Input Devices
This week focused on reading real-world data with microcontrollers. The goal was to move beyond just wiring a sensor and printing values, and instead understand what the signal means, how it is read (analog vs. digital), and how reliable that reading is.
Input devices can be simple (buttons) or more advanced (distance, motion, light, sound, and touch sensors), but they all do the same job: convert a physical condition into an electrical signal a board can interpret. My purpose this week was to build a solid sensor workflow I can reuse in my final project.
Week Goals / Objectives
My objectives this week were:
- Group assignment: Probe an input device’s analog levels and digital signals, then compare the electrical behavior to what the code reports.
- Individual assignment: Add a sensor to a microcontroller board I designed, measure something, and document the readings.
- Signal quality: Use repeatable methods (thresholding, filtering, and calibration when needed) so the data is trustworthy.