Electrical devices are powered by electricity (e.g. lights, kettle, fridge, toaster). Electronic devices use electrons in a clever way (e.g. to control a robot or display like a TV).
Ohm’s law: Voltage (Volts) = Current (Amps) x Resistance (Ohms)
V = I x R
Note also that the power used by the circuit is also an important consideration, where Power (Watts) = Current (Amps) x Voltage (Ohms)
P = I x V
A good analogy to understand what these terms are. Voltage determines how much oomph you can get. The resistance indicates what is restricting the flow. The current is how much stuff is flowing.
Components
breadboards – allow you to connect items up without solder
wires – conduct electricity (diameter matters)
resistors – resist flow of electricity
potentiometers – are resistors where the user can vary the resistance
capacitors – store energy (kind of like a battery) in an electric field. They store charge and tend to smooth out changes in current.
inductors – probably won’t need these just yet, but an inductor stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through it.
buttons – like switches, but only make connection when pressing
switches – allow toggling between open circuit (no flow + no activity), and closed circuit (flow + activity)
diodes – only allow current to flow in one direction (where the arrow is pointing). Note that LEDs are Light Emitting Diodes – they are a type of diode.
batteries – they store energy (typically are 1.2, 1.5, 3, 3.7, 9, 12.6V)
Circuits
There are 2 types of circuit:
series = inline
parallel = next door
Analog waves are smooth and continuous (e.g can vary anywhere between 0-1), digital waves are stepping, square, and discrete (e.g. are either 0-off, or 1-on).
Note that you can represent an analog signal digitally with PWM (pulse width modulation). This simply turns the signal ON and OFF in different amount to give an overall percentage ON.
Input devices
Input devices are things that allow you to input information to your circuit. They are also called sensors, because typically they sense something in the environment (e.g. temperature, humidity, light) and quantify how much of it there is in some way (e.g. temperature in Degrees Celcius, humidity as a % and light as light intensity or Lux). Some examples of input devices you can use in circuits are:
temperature: thermistor, thermocouple
light: LDR (light dependent resistor), or photodiode (more accurate)
distance: sonar sensor
And many others, e.g. magnetic field, acceleration, sound level, vibration, force, pressure, angle, image.
Some sensors are passive and can simply be plugged in and they change resistance with a change in property (e.g. LDR resistance changes as you change the amount of light). Other sensors are active which means they require their own circuit and power source.
Output devices
Output devices actually do something. These can be motors (DC, BLDC, servo, stepper), lights, speakers, solenoids, displays. Note that output devices sometimes need special drivers to make them work, and often the require quite a lot of power to operate and so might need a special (or separate) power source to operate.
All these information are from our study material made by our tutor Derek Covill.
Fritzing
Fritzing is an open-source initiative to develop amateur or hobby CAD software for the design of electronics hardware, to support designers and artists ready to move from experimenting with a prototype to building a more permanent circuit, and allows you to build/design a circuit in 3 formats: breadboard circuit, schematic and PCB layout.
This is my first approach with Fritzing, and here i create my first electronic circuit.
Simple LED circuit
I followed this tutorial for understand where to start with the circuit.
I then collegate the 470Ω resistor, to be fair i used the 1K resistor because i didn’t had the 470. After this i collegate the 5mm LED to the breadbord and at the end the battery clip collegate with the battery.
Parametric design is a process based on algorithmic thinking that enables the expression of parameters and rules that, together, define, encode and clarify the relationship between design intent and design response.
Parametric design is a paradigm in design where the relationship between elements is used to manipulate and inform the design of complex geometries and structures.
The term parametric originates from mathematics (parametric equation) and refers to the use of certain parameters or variables that can be edited to manipulate or alter the end result of an equation or system. While today the term is used in reference to computational design systems, there are precedents for these modern systems in the works of architects such as Antoni Gaudí, who used analog models to explore design space.
This is a good tutorial for Fusion, about this topic.
Exhaust – draws combustible material out. (Machine: Extractor)
Assist – injects air at the cutting point. (Machine: Compressor)
If it’s not strong enough, that material stays around – Bad news
You shouldn’t see smoke hanging around in laser cutting chamber
Exhaust fumes are very bad news
Plastic will outgas for a minute after cutting. Leave the lid closed for a minute
Kerf
Some material is removed with the cut.
Some drivers (e.g. mods) allow for this, with offsetting.
Otherwise, you should allow for this in your design (parametrically!)
Safety
All laser cutters want to catch on fire
Card, MDF, plywood and acrylic are all really close to combusting when cutting.
Don’t step away from the machine. Always supervise.
Initial combustion: open the lid. Otherwise, smother or use the fire extinguisher.
Laser optics need to be kept clean, otherwise, heat can build up (so avoid smoke)
WIP: Check safety procedures
Materials
Cardboard – the good stuff bows, not kinks. Use old boxes. Very forgiving for joints
Plywood – Real thickness != real thickness – use the callipers.
All my laser cut projects are inside my locker in the university, unfortunately i didn’t take picture to them so i will add the laser cut shelf made by my group mate for DP402 Kyle.
Laser-cut Poseable Person
Here a really interesting project and an example of joints made by Rob Ives.
In this second lesson we were asked to improve our skills with CAD, especially with Fusion 360. CAD (computer-aided design) software is used by architects, engineers, designers, artists, and others to create precision drawings or technical illustrations. CAD software can be used to create two-dimensional (2D) drawings or three-dimensional (3D) models.This was my first approach with Fusion 360, i have to say that i really like this CAD program, it is really useful and intuitive. The challenge for this week was to create a 6-sided die (10x10x10mm, R1mm fillets on all faces, D2mm holes 0.5mm deep) i have done it in 5 min. This is the final results!
During the following days i also modeled in Fusion the product for the DP403 module. It is basically a rack for small clothes made for our Fixpartner, click here for the full explanation of the Fixperts project.
CAD Drawings of the DP403 product.
3D Animations made in Fusion360
This animation shows how the product will be attached to the radiator.
These are some new version of the same product but with a different hang up solution, with my group mate Christy and John, we choose to use magnets, so i added magnets to it.
3D Animations of the new hang up.
I also have played with the “create a form” feature in Fusion. Basically “create a form” allows you to play with a solid form as it is a sculpture.
These are some good tutorials that i used for learn this feature.
I wanted to realize a lamp that i have drawn while i was in the uni, it was for the DP402 project, but it was really too complex to realize with the time that we had.
This is the sketch where i started from.
Fusion Lamp sketch.
I started to modify the shape.
I had to do 17 versions of it on fusion and i still didn’t finished.
This is the point where i am now, i will keep continue until i finish.
Indeed a project that i have completed with this techinque is the Windproof Lighter. In my imagination this lighter had to be in wood and with a metal foil where the fire is.
Lighter first sketch.
Simple shape sketch on Fusion.
Creating the form around the sketch.
That’s the final result, for this result i had to work on 22 version of the product.
Some renders made with the render feature on Fusion.
I have also added a text on the back of the image, i used illustrator for make the text and then i added it to the model.
Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is a software application for creating drawings, illustrations, and artwork using a Windows or MacOS computer. Illustrator is widely used by graphic designers, web designers, visual artists, and professional illustrators throughout the world to create high quality artwork.
I had the chance to install illustrator because he’s been free for a while due to Covid-19, so i used it for make the text for my lighter and my website icon.
Lighter text.
Website icon.
Keyshot
Renders are something that always fascinated me, because when you have a good render in front of you, you almost can’t see the difference between a picture and a render.
KeyShot is a stand-alone, real-time ray tracing and global illumination program used to create 3D renderings, animations and interactive visuals. It has a simple user interface with drag-n-drop material and environment presets, interactive labeling, texture mapping, physical lighting, animation and much more.
I used the trial version of Keyshot for 14 days for this reason you will see the Keyshot text on the images, hopefully i will buy it soon because i really loved this software.
I have made a ball model on Fusion and then i moved the DWG file on Keyshot, the user interface is really intuitive so it was easy to play around with the features, materials, etc..
Nike ball render.
I also have done some render for my Windproof Lighter. I don’t know why when i rendered it on Fusion the metal foil was at his place, but with Keyshot it just messed up.
