Reverse Engineering

Evidence of Work

The major question we were trying to solve was how reverse engineering a remote would help our group design a more efficient and improved version. Our main goal was to design a new remote that is able to turn on a t.v without needing to be pointed directly at the t.v. We also wanted to make a remote that is more Eco-friendly than the Roku remote we had. To do this we would get rid of the LED and use a radio wave admitting transmitter instead that would allow us to connect to a t.v without being in direct line of sight with it. Bluetooth remotes work the same way as infrared remotes, but instead of sending light pulses from an LED, they send the codes to the TV via radio waves. Another improvement we are going to make to the remote is altering the materials so that it is more environmentally friendly. ABS plastic is one of the main parts of our current remote, so our goal is to help the Earth by choosing a cleaner and safer material like bamboo to make the remote out of instead. Before we came up with our new idea we spent many days researching and analyzing our Roku remote. Firstly, we disassembled the remote and then each member was designed a component to research. We found the functional, structural, material, and manufacturing analysis for all components. Then we sketched a new model and flow chart for our new device called a Rambo remote.

(Here is a picture of our gantt chart that shows the steps we did in order to complete the project on time)

For our final product we created a remote that uses an RF transmitter (blue-tooth) instead of an LED. After learning about ABS plastic we realized that it is not safe for the environment because it is non biodigradable. So we decided to change the two plastic casings from ABS plastic to bamboo. Bamboo is much better for the environment because it is a safe and regenerative material that can easily be regrown. Our new design will utilize a radio wave admitting transmitter to allow us to connect to a TV without being in direct line of sight with the TV. We would add an RF receiver to the TV and an RF transmitter to the remote to send and receive stronger signals between the TV and remote from farther away and/or out of sight. The method of transmitting would be relatively similar to IR signaling. Binary patterns, or codes, will be sent via electricity from the circuit board to the transmitter in bursts of power. As the current flows through the RF transmitter, it is detected and modulated into a radio wave with a certain frequency for 1, or ON, and for 0, or OFF. These signals travel through the air at near light speed and are detected by two shorted pins running off the RF receiver. The disturbances caused by the waves are unmodulated back into binary electric signals that then go on to cause an event within the TV.

We presented all of this information in a sixteen page report containing blueprints, sketches, bills of material, analysis of materials, manufacturing, measurements and costs. Then we took the most important information and concisely organized it into a slideshow presentation.

Final Product (Rambo Remote)

Includes transmitter instead of LED

Isographic sketch (shows side viewpoint of remote and its 3 dimensional)

Content

Circuit board: The main sheet of a circuit board is made out of fiberglass which is coated with epoxy resin which is non conductive. A circuit board weighs 13.65 grams. The backbone of a circuit board is the integrated circuit. This circuit is the fundamental building block that allows a remote to function. The main purpose of a circuit board is to direct and encode commands from the person and transfer them to the LED via a binary electric signal from the battery. Circuit boards are composed of a flat sheet of insulating material known as the substrate, and this is laminated to a conductive material (composed of copper). Specific patterns are etched out of the copper layer through a photochemical process. This process creates tracks that serve for different functions on the remote. These tracks are then joined to the actual board through soldering.

LED: LEDs are typically made out of gallium arsenide. An IR led uses infrared light waves to send a signal to the receiver. These waves are transmitted at wavelengths from about 800 nm to 1 mm. The wavelengths emitted by the LED is not visible to the eye. An LED contains a negative anode and a positive cathode that facilitates the flow of electrons to produce a signal.

Remote Casing: The two casing are made out of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. The single battery contact found in the casing is made from nickel, and the plastic needed for the casing of one Roku remote is about $0.09. The purpose of the casing is to protect the remote and add structure so that all the internal pieces stay in place. The battery contact conducts an electrical current from the battery to be used in a certain circuit. The spring on the battery contact is also used to keep the batteries in place. The casing weighs about 29.15 grams in total.

Buttons: The buttons and the pad are made out of silicon and weigh about 6.75 grams, while the directional arrows are made out of ABS plastic and weigh about 0.85 grams. The purpose of the buttons are to send commands to the TV whenever someone presses a button. Each button contains a black conductive disk on the bottom of it. When a person's finger presses down on the button this force will help the disk touch the contact on the circuit board which connects it to the chip. A connection will then occur between the disk and the contact, making the TV execute the command. The silicone for buttons are made in a two step process and it is an example of a forming method. Machines will take the silicon liquid and pour it into a desired mold. Then this mold will be curd and turn into a solid state.

Isographic sketch: It is a type of sketch for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions typically used in engineering. In the project we drew an isographic sketch to help show the remote in a three dimensional way. It also helped show what the side viewpoint is on a remote.

Flow chart: A diagram that shows step-by-step progression through a procedure or system especially using connecting lines and a set of conventional symbols. In the flow chart we made sure to start with electricity and show how electricity goes through different components in a remote to help eventually connect it to a t.v.

Reflection

During this project I excelled at critical thinking. I helped the group determine a couple of ways for improving our remote so that it can operate a t.v without having to be in line of sight. I also realized that ABS plastic is not an environmentally friendly substance so I thought of the idea to design the remote with a different material. Together me and my other group mate determined that using bamboo would be a lot better than continuing to use plastic. Also I designed the flowchart and brainstormed ways to connect all of the subcomponents into the flowchart.

My communication skills were also strong during this project. I took on the leadership role and helped assign all group mates with specific tasks for them to complete. If someone wasn't doing what they were supposed to be doing then I would ask if they needed any help. I also checked in to see how far along they were in the component they needed to research. When it came to presenting I led the group discussion for who was going to present what slide to the class.

I need to work on collaboration. I work well with people who are organized and are always on task, but I find it hard to work with people who have different traits than me. For example, one of my group mates works at a slower speed than I do and tends to do their work at home instead of in class. This frustrated me because I didn't trust that they would complete it at home. So, next time I need to have more faith in my group mates that they will complete the section they say they are going to do.

I need to be more creative when it comes to designing a report or slideshow. During the project I tended to type out paragraphs of my research instead of making it into bullet points. Also I never knew there were different websites that can create different templates for google slides. So for the next project I am going to use carnival slides to make an appealing slideshow and implement a ton of images.

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