6. Electronics Design¶
Group Assignment¶
1. Review of Electronics Fundamentals¶
Last week, we started the group assignment by reviewing key topics in electronics, such as voltage, current, power, resistors, capacitors, transistors, inductors, diodes, and voltage dividers. We referred to The Art of Electronics book. Below are some notes from our discussion:
2. Testing Measurement Equipment¶
We tested various measurement tools, including the multimeter, power supply, oscilloscope, and logic analyzer. These instruments are essential for analyzing and troubleshooting electrical circuits, ensuring accurate readings and signal integrity.
Power Supply¶
We explored the DC power supply “GWINSTEK GPS 3303,” which features two channels and an additional channel for parallel connections.
Multimeter and Clamp Meter¶
A multimeter is a versatile tool used to measure voltage, current, and resistance in electronic circuits.
During our testing, we:
- Measured DC voltage across a DC power supply in both series and parallel configurations.
- Tested various resistor values and potentiometers.
Fixed Resistor:
Resistors in Series:
Potentiometer:
- Checked the voltage divider.
Oscilloscope¶
The oscilloscope is used to visualize electrical signals in real-time, making it essential for analyzing waveforms.
We:
- Observed different signal waveforms, including sine, square, and triangular waves.
- Checked PWM signals by creating a fading LED using XIAO RP2040.
- Tested the digital signal from a blinking LED circuit by changing the delay time and observing the output signal on the oscilloscope.
- Used a potentiometer with the XIAO RP2040 to observe the analog signal from the potentiometer.
Function Generator¶
We used a function generator along with the oscilloscope to generate sine, square, and triangle waves.
Logic Analyzer¶
A logic analyzer is used to capture and analyze digital signals in a circuit.
First, we downloaded the Saleae software.
During our testing, we used an Arduino Uno to:
- Test the built-in LED blinking signal.
- Analyze serial communication using
Serial.print().
- Analyze the I2C protocol using an Adafruit OLED display.
These tests helped us understand how to effectively use each tool for troubleshooting and verifying circuit performance.