6. Electronics Design– Amalia and Zaina¶
Group Assignment¶
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Use the test equipment in your lab to observe the operation of a microcontroller circuit board (as a minimum, you should demonstrate the use of a multimeter and oscilloscope)
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Document your work on the group work page and reflect what you learned on your individual page
We worked together on all parts of this group project.
Multimeter¶
First, we tried performing several tests with a multimeter. We asked ChatGPT for some examples of tests we could perform and ended up just choosing two.
This is the blink code we used:
#define LED_PIN 0 // D0
void setup() {
pinMode(LED_PIN, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
// Gradually dim the LED
for (int brightness = 255; brightness >= 0; brightness--) {
analogWrite(LED_PIN, brightness);
delay(10); // Adjust speed of fading
}
delay(500); // Wait before repeating
}
This is a video of the circuit blinking:
Test GPIO Pin Outputs¶
This is the test ChatGPT recommended we perform:
We followed ChatGPT’s instructions and used the simple Arduino blink code to blink the LED.
Test Power Supply¶
This is the test ChatGPT recommended we perform:
To know which multimeter setting to use, we found this image on Google:
This was probably my favorite test we tried to conduct. It was really cool to see how the 3.3 and 5 Voltage pins on the microcontroller showed up on the multimeter.
To know which multimeter setting to use, we found this image on Google:
This is an image of us testing the 3.3V pin:
This is an image of us testing the 5V pin:
We attempted to do a few other tests, but these tests were probably the most helpful and the most useful when making circuits later on, especially if we solder the board ourselves. When soldering, it can be easy to create a tiny oslder bridge or other soldering mistake, and using a multimeter, you can find where the mistake is.
Oscilloscope¶
What is an Oscilloscope?¶
An Oscilloscope is an electronic test instrument that allows you to visualize and analyze electrical signals in real time. It displays voltage as a function of time on a screen, typically using a graph with the x-axis representing time and the y-axis representing voltage.
What are Oscilloscopes used for?¶
Troubleshooting circuits in electronics and electrical engineering. Measuring signal properties like amplitude, frequency, and phase. Observing waveforms from components like sensors, transistors, and microcontrollers. Testing and debugging communication signals
What was Observed?¶
Garrett Nelson helped us set this tool up. The LED is turned on and off at regular intervals, creating a waveform alternating between high, 3v3 or 5v, and low, 0v. This creates a square pattern on the oscilloscope.
We tested 2 different frequencies on our LED to observe on the Oscilloscope. The waves were square, had a long period, and the pulses were widely spaced. To the human eye, the LED always appeared to be on. However, it was densely packed square wave with very short transitions.
We also made a fade code that made the LED fade using ChatGPT:
Here are two videos and a picture of us using the oscilloscope:
Logic Analyzer¶
We also used a logic analyzer this week. A logic analyzer is an electronic instrument used to capture and analyze digital signals in a circuit. It monitors multiple channels at the same time, displaying signal timing and logic states to help find communication errors, timing issues, and protocol violations. Unlike an oscilloscope, which measures analog waveforms, a logic analyzer focuses on digital signals, interpreting high and low states over time. Logic analyzers are also very useful when testing circuits and debugging because they can help find your issue quickly when used with the correct settings (ChatGPT and I collaborated on that description).
Here is a video of us testing our simple blink circuit with the logic analyzer: