7.2. Day 2: (Jul 6) Resistive Circuits

Notes for Jul 6, 2017. See also the Calendar.

7.2.1. Notes from Day 1

Some initial reactions to last year’s pinball prototypes:

1. Add a ball launch plunger.
2. Fix the sticking flippers.
3. Fix the spinners so the ball can’t get stuck (perhaps add asymmetry).
4. Improve the pop-up targets.
5. Make the game boards smaller.
6. Add graphics or paint the surface.
7. Add through-beam optical sensing across playfield.
8. Build the machine robustly enough to install in the CMARC office.

7.2.2. Agenda

1. Administrative
   1. Headshot photos.
   2. Try out laptops.
2. Assignments
   1. Power Switch and LED. Voltage and current measurement, controlling current with a switch.
   2. Smoke a Resistor. Testing Ohm’s Law empirically by destroying a resistor.
   3. Sensor Switch Basics. Applying the voltage divider to the simplest sensor: the switch.
   4. LED Current Limiting. Applying the voltage divider to regulating LED current.
3. In-class
   1. Exercises in pairs.
   2. Electrical theory discussion.
   3. Continue exercises.