Instructor:	Prof. Kevin Lynch, kmlynch@northwestern.edu
Class Hours:	T Th 12:30-2:00 Tech M120
Labs:	W 2-5 (Section 1), 6-9 (Section 2), 1203 ITEC, formerly BIRL (at 1801 Maple)
Office Hours:	Tech B221, M 11-12, W 1-2, or by appointment (467-5451)
Teaching Assistant:	Eric Faulring, e-faulring@northwestern.edu. Office hours: M 3-4, LIMS lab (through double doors in ME main office)

Text
Introduction to Mechatronics and Measurement Systems, Second Edition, D. G. Alciatore and M. B. Histand, McGraw-Hill, 2003, ISBN 0-07-240241-5.

Some Other Sources
The Art of Electronics, second edition, P. Horowitz and W. Hill, Cambridge University Press, 1989, ISBN 0-521-37095-7.
Mechatronics: Electronic Control Systems in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, second edition, W. Bolton, Addison Wesley Longman, 1999, ISBN 0-582-35705-5.
Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation, second edition, J. Jones, A. Flynn, and B. Seiger, AK Peters, 1999, ISBN 1-56881-097-0.
Mechanical Devices for the Electronics Experimenter, B. Rorabaugh, TAB Books (Division of Mc-Graw Hill), 1995, ISBN 0-07-053547-7.

Web Site
http://lims.mech.northwestern.edu/~lynch/courses/ME333/2005
Problem sets, handouts, and other course information will be available here.

Mechatronics Design Lab website

Course Description
Introduction to the design of microprocessor-controlled electromechanical systems. Interfacing sensors and actuators to a personal computer and a single-board computer. Electrical and mechanical design, prototyping, and construction. Dissection of a commercial mechatronic product. Students work in teams to produce final computer-controlled electromechanical projects of their own design.

Open to students of all engineering disciplines and computer science. Prerequisites: EA3 or instructor permission.

General Information
Much of this course is a self-study course. We will cover the basics in lecture, but it is essential that you keep up with the outside reading. Do not fall behind! Short quizzes will be given periodically and may cover assigned readings that we have not discussed in class.

Homework will be assigned periodically during the quarter. You are encouraged to view the homeworks as learning exercises. You may work with others during the initial phases, but the final writeups must be your own work. Copying is not allowed.

You will be divided into teams of three for labs and for the final project. The first two labs will be done during the scheduled lab times; the remaining labs will be done on your own time and demonstrated during the scheduled lab times. A preliminary project proposal will be due in the fifth week of the course, and a final project proposal will be due in the seventh week. More details on the project will be given during the course. The final project report will take the form of a website.

At least one member per team will be certified to use the machine tools by a short course taught by one of the machinists.

Grading
Homework and Quizzes 25%, Labs 25%, Project 50%

STUDENT PROJECTS

• Approximate syllabus (with assigned readings)
• Class photos
• Class project ideas
• Motor tutorial (powerpoint)
• Final web page guidelines
• Lab kit
• Past student projects
• Project expense reimbursement forms (Excel file, pdf file) and vendor request form (pdf file). You must turn in a completely filled out vendor request form along with your reimbursement form and original receipts (or your credit card statement if you did not receive a receipt; printed version from the web is fine, but make sure it shows your card number and name somewhere). Receipts that are not full 8 1/2" x 11" sheets should be scotch-taped completely around all four edges to one side of a blank (front and back) sheet of white paper. You can put multiple receipts on the same page. You will not be reimbursed for tax, so don't include this on the reimbursement form. All reimbursement forms should be turned in by the time the website is due; let me know if you will need more time. If your group paid for things by cash, it will be easier if you combine receipts so just one student is being reimbursed, rather than having two or three small reimbursements to different students. Use your judgment, but don't bother with small reimbursements of just a few dollars. Do not staple! Paper clip your pages together.

Assignments

• Assignment 1: Problems 2.23, 2.26, and 2.34 from A&H. Due in class, Thursday January 6.
  
• Assignment 2: Problems 3.7, 3.12, and 3.13 from A&H. Also: In class we discussed where to put a flyback diode to protect a circuit driving a motor in one direction (current flowing in one direction through the motor). In lab, we built a "push-pull" amplifier from two BJT's, so that one transistor could "push" the current through the motor in one direction, and the other could "pull" the current through the motor in the other direction. To protect this circuit when we switch off the "pushed" or "pulled" current, we can use two flyback diodes, just like the one diode we used for the example in class where we only "pushed" current through the motor. Draw a circuit diagram showing where the two flyback diodes should be. To receive credit, explain why you put the diodes there, and what happens when current through the motor is shut off. Due in class, Tuesday January 25.
  
• Assignment 3: Write one paragraph on a proposed final project and email to Tom Worsnopp, greycloak@northwestern.edu, by 8 AM Tuesday Jan 25. For an idea of the scope of the project, see other projects here. Your paragraph should briefly address how it works and what sensors or motors are needed.
  
• Assignment 4: Problems 5.2(b), 5.4(b), and 5.14(b) and (c) from A&H. Due in lab on Wednesday, Feb 2 (Lab 4).
  
• Assignment 5: Preliminary project proposal, one for each team, due in class Thursday Feb 3. The proposal should be 3-5 pages (approx.), with at least one drawing (hand drawing OK) showing the whole device, a paragraph or two discussing the overall function and goal of the project, as well as discussions of the sensors and actuators you will use, the computation, and the mechanical design. Although you do not have to have worked out all the details, the proposal should show that you've thought about how the whole project will work. Keep in mind that your project will be graded on reliability, functionality, and aesthetics. It can be a fun whimsical project, or it can solve a practical problem. Your project should creatively use simple sensors and actuation, but your proposal should be beyond simply applying what we do in lab. Previous projects are a good indicator of what's possible.

Labs

See here for your lab time.

Quizzes

Notes

• Quiz 1 will be in class on Tuesday, Feb 1. It will cover linear circuit elements, transistors, and diodes. The first two assignments are good preparation. You will be allowed only your pencil or pen; no calculators, books, notes, etc. The quiz will be for only about 30 minutes of class time.