Day Two

Smoking!

Agenda

  1. house rules
  2. see notes from day one
  3. visits
  4. quick poll
  5. new groups
  6. continue on 1.a.i, start on 1.a.ii

Please be sure to:

  1. make an account on this site (user your andrew email, make up a user name, choose real or fake first and last name)
  2. submit your information to Zack’s temporary facilities web site IDEATE facilities web site
  3. review the facilities user agreement facilities user agreement

Review

The modular illuminance sensors for the transducers exercise are brand-new and will need the three-pin connector soldered on. I gave a few quick soldering lessons, please teach each other and watch tutorials.

My essential soldering tips:

  1. Lead is poisonous: wash your hands afterwards.
  2. Turn on the fan to absorb the rosin fumes.
  3. Put a little water on the sponge.
  4. Melt a little solder on the tip to “tin” it.
  5. Use the sponge to clean off excess solder and flux from the tip.
  6. Soldering is all about heat, oxides, and surface tension: the rosin flux vaporizes in the heat and removes oxides so the solder can wet the metal; the melted solder wicks into the freshly cleaned gaps.
  7. Heat the joint with the iron; let the hot joint melt the solder. The solder is applied to the joint, not the tip.
  8. Look for a shiny, symmetrical meniscus of solder when you’re done.

Please remember that Google and the entire internet is always at your fingertips to answer factual questions.

Apparently our RGB LEDs are common-anode (determined empirically). The longest lead is the common.

Move through the exercises as fast as possible; you’ll want to spend time on the first project, due Sep. 10.