Assignment Goal

For Week 10 output devices, I continued building on the same overall project concept from the previous assignments. I used my original temperature-controlled setup along with the potentiometer and the DC motor as the main output device.

The motor acts as the cooling fan output for the system. When the temperature sensor detects heat, the fan turns on and reacts based on the programmed conditions. The red and green LEDs also act as output devices by visually showing the current state of the system.

In addition to the fan and LEDs, I also added a small LCD screen to display information from the system. The LCD gives live feedback from the sensor readings and helps make the project feel more like a complete embedded system instead of just a simple breadboard setup.

I plan on making a video of the system working once everything is fully complete and the PCB version is finalized.

PCB Plans and CNC Challenges

I also planned to design and mill a dedicated PCB board for this setup, but I had not completed it yet because of the internet and software issues I was having with the CNC machine and CAM software.

Now that I have permission to bring the CNC machine home, I will be able to continue milling boards and improving the project further.

Output Device Images

These pictures show the setup, wiring, outputs, LCD display, and project progress during development.

What I Learned

This assignment helped me better understand how output devices interact with embedded systems. I learned how motors, LEDs, and displays can respond to sensor data and user input in real time.

I also learned that output devices are an important part of making projects interactive and understandable for the user. Instead of only processing data internally, the system now reacts physically and visually through the fan, LEDs, and LCD screen.