Lab 1 – Programming Basics

Results Lab 01

In the first lab, the team worked on familiarizing with the coding program, along with the different commands that will be used throughout the rest of the lab. This was done by following directions to create a sample code. The success of the group’s lab was limited by different programming factors. One function call was misleading and caused the group to pause their progress to make sure the correct commands were being used. The misleading function was “break(m);”. The function sounds like it should break the AEV but in actuality it breaks the motors allowing the AEV to coast to a stop. This will ultimately affect the AEV’s design since there will be no way to have it stop quickly if needed. The program will have to account for the amount of distance the AEV will cover while coasting to a stop.

The group ran into “Compile Error 1” when attempting to upload the code but ultimately solved it by rearranging the sketchbook folders. When the program was able to be run correctly on the Arduino the group observed that on low power settings one of the motors struggled to overcome friction and turn more than the other. At the end of the program this caused one of the motors to continue spinning longer than the other. This will have to be accounted for in the final program since the AEV won’t be as reliable on lower power settings. A second optional scenario was attempted by the group but was unfinished. The scenario involved a series of accelerating and braking of the motors at certain times to sound like the Imperial March from Star Wars.