all the details are correct.
What is a good project reflection? Where will you need to be attentive?
I think there are multiple things that make a good reflection. It must be clear and easy for someone else to understand the entire process. It should also highlight things that were challenging and how you can avoid the mistakes next time. I will never to focus on making sure I record the process so I don't forget at the end, and make sure I take pictures of my work.
9.10.19 Custom PCB with Switch and LED's
Project
The project was to create a circuit board on eagle containing three LED's in parallel, three resistors, a switch, and a DC power adapter jack.
How it was completed
First we had to lay out the parts on a schematic and make sure everyone could connect properly.
Then we had to transfer the schematic to the digital circuit board to plan out exactly where each part would go and where everything would connect.
What I learned
I learned how to use eagle to create schematics and circuit boards. This project also helped me understand how circuit boards work and what components you need for depending on what you are trying to accomplish.
9.18.19 Test Board and Digital Joinery
Test Board
This is a circuit including three LED's in parallel with three resistors, a switch, and a power jack.
Digital Joinery
This is a cube that is held together with slots and tabs. We designed it in rhino the cut the pieces with MDF.
9.24.19 Breadboarded Circuit
Project
This is an amp circuit on a breadboard.
What it does
My circuit can use bluetooth to connect to any device and play anything from the two speakers.
What I learned
I learned how to follow more complex schematics and learned what a lot of different parts do while doing this project. I also learned to do my best figure things out myself or which my classmates before asking for help.
9.30.19 Speaker Designs
These are my ten speaker designs. I wanted to think about how I could create an interesting design while still making a speaker that has good sound quality. I also wanted to find a way to incorporate lights to my speaker.
10.3.19 Enclosure Design
I chose this design because I want to challenge myself to make something a little more than just a box while still keeping the design simple enough. My main idea was to find a way to incorporate lights in this design so I chose to put acrylic between the tow speakers. I didn't have a specific speaker for inspiration but I looked at a few speakers with lights to get ideas.
10.24.19 Eagle Schematic and Board Drawings
Board Schematic
This is the schematic that shows every component of the circuit and how they connect.
Circuit Board
This is the layout of what the circuit board will look like when it is milled.
10.24.19 Cardboard Prototype
This is my cardboard prototype that is based off my rhino design. There are some slight differences in size because my rhino design is in 1/2 in wood whereas this prototype is in thin cardboard.
11.5.19 Soldered Circuit
This is my complete soldered circuit. One thing I learned was that even if the copper lining broke there are still ways of repairing the connection. This can be seen on the back of my circuit. I just used another wire to fix the connection. Something that was challenging was figuring out why my circuit didn't work at first. The light lit up but one of the speakers didn't play any sound. After troubleshooting, I figured out that part of the circuit for one of the speakers didn't connect to negative. I fixed this by adding another wire to link that part to negative.
11.13.19 First Cuts
This is the cherry wood I am using to build my speaker. I have already planed it to a little less than 1/2 inch so that I can use the laser cutter to cut each individual piece more precisely. Next class I will work on cutting out smaller pieces so I can fit them in the laser cutter.
11.25.19 Enclosure Progress
These are all of the wood pieces for my speaker. My plan for next class is to cut my acrylic pieces. This way I can spend the rest of my classes assembling my speaker.
12.9.19 Enclosure Progress
So far I have finished my two actual speaker enclosures that will be connected with wood and acrylic in between. I still have to mount the speakers on the wood and finished cutting my acrylic in order to assemble the rest of my speaker.
12.15.19 Final Documentation
What are you most satisfied with?
Something that satisfied me this semester was completing my enclosure. There were several aspects of the design that stumped me but I worked out all the issues I ran into along the way.
What would you do differently?
If I were to do this project again, I think I would try to do a better job focusing on one thing at a time. First the circuit for the speakers, then lights, the enclosure. Rather than trying to do all three at once.
What is a lesson from this class that you will take with you and use in future projects?
I learned that I need to fully plan out exactly what my design will be in the beginning so I have a good idea of what I need to do. But also it is fine to change the design for whatever reason.