ENGR 190 Introduction to Engineering with Microelectronics
Abstract
ENGR 190 is an introductory engineering course where students learn foundational engineering concepts and then apply them to a robot design project. At our campus, the course is structured so that in the first half of the semester, students are learning about basic mechanics, sketching, CAD, circuits, and programming through in class lectures, labs, and homework assignments. In the second half of the semester, students are split into 2 teams, one mechanical and one electrical, who will work together to design and build an autonomous robot.
Programming Labs Overview
Lab 1: Introduction to Servo Motor and LED Control
This lab is to introduce students to Arduino and Arduino programming by having them take the shell of a code and modify it to control 2 different types of servos. These servos can be fitted with different attachments to also serve as wheels or arms for a robot. By programming the servos and LED, the students will be familiar with the structure of coding in Arduino IDE and the specific functions used for different Arduino peripherals.
Lab 2: IR Break Beam
This lab is to build off the concepts learned from programming the servos in lab 1 and extend it to program a different type of sensor and use that to control the servos. This will continue to build students’ repertoire of coding functions and emphasizes the iterative nature of coding, where you build and test your code as you go.
Lab 3: Thermistor/LCD
This lab is to introduce students to Arduino peripherals with more advanced assembly required than the servos and IR sensor. This lab will require students to practice soldering, a skill often needed for basic electronics projects, and to apply the theoretical knowledge of circuits and breadboarding to correctly connect the LCD display to read the temperature from the thermistor. Programming these two peripherals will help students use and find outside resources which will be needed as they are adding additional components to their larger robot.