Lab 1 – Arduino Programming Basics

Summary

The purpose of Lab 01 was to familiarize the team with the hardware elements of the AEV as well as with the basic features of the arduino controller program. This was important because the team will need to have a solid understanding of both the hardware and software elements available in order to design an AEV. During the lab, two electric motors were clamped into a stand and, as instructed in the lab manual, two propellers were attached so that the dull side was facing away from the motor casing. Once the propellers were firmly attached to the stand in the correct direction, the Arduino, with the power switch set to “off,” was connected to the motors and then to the battery. The next step was to open the Arduino programming environment to write a basic program to test the propellers.

The program written for Lab 01 consisted of calling and testing several different functions that will be important for the team to know in upcoming labs. Once the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) was opened, the code was written inside a tab called “01_myCode.” After the basic program was complete, the Arduino controller was connected to the computer via a USB cable.  After connecting the USB, several changes were made in the “tools” tab in accordance with the lab manual. Next, the program was uploaded to the Arduino, the USB was detached, and the power was switched on. Finally, the program was executed by pressing the start button on the Arduino controller was switched off after waiting 10 seconds. Lab 01 contained an additional activity, which the team completed the code for but was unable to upload to the Arduino as a result of an unexplained error.

Takeaways

Lab 1 left team k with information that will prove valuable in the near future. First, it will be important to remember that the brake() command does not stop the vehicle instantly, but rather cuts power to the motors and lets friction take over in stopping the AEV. This is an issue that will be important to address when writing the final control program. Other important takeaways were laid out in the lab manual and pertain to the safe operation of the AEV. In particular, it was emphasized that the battery should be connected to the Arduino and should never be plugged directly into the motors. The members of team k also left the lab with a better understanding of how to work effectively with one another.

Schedule

Lab 02 will be completed on Tuesday, January 24 from 11:10AM – 12:30PM. Following the lab, the team will meet on Thursday, January 26 from 5:30PM-8:30PM to begin the progress report and complete as much of it as possible. If the progress report is not completed on Thursday, the team will meet again on Sunday, January 29 at 5:30PM and will work until it has been completed.

Meeting Notes

Date: 19 January 2017

Time: 6:00 P.M. (Face-to-Face)

Members Present: Gonzalo Diago, Trevor McDowell, Ryan Born, Khalid Musa

Topics Discussed: Lab 1 Post-Lab, Group Calendar, and Lab 2 Progress Report

Objective:

Today, the group met in order to discuss the upcoming Progress Report for Lab 2, the Group Calendar, and build a basic AEV prototype.

To Do:

  • Build sample AEV design (TM, KM, RB, GD)
  • Test AEV design (TM, KM, RB, GD)
  • Lab 2 Progress Report (TM, KM, RB, GD)
  • Complete u.osu.edu website setup and make sure all group members have access. (TM, KM, RB, GD)
  • Discuss options for 3D printing with the instructor or the GTA. (GD)

Timeline/Schedule

– The group will meet Sunday to complete the lab 2 progress report and to continue discussing the AEV design.

Decisions Made

  • The group will meet on Sunday to continue working on the items discussed above.
  • As many AEV parts as possible will be reproduced in SolidWorks and 3D printed to reduce weight.

Reflection

Last week went smoothly despite a few minor issues. All tasks were completed on time and the project seems to be on track. Some of the roadblocks that the group faced included confusion regarding what was expected on the progress report. This was sorted out during the group meeting. Additionally, all group members felt the completed work was of good quality.

 

Date: 22 January 2017

Time: 6:00 P.M. (Face-to-Face)

Members Present: Gonzalo Diago, Trevor McDowell, Ryan Born, Khalid Musa

Topics Discussed: Lab 2 Progress Report, Sample AEV Build

Objective:

Today, the group met in order to write the Progress Report for Lab 2 as well as build the Sample AEV for the upcoming lab assignment.

To Do:

  • Test AEV design (TM, KM, RB, GD)
  • Discuss options for 3D printing with the instructor or the GTA. (GD)

Timeline/Schedule

– The group will meet Thursday to discuss what is required for the next week (Post-Lab 2 as well as preparations and observations for Lab 3)

Decisions Made

  • The group will meet on Thursday to continue working on the items discussed above.
  • As many AEV parts as possible will be reproduced in SolidWorks and 3D printed to reduce weight (Still need to discuss and ensure that this is possible).

Reflection

Last week went very smoothly, the group was able to communicate scheduling conflicts with each other successfully, and effectively. The group met twice on time, and was able to complete the required work while maintaining a high standard of quality.