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Purpose: The students were put into teams of two or three and were asked to learn about electronics, their functions, produce schematics, and build electronic dice.
In this project my team mates, Laura Tanner, Rachel Moretta, and myself took notes on electricity and how to measure the proper resistance needed to complete certain circuits. We then were given handouts explaining both the counter and timer microchips we would be using during this project. From these information sheets as well as from our instructor, Dorsa Sanadgol, we learned how to set up the different chip on an National Intsrument (NI) – ELVIS board. As a team, we created a schematic to successfully place all the components, including LED's, resistors, and capacitors, on the NI – ELVIS board and have them function properly. We first completed the timer ciruit and tested different capacitors using stopwatches and speakers to make sure it worked properly. We then set up the counter and placed the LED's onto the board in numerical order so that we could make sure each part of the circuit functioned properly before moving on. Afterwards, we were charged to individually create schematics for the small scale dice. As a class, we learned to use the soldering iron and properly place components onto the boards provided. We also learned how to use drills and files to create holes for the switch and button on the box we were to put the dice in. In the end, each student had their own functioning die that produced random results when the button was pressed. Finally, as a team, we gave formal presentations on the process and theory behind the dice.
I felt very strong in my skills during this project. Math is a strong suit of mine so the design and process came easy to me. On the other hand, drilling was new for me and it was difficult for me to drill holes in the proper locations for everything to fit into the box properly as well as to drill the accurate size in the right place on the box. Overall, I feel more comfortable with electronics than I did before the project started and I gained a better appreciation for those who build and design electronics on a small scale which is very demanding in this day and age.