Week 4 - Journal
Ideation
Tell us about your assignment's idea for this week. Why do you care about this idea? What were you inspired by?
This week's assignment idea was to design and build an electronic device which performs two actions at the same time.
While i was surfing the net i saw this model of robot car which gave me an inspiration for my assignment to make a simple motor car.
i cared a lot about this idea as i always loves car toys and car games and now specially to drive a car. so this was kind of my first step in to deep automobile engineer . Also it help me to practice to make a circuit for a simple motor car.
Tool Chain
Which software/machines/materials did you use this week? Why?
This week i used many new electronic components and an amazing online simulator for circuits called "Tinkercad" .
Tinkercad- online 3D modeling program that runs in a web browser, known for its simplicity and ease of use. so that easily accessible from any where also best feature to simulate the circuit and measuring the three main units of a circuit by using digital multi meter.
Electronics components-
1)6 Volts/ 9 Volts AC adapter- to maintain and limit the voltage for delicate components.
2)Breadboard- magnificent idea for using alternative of soldering the wires together and then remove it again which will definitely effect deeply to the qualities of the wires.
3) Wires- male to male, male to female, female to female. three types of wires are very common which can be easily connected to any component or to the breadboard to make a circuit easily.
4) Action components : Leds(red green white), RGB, normal bulb, seven segment digital analog, buzzer and DC motor. all these components had major role in the circuit as they do an action which is observed by our senses.
5)Resistor components- different types of resistors (220ohms .........100kilo ohms), resistor value changer (LDR, Thermistor, Potentiometer...etc..). all these are require to adjust the action components suitable for its life adn also our need. 6)Multimeter - It is the most useful tool to measure the voltage and amperage and current flow. also has some additional features like buzzer in which to check a closed circuit.
Design Process
Explain the design process of your assignment. How did you use the tool/software to design and/or simulate your assignment?
For this week's assignment i used 2 types of designing method.
1) sketching a "schematic diagram" of my circuit which will be used in the motor car. It is the same concept of designing a sketch of any model to get a rough idea of the concept which will be designed.
A- so i used the cheat sheet for schematic symbols for my circuit
B- first try to drew it in both serial and parallel series and choose the type which will result best output on my 2 action components. I choose the parallel one which worked perfectly.
C- After finalizing the type and build it practically also after the simulation on "Tinkercad" program, i inserted the required information - current flow. also was tripled checked by the ohm's laws, simulator and multi meter
2) Simulation on Tinkercad program- best and most fun part to design the circuit and simulate it on the program which allows us to visualize the circuit before doing it practically.
A- Basically i created new circuit project on Tinkercad online after logging in my account and saved it "assignment" name.
B- i searched and dragged and dropped all my components needed (breadboard+ led+ dc motor+ resistor +power supply +multi meter)
C- wires are created by the mouse left click only were it snaps on the components- also changed some settings like in power supply i changes voltage to 6 V and for resistor i entered 220 ohms.
D- It was time to create a simple circuit successfully :) as shown in the photo.
E-After finishing the design clicked on "start simulation" button to view my circuit as real one.
Fabrication/Implementation Process
Explain the fabrication/implementation process of your assignment. How did you use the machine/tool to manufacture or implement the design of your assignment?
For this assignment i used 2 types of fabrication/implementation process:
1) Prototyping the body of my motor car by cardboard
A- i procured a small card board box, a small stiff piece of cardboard a bottle cap, rubber band and long sticks.
B- i started with prototyping a wheel, so i traced on the stiff cardboard with the help of the bottle cap 4 circles. and cut them out.
C- then created holes with the help of the stick in the side of the boxes and measured them to be equally both sides.
D- first i check the rubber band and the stick turns well together then fitted the motor in the perfect position. (had to use the remain stiff piece of the cardboard to give the grip for the motor.
E- glued the four wheels on the edge of the sticks and tested the movement of wheels.
F- with the help of burned LED i made holes on the top of the box for the LED (red color) to be fitted and which will give the effect of Police or any emergency cars.
G-After wiring all together by alligator clips so that to be fitted in the box flexibly and closed the box and glued it by glue gun.
Finished and ready to roll :)
2) Building the circuit required for my car.
A- fetched all the components needed - alligator wires+ normal male to male wires , 6V adapter, red LED, DC motor, on/off switch and 220 ohms resistor.
B- connected my circuit as shown in schematic and simulator diagram. the positive of the power supply was connected to the on/off switch, the other end of the switch was connected to resistor and to the DC motor, the resistor is then connected to the LED, and from LED and the remaining terminal of the DC motor the the ground wire of the power supply.
C- Calculated the required current for each of the action components in your circuit using Ohms' Law, as shown in the picture , I=P/R ; 6/220= 0.027 A
and verified the calculated value using the Avo-meter. it measured 270 ohms. so 6/270=0.022A.
Community of Learning
Did you ask for feedback? What are the ideas that others have contributed or suggested? What was someone else’s idea that you built upon? How did you help your peers? How did your peers help you?
During this week i asked for feedback from my peers and specially from my instructors along the week.
Many ideas were contributed such as instructor ENG. Ahmed in the sessions, also by ENG ahmed saeed in the recitation (3d Scanning) were i discussed about my final project (how to make a robotic arm) as well as the assignment for this week(when i explained him my assignment encouraged me by his feedback).
Built upon instructor Ahmed sherief in the open time discussion; where the idea which he gave that the DC motor cannot be controlled by resistor changer components as it needs current enough to work, so in the assignment i was trying to change the DC motor speed my the light of the LED but it didn't. so that is why it was simple and sweet.
Also was able to help my fellow peers also by giving suggestions and feedback nevertheless by helping out in anyway possible as shown in the picture.
My peers also are kind enough to help me out throughout my week by giving me support and feedback- as i am professionally new to electronics and circuits, so after spending much time in the internet searching for answers or more information i returned to my peers like - the Thermistor in the kit is 103 and in Tinkercad its different so i reached out to my peers for any misunderstanding or not locating the right one. finally found that there is no 103 model thermistor in Tinkercad.
Overcoming Challenges
When you got stuck, what/who did you turn to? At what point did you have to pause to research or learn more before moving on? What are some mistakes, pitfalls, or challenges that others can avoid if they were doing this project?
This week was amazing and full of challenges and got stuck every step, i will discuss here the few main major ones.
1) in the assignment i glued the DC motor on the cardboard but still the motor due to its torque moved from its place. so i had to pause my assignment to figure out how to fix it efficiently. so i found out that the motor should be fitted on strong stiff surface with a tie so it doesn't move from its place.
2) i couldn't find the thermistor in Tinkercad, so i thought i was searching in with the wrong references, but with the help of my peers i found that the thermistor which we have in the kit is not found in Tinkercad and just have to find out from the net data sheet of the one which we have.
Silly mistakes by me was many i would recommend the readers firstly to ensure safety before prototyping or building a circuit even in enthusiasm, as i got cuts due to the cutting and making holes in the cardboard.
Also never believe that the Tinkercad is truthful as i simulated some simple circuits it worked perfectly on it but as you do it practically the circuit gets tripped and components just get burned.
Final Project
How can you use the skills and knowledge that you've acquired this week in your final project?
The deep knowledge about circuits and electrical components gave me the confidence to make my own circuit for the final project, as well as training on Tinkercad helped me a lot to visualize the circuit which be use full for my final project.
As for leaning schematic diagrams, i can finally say and proud also that i can read correctly or sketch a diagram myself which be needed for my final project.
WOW!
What is the coolest thing that you've learned this week? What is something that you will never forget from this week?
Its amazing to easily measure and understand the electricity and the circuit just by 3 small symbols.
Science had really made our life more easy and specially given us many answers which nobody can even thought of.
I will never forget this law as also its the basics.
Weekly Digest [OPTIONAL]
Tell us about any other cool things that you've made this week: Pre-activity, examples, exercises, or any mini-projects.
Activity for this week was very cool as it was challenging and a new level - Circuits
without any professional background i was asked to make:
What is the best approach to connect a motor, lamp, and an ON/OFF switch together with a power source, so that the motor and lamp are both optimally ON at the same time when the switch is ON, and are both OFF when the switch is OFF?
this is the result of this cool activity
