Embedded Files
Ideation
Ideation
Tell us about your assignment's idea for this week. Why do you care about this idea? What inspired you? (Please include images or links to sources of inspiration)
Tell us about your assignment's idea for this week. Why do you care about this idea? What inspired you? (Please include images or links to sources of inspiration)
My niece is my inspiration for this week's project. Marie is almost 4 years old now and she lives in Belgium. I visit her whenever I can and love spending time with her. Her mom gave us a beautiful card last year with my niece's voice recording.
For my project, I would like to make a photo frame with a picture of my niece and nephew. I want to include a speaker in the box behind the frame that can contain the hardware of my project. With a push button it will activate the voice recording and light up. When my nephew learns how to speak I can add a second voice recording and light.
Tool Chain
Tool Chain
Which software/machines/materials did you use in the assignment? Why?
Which software/machines/materials did you use in the assignment? Why?
Software: Tinkercad
Software: Tinkercad
I used the free webapp tinkercad to build the circuit and test the setup and connections. This software has all the electrical components I need for this project. I will replace the voice recorder with a Pieto.
Materials for the circuit in Tinkercad
Materials for the circuit in Tinkercad
I used for the circuit a breadboard, 5 volt power adaptor, a light bulb, a pieto, a push button and red and black jumper wires.
Materials for device enclosure
Materials for device enclosure
To make the box, I will use cardboard, paper, a cutter and a glue gun.
Materials for the physical circuit
Materials for the physical circuit
After making the circuit, I found out the light bulb needs 12V. It was too weak with the 5V adaptor. So I changed to the 9V adaptor to get more light output. I also needed crocodile wires to attach the light bulb to jumper wires to the breadboard.
Design/Preparation Process
Design/Preparation Process
Explain the design and/or preparation process of your assignment. How did you use the tool or software to design and/or prepare your assignment before fabrication/implementation?
Explain the design and/or preparation process of your assignment. How did you use the tool or software to design and/or prepare your assignment before fabrication/implementation?
All components connected in Tinkercad
The circuit working while pushing the button
Preparation in Tinkercad
1- I added all the components I needed in the workspace. This will help me visualize and organize the circuit step by step.
2- The adaptor will be 5 volt, to be the same as the adaptor available to me. I connected the positive side with a red wire to a vertical row to make the whole row positive to attach the outputs of the components in parallel.
3- I connected 1 terminal of the lamp to the positive row. Then I attached the other terminal with a black wire to the same row of the second terminal of the pieto.
4- I added a push button to the circuit to activate both components at once.
5- I connected the negative row to 1 terminal of the push button. Then I added a black jump wire to attach another terminal of the push button to the negative terminal of the power source.
6- I tested the circuit and both components were working on 112 mA.
Development/Implementation Process
Development/Implementation Process
Explain the development/implementation process of your assignment. How did you use the machine/tool to manufacture or implement the design of your assignment?
Explain the development/implementation process of your assignment. How did you use the machine/tool to manufacture or implement the design of your assignment?
Creating the physical circuit
I recreated the circuit physically after it worked on tinkercad. After testing the circuit, I realized the lamp didn't light up strongly. With the avometer I tested to see if I maybe somehow didn't make a parallel circuit. But both outputs received 5 volt.
I examined the light bulb and saw in the print it works on 12 volt. So I changed the 5 volt adaptor with the 9 volt adaptor from the game kit. Now testing again both outputs are working well. The sound is strong and the light source as well.
Creating the product with cardboard
Front with user interface - push button
Side with plug in for adaptor
Breadboard and wiring
Side closed with tape to easily access cables
Light and sound activated with push button
The adaptor of 9 volt was able to power the buzzer and the light bulb in parallel with sufficient light and sound. I added the place for the speaker to later on add the sound recorder module which has the recorded voice of my niece. I hope that I will be able to add it soon after going through the next weeks sessions.
Overcoming Challenges
Overcoming Challenges
What kinds of challenges or problems did you face while doing the assignment, tutorials, or exercises? How did you solve them? Did you ask for help from an instructor or peer? Please provide a link to the tutorial or article that you used to solve your problem (if any)
What kinds of challenges or problems did you face while doing the assignment, tutorials, or exercises? How did you solve them? Did you ask for help from an instructor or peer? Please provide a link to the tutorial or article that you used to solve your problem (if any)
Challenge 1
I struggled with how to calculate the relation between the voltage, resistance and current. After the session on Monday, I didn't understand the relation and how to calculate these numbers. So I tried to watch videos in English and Dutch. This video helped me understand Ohm's law better. Ohm's Law
Challenge 2
I didn't understand how to apply Ohm's law on my circuit. I know the Volt unit is 5 and the current is 5. But I can't figure out how to calculate the needed resistence for my components. I was able to make a working circuit, but without understanding how. I asked my fellow students in troubleshooting on Slack for help explaining how to calculate it. Samah reached out to me to explain and after watching the second half of the videos for EOW practice I was able to better understand how to calculate it.
Challenge 3
In the Saturday session, one of our H-bridges was not working. We used the Avometer to test the continuity of the circuit. After checking all the cables we tried the push button itself. 1 of the push buttons was broken. We replaced it and the circuit worked!
Video explaining Ohm's law
Final Project
Final Project
How can you use the skills and knowledge that you've acquired this week in your final project?
How can you use the skills and knowledge that you've acquired this week in your final project?
Electronic components final project
My final project will have multiple electronic components of which some will have to work simultaneously and some separately. The exercises and videos of this week were an introduction to how to approach this aspect of my project. I will need to build on this knowledge the coming weeks to make the final project a success.
WOW!
WOW!
What is the coolest thing that you've learned this week? What is something that you will never forget from this week?
What is the coolest thing that you've learned this week? What is something that you will never forget from this week?
Practice in pair learning
In the online session my team mate and I were able to build the circuit on Tinkercad with the 7-segment display.
Yet when we tried to make it on our breadboard, it didn't work for either of us. The 7-segment display on tinkercad was one with a common anode. The display in our kit had nothing written on it, but turned out to have a common cathode.
Our instructor hinted at this and it was a very nice feeling once the display worked. With such a simple change/having a small piece of knowledge.
So this was a very interesting and enjoyable session.
The moment the 7-segment display worked during the online session
Weekly Digest [OPTIONAL]
Weekly Digest [OPTIONAL]
Tell us about any other cool things that you've made this week: in the Hands-on activity, tutorial examples, exercises, or any other cool mini-project that you tried out aside from the assignment.
Tell us about any other cool things that you've made this week: in the Hands-on activity, tutorial examples, exercises, or any other cool mini-project that you tried out aside from the assignment.
Sound recorder module with speaker
I tried tinkering with the gift card my sister in law gave to us with the cute recording of my (back then) 3 year old niece. Since it has a limited lifespan, I wanted to find a way to connect it to an external power source and attach it to a photo frame I can hang in my home.
The card itself was getting worn down. On top I read online that these modules can only be used around 100 times and some of them will erase the recording.
So I watched videos on these modules and found them available at Free electronics. So I will record the voice and try to include this module in this week's project.
Card with voice recording of my niece
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