ME 333 Introduction to Mechatronics
Course Information, Winter Quarter, 2009

    Instructor: Prof. Kevin Lynch, kmlynch [at] northwestern.edu
    Class Hours: T Th 12:30-2:00 Tech L160
    Labs: W 2-5 (Section 1), 6-9 (Section 2), B100 Ford building (Mechatronics Design Lab)
    Office Hours: Tech B221, T 2-5, Th 2-3 or by appointment
    Teaching Assistant: Nick Marchuk, nick.marchuk [at] gmail.com. Office hours M 1:30-2:30 or by appointment, LIMS lab (through double doors in ME main office, 2nd floor B wing).

    Text
    There is no required text. We will rely mostly on course notes, handouts, and the mechatronics wiki. However, the following is a good textbook, which I recommend (but do not require) to reinforce the material we will cover in class:

    Introduction to Mechatronics and Measurement Systems, Third Edition, D. G. Alciatore and M. B. Histand, McGraw-Hill.

    The second edition, which may be obtained more cheaply, is just as good for this class. Another good reference that may be less expensive and covers much of the material in this class is the following:

    Mechatronics: Principles and Applications, G. C. Onwubolu, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005, ISBN 0-7506-6379-0.

    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/ME333/2009
    Problem sets, handouts, and other course information will be available here.

    ME 433 Advanced Mechatronics website

    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: ME 233 or equivalent (e.g., EECS 221) 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 outside of class. Do not fall behind! Short quizzes will be given periodically and may cover assigned reading that we have discussed only briefly 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 can be done on your own time and demonstrated during the scheduled lab times. The final project will occupy the last five weeks of the class, and your final report will be on the mechatronics wiki.

    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%


Assignments

Labs

See here for your lab time.

Quizzes

Notes and Announcements

Quizzes: no notes or calculator, just pen or pencil.