Final Project Blog Post
I was finally able to get a project working and understand why it works. My final project is an electromagnetic communication device. It works by allowing a message to be sent over a magnetic field. It uses two 6v electromagnets, an Arduino, and its tested with an oscilloscope. It uses a primary electromagnet to induct the secondary electromagnet. It was a long road getting to my final project. I had a project before which was an electromagnetic floater. I couldn’t figure out the code and the how to configure the strength of the electromagnets. I had many different problems with the programming and hardware of the project.
One problem I had with the electromagnetic floater, were the magnets themselves. They weren’t powerful enough and could only handle 6 volts. This means that most likely if I had my project floating; it would be a very weak float and would drop the magnet. I also had a problem with the bootloader and code. I kept getting the error “avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00”. I then found out I just had to restart the Arduino software and my computer. I also got an error from the header file. The header file had to be changed to Arduino.h in order to fix this error, which took me a whole to find and fix. When I was finally able to get the code to upload, I had almost know time left. This is when I decided to change my project to the communication device. All in all, I learned a lot about engineering, being an engineer
Milestone Blog Post
So far, I have made a significant amount of progress. I was able to complete my starter project in the first week and I didn’t have many problems because I was using a kit. At this point, I am most proud of the fact that I have finished my starter and I am beginning to program my Arduino using example code. I am proud of starting to program because at first I thought it would be much harder. I am using the Arduino as the chip in my Electromagnetic floater. I am also proud that I learned how to use the Arduino because it is essential to my final project. It will be used to access the data from a photodiode, which will tell the Arduino if the floating object is level. To learn how to use the Arduino, I first had to figure out how to wire it. Then, I had to learn how to input and read code. The only trouble I had with the Arduino was wiring. I didn’t know how to connect it correctly to a solderless breadboard, which made it hard to blink an LED. I was able fix this by going to where I knew the answer would be…youtube.
Jeffrey M-Minty Boost
The Minty Boost is a device that allows electronic devices to be charged on the go. It works through the use of a boost converter. Boost converters work to allow more voltage to be output than the original input. The principle that makes the boost converter work is the inductor’s tendency to resist changes in current. Also, a diode and capacitors are used. The diode allows current to flow in one direction. Capacitors are used to store energy.
The only challenge during the course of building the minty boost was that I soldered a diode in the wrong direction. If I didn’t catch the mistake when I did, I would’ve had to take it apart and do it all over. This is because a diode only allows current to flow in one direction and having the diode soldered the wrong way would’ve allowed the current to flow backwards. Other than that, I had a very productive build.
