Week 1 : Principles and practices

Task to come up with our idea sketch about the Final Project

Week 2 : Project management

Task to understand git, make a personalized portfolio website and upload it using git

Week 3 : Computer Aided Design

Task to model (raster, vector, 2D, 3D, render, animate, simulate, ...) a possible final project

Week 4 : Computer controlled cutting

Group assignment: characterize your lasercutter's focus, power, speed, rate, kerf, and joint clearance, Individual assignment: cut something on the vinylcutter

Week 5 : Electronics production

Group assignment: characterize the design rules for your PCB production process Individual assignment: make an in-circuit programmer by milling the PCB, program it, then optionally try other PCB processes

Week 6 : 3D Scanning and printing

Group assignment: Test the design rules for your 3D printer(s), Individual assignment: Design and 3D print an object (small, few cm3, limited by printer time) that could not be made subtractivel and 3D scan an object (and optionally print it)

Week 7 : Electronics design

Group assignment: use the test equipment in your lab to observe the operation of a microcontroller circuit board, Individual assignment: redraw the echo hello-world board, add (at least) a button and LED (with current-limiting resistor)check the design rules, make it, and test it extra credit: simulate its operation

Week 8 : Computer controlled machining

Group assignment: To test runout, alignment, speeds, feeds, and toolpaths for your machine, Individual assignment: make (design+mill+assemble) something big

Week 9 : Embedded programming

Group assignment: Read a microcontroller data sheet program your board to do something, with as many different programming languages and programming environments as possible, Individual assignment: Compare the performance and development workflows for other architectures

Week 10 : Molding and casting

Group assignment: Review the safety data sheets for each of your molding and casting materials, then make and compare test casts with each of them, Individual assignment: Redesign a mold around the stock and tooling that you'll be using, mill it (rough cut + (at least) three-axis finish cut), and use it to cast parts

Week 11 : Input devices

Group assignment: probe an input device's analog levels and digital signals, Individual assignment: measure something: add a sensor to a microcontroller board that you have designed and read it

Week 12 : Output devices

Group assignment: measure the power consumption of an output device, Individual assignment: add an output device to a microcontroller board you've designed, and program it to do something.

Week 13 : Applications and implications

Assignment: Propose a final project masterpiece that integrates the range of units covered

Week 14 : Networking and communications

Group assignment: send a message between two projects Individual assignment: design, build, and connect wired or wireless node(s) with network or bus addresses

Week 15 : Machanical Design

Group assignment: Design a machine that includes mechanism+actuation+automation, build the mechanical parts and operate it manually and document the group project and your individual contribution

Week 16 : Interface and application programming

Group assignment: compare as many tool options as possible, Individual assignment: write an application that interfaces a user with a input &/or output device that you made.

Week 17 : Machine Design

Group assignment: measure the power consumption of an output device, Individual assignment: add an output device to a microcontroller board you've designed, and program it to do something.

Week 18 : Wildcard week

Individual assignment: Design and produce something with a digital fabrication process (incorporating computer-aided design and manufacturing) not covered in another assignment, documenting the requirements that your assignment meets, and including everything necessary to reproduce it. Possibilities include (but are not limited to) composites, textiles, biotechnology, robotics, folding, and cooking.

Week 19 : Invention, intellectual property and income

Individual assignment: develop a plan for dissemination of your final project prepare drafts of your summary slide (presentation.png, 1920x1080) and video clip (presentation.mp4, 1080p HTML5, < ~minute, < ~10 MB) and put them in your root directory

Week 20 : Project development

Individual assignment: Track the progress of my project by answering the list of questions that are given by Neil.

Final Project

Automated Linear Axis Motion Mechanism for Antenna Measurement Applications