2.1. Unit 1 Exercises: Energy, Information, Transduction

The first unit has many exercises intended familiarize you with the lab and basic electronic equipment and are essential for developing the vocabulary and skills to fulfill the projects.

The lab exercises are intended to be performed by pairs of students. The exercises will be performed in the lab during class time, but also outside class as needed. Each student should keep their own lab notebook as detailed in Lab Notebook.

The initial exercises are intended to be quick, simple introductions, but please be sure that each member of each student pair practices each physical and measurement skill. Part of the exercise is absorbing a set of technical terms; the meaning will become apparent in time through immersion in practice.

The following is a suggested order which generally develops from simple to more complex, however the sequence is not strict. There are more exercises available for this section than time so individuals may choose exercises according to the experience and discretion. If something is too elementary for your experience level, please choose something new for you. If an exercise requires a part which is not available, please move on to something feasible.

Please be sure to read the Basic Circuits section for a review of terminology and concepts. Also, please skim the Errata section if you have trouble to identify mistakes in the text or general hints.

Anyone who completes the basic exercises should consider undertaking more of the optional challenge activities listed at the end of most exercises.

Please explore and document at least 8 of the following electronics exercises:

• bench-battery-grid
• continuity-tests
• power-switch
• voltage-divider
• switch-with-pullup
• led-current-limiter
• photocell-with-bias-resistor
• pressure-pad-with-bias-resistor
• transducer-with-dmm
• smoke-a-resistor
• voltage-regulation
• capacitance
• op-amp-level-translation
• relay-driver
• transistor-driver
• multichannel-driver
• transistor-and-sensor-for-power

Please be sure to read the Physical Computation with the Arduino section for a review of terminology and concepts. Also, please skim the Errata section if you have trouble to identify mistakes in the text or general hints.

Please explore and document at least 6 of the following exercises:

Arduino-related:

• arduino-intro
• coding-compiling-deploying
• blink-bulb
• blink-motor
• analog-read-serial
• digital-read-serial
• servo-sweep
• stepper-motor-knob

Mechanism-related:

• Laser Cutting Features and Tolerances
• Mechanisms for One-Bit Sensing

Please be sure to read the Mechanical Behavior section for a review of mechanical terminology and concepts.