In this course, students will learn to harness the power of microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators to build useful and interesting robotic devices. The Mechatronics Revolution is upon us. Never before has it been easier to build robotic devices and computer-controlled machines. The confluence of low-cost embedded computers, sensors, and actuators has made experimentation and prototyping easier than ever.
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Course modules will explore the mechatronics design process, fundamentals of microcontrollers, embedded systems programming, actuator control, and sensor interfacing. Through several hands-on labs, students will solidify their knowledge of core mechatronics concepts and gain real-world experience building their own mechatronic systems. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge they need to harness the Mechatronics Revolution.
What you'll learn
- Recognize and describe the elements of a microcontroller as well as the operating principles of motors, sensors, and circuits commonly used in mechatronic devices
- Create basic programs for microcontrollers using interrupt-driven programming
- Design and implement microcontroller programs that read from sensors and achieve appropriate actuator commands
- Implement a mechatronic device using actuators, sensors, and a microcontroller command processor
Syllabus
Module 1: Overview of Microcontrollers
Topic 1: What is Mechatronics?
Topic 2: Introduction to Microcontroller Technology
Module 2: Circuits and Electrical Components
Topic 1: Basic Circuit Concepts
Topic 2: Semiconductor Circuit Elements
Topic 3: Example Circuits for Mechatronic Devices
Module 3: Microcontroller Fundamentals
Topic 1: Integer Math
Topic 2: C Programming for Microcontrollers
Topic 3: General-Purpose Input Output
Topic 4: Interrupt-Driven Programming
Topic 5: Clocks and Timers
Module 4: Motors and Servos
Topic 1: Actuators for Mechatronic Systems
Topic 2: Brushed DC Motors
Topic 3: Pulse Width Modulation and Servo Control
Module 5: Sensors and Microcontroller Interfacing
Topic 1: Sensors for Mechatronic Systems
Topic 2: Analog-to-Digital Conversion
Topic 3: Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART)
Topic 4: I2C and Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)
Topic 5: Examples of Sensor-Microcontroller Integration
Module 6: Building Mechatronic Systems
Topic 1: Building a Hexapod Robot
Topic 2: Building a Line Following Robot
