Outcome i: Applies material from their discipline to the design of community-based
projects
The original plan for this outcome was to understand electromagnetism for the Mag Racers
project to implement the key idea of the project and to understand electrical components and
systems for the Laser Harp to implement the electrical systems of the project.
The understanding of electromagnetism for the Mag Racer project has come from three courses:
ECE 311 (Electric and Magnetic Fields), ECE 321 (Electromechanical Motion Devices), ECE
323 (Electromechanical Motion Devices and Systems Laboratory).
In ECE 311, the basics of electric and magnetic fields were discussed. The interactions between
voltage, current, electric intensity, electric flux, magnetic intensity, and magnetic flux were
discussed. This course created the basic understanding of how current through a wire creates a
magnetic field.
In ECE 321 and 323, the conversion of between electrical and mechanical was made apparent.
By generating a magnetic field (in the case of the Mag Racers and by many of the motors and
generators discussed in these classes, by having current run through a wire) mechanical work can
be accomplished. These courses showed some of the applications of electromagnetic waves, and
specifically showed how to describe the toy cars’ movements from the magnetic field.
For the Laser Harp, two courses have really helped in understanding the lasers (ECE 311
(Electric and Magnetic Fields) and ECE 441 (Distributed Parameter Systems)) and the following
ECE courses have helped in understanding the components of the Laser Harp’s electrical
systems: ECE 201 (Linear Circuit Analysis I), ECE 202 (Linear Circuit Analysis II), ECE 207
(Electronic Measurement Technique), ECE 208 (Electronic Devices and Design Laboratory),
ECE 255 (Electronic Circuit Analysis and Design), ECE 270 (Introduction to Digital System
Design), ECE 382 (Feedback System Analysis and Design), and ECE 440 (Transmission of
Information).
In ECE 201, 207, and 202, the basics of the linear circuit elements were discussed. Discussion
revolved mainly around resistors, capacitors, and inductions and their responses to different
inputs. Also discussed were opamps, which are going to be used in the Laser Harp, and filter
design. Filters, resistors and capacitors will be used in the Laser Harp.
In ECE 255 and 208, nonlinear components were discussed (diodes and transistors) and their
applications. Amplifier design was discussed, which was an avenue pursued until it was
rediscovered that the amplifier design taught in these courses removed the DC offset, so they
would not be suited for the Laser Harp project. However, diodes will be used as a part of a filter
design.
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In ECE 270, the basics of electric logic were discussed and applied. Basic programming (in
ABEL) was also taught. This course provided a basic introduction to using a microcontroller and
to the common chip nomenclature.
In ECE 382 and 440, the main applications revolve around noise and noise control. In 382, noise
and filters were discussed. Filter design did not necessarily revolve around the components used,
but discussed the system responses in the frequency domain. In 440, noise was discussed and
filtering noise was a major component of the labs. Diodes are very sensitive to noise, mainly
large current spikes, and thus noise concerns are a very important part of design concern.
ECE 311 and 441 have contributed to an understanding of lasers, since both courses discuss
electromagnetic waves in terms of light. A laser (Light Amplification of Stimulated Emission of
Radiation) has the waves all focused in one direction and of one frequency. Knowing that the
lasers use light allowed for the choice of a photodiode as a sensor. It also led to a possibility of
using some type of clear plastic or glass in a part of the plastic to allow the lasers to be visible.
Since light acts like a particle when it collides, using a piece of plastic allows for most of the
light to continue through to the sensor, but some of the light will reflect off of the structure inside
the plastic, which makes a sort of glittering effect.
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Outcome ii: Demonstrates an understanding of design as a start-to-finish process
In the first semester of senior design (Spring 2011), work was done on the Mag Racer project
which is in the final part of the design process, the service/maintenance/redesign portion of the
design phase. The project was returned for maintenance and after extensive testing, the source of
one of the problems was discovered. Other servicing was started, such as the redesign of the
posters and updated documentation to send with the delivered project.
In the second semester of senior design (Fall 2011), work was done on the Laser Harp, which is
in the beginning stages. The project partner had described their desire for a Laser Harp, so a
discussion of the stakeholders and potential users. Also discussed were the project goals and
requirements, such as what the project would actually teach the users. Currently, the project is
undergoing prototyping and obtaining some feedback on the design.
While the design process was not directly observed in a linear fashion, seeing the end of one
project has helped make some points about design, such as making sure that parts are easy to get
to for maintenance and making sure that documentation is easy to access to help with
troubleshooting.
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Outcome iii: An ability to identify and acquire new knowledge as a part of the problemsolving/design process
During the second semester (Fall 2011), the Laser Harp was discussed with a few professors for
ideas about where to even begin. The notes can be found at
http://kirstenepics.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/fall-2011-week-5/
During this semester, MDI protocol and interfacing with the microcontroller and signals had to
be understood. Research has been done on MIDI and the interfacing. It has been discovered that
the MIDI interface requires certain information (such as a specific baud rate) but can send
commands to tell it what notes to play and with what instrument sound. The MIDI shield and
MIDI synthesizer have been researched and are being incorporated into the project. The MIDI
shield takes the MIDI commands that are generated from the microcontroller and ports it to a
connector that attaches to the MIDI synthesizer, which takes the commands and actually
generates the sounds.
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Outcome iv: Demonstrates an awareness of the customer in engineering design
Contact with Project Partner over past two semesters:
Sent: 9 Feb 2011
Hi Rachel.
We're from EPICS, the IS team, and we have a few questions for you.
We are working on the hydropower project and the mag racers project and we wanted to
know what your expectations were for the project. Where will these projects be placed?
What is the target age for the projects? Are there any physical barriers to getting the
projects to their desired location (elevator size and weight limits, doors, etc.) that we need
to take into consideration when repairing these projects? Do you have any concerns or
questions for us?
We hope to hear from you soon! Thank you for your time.
Kirsten Sikes, Jemimah Kwoba, Mara Paluszewski
In this e-mail we wanted to understand how we should modify the projects in order to make sure
that the project partner would be able to utilize the projects and to make sure that the project
partner and the project team understood each other on this front.
Received: 14 Feb 2011
Hi Kirsten, Jemimah and Mara,
We truly appreciated the initial offer to use these exhibits in our building and had worked
them into our original exhibit plan. However, when the hydro power plant was brought
here in September, it didn't function properly and really didn't meet the standards we are
committed to upholding in our new building. The mag racer never made it here, so the
space it would have occupied was filled with another exhibit. We no longer have open
space for these pieces. While we appreciate the gesture, we can't work these into our
exhibit plan at this time. It wasn't communicated to me that these projects were still on
the horizon for us, so this comes as a surprise to me. I hope you're able to find another
home for them.
Best wishes,
Rachael Nickel
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This was a very disappointing e-mail to receive, but it showed us how important it is to make
sure that we keep in constant contact with our project partner and that we uphold quality
standards.
Team Conference call with Terre Haute Children’s Museum on February 16
During the conference call with Terre Haute, we discussed having the Mag Racer go to Terre
Haute, and that there had just been more problems than we had initially expected with the
project.
Sent: 14 Sept 2011
Hi, Sarah. Can you please send this on to Terre Haute?
To Terre Haute,
We are from the EPICS Imagination Station team working on the laser harp project and
we have a few questions for you.
We wanted your opinion on the material for the frame. We are considering using an
aluminum frame, but we are also considering using Lexan to make the frame. We feel
that the aluminum would make for a very sleek look and would be easy to clean and very
durable. We also feel that the Lexan would have a "coolness" appeal by allowing the
frame to be see through and allow the users to see the wiring of the project. Lexan is a
plastic alternative to Plexiglas that can be cleaned with all cleaners.
We also have some sketch ideas for the shape and would like to send them to you to see
what you think would work best for the museum.
Sincerely,
EPICS Imagination Station
In this e-mail, we wanted to convey that the project is still up and running, and that we desire the
project partner’s input. We had brain stormed a few options for a frame and wanted to make sure
that these options would be feasible to the museum, but wanted their feedback on the material
choices.
Received: 21 Sept 2011
Hi Sarah,
The dino looks great! I like the content. The only change I would suggest is to change
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the time period to read "150 million years ago" as a more general term so the information
won't become outdated in the near future.
For the dino sound, I like the 3rd option best.
As far as the material for the harp, would a tinted lexan be a possibility? I like the idea of
being able to see the inner workings of the exhibit. That being said, I think it's important
for people to recognize it as a harp. When I've seen others, it seems they've all had a
wooden frame & looked just like an actual harp without strings. Some sort of drawing or
mock up of it that gave me an idea what it would look like with each material would be
really helpful.
Thanks so much!
Have a great evening,
Rachael
In this response, we received feedback and talked to the Artesian Fabrication Lab about the
feasibility of the material choices. We discussed, amongst other things, price and complexity of
build with the lab. After the discussion with the lab and discussion about the overall look of the
project, we e-mailed the museum back.
Sent: 12 Oct 2011
Hey, could you send this on to Terre Haute for the Laser Harp group? Thank you!
Hello, Rachel.
This is the Laser Harp project from EPICS Imagination Station.
We want to talk to you again about the materials for the project.
We have talked to the Artisan Fabrication Lab about the harp frame. We discussed
having a traditional harp shape and then material options. We learned that making the
frame out of solid wood would be very expensive. We learned that an aluminum frame
would also be very expensive since it would be difficult to shape. A plastic, as mentioned
before, would be slightly less expensive because, again, it is difficult to bend. Fiberglass
around a foam frame could be given a wooden veneer and would be easier to bend.
We have also been discussing safety for the project. We want to minimize the possibility
of children harming their eyes by sticking their heads into the display. We feel that we
can minimize this risk by putting the lasers far enough inside the upper part of the frame
and having the lasers point downwards. We are working on some designs to demonstrate
this and will send them to you when we have them.
We would like your input on the safety and on the material choices for the project. Thank
you for your time.
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Laser Harp Project Team
In this e-mail, we tried to explain all the options that would be possible for the harp frame of the
project. We also had feedback on safety from the design review, and asked for input on our
impressions of the safety concerns of this project.
No Response back as of 9 Nov 2011
Discussions about user:
Weeks 8-12, when discussing frame design, discussed height of user and desire to make
sure that young children, about age 4, up through middle school could reach all beams.
Researched average height of 4 year olds (boys height: age 4, 50th percentile average:
average(102cm+104cm+103cm+102cm)= 40.45 in; girl’s height: age 4, 50th percentile average:
average(102cm+ 102cm + 100cm + 102cm = 39.96 in; source: http://www.halls.md/chart/childgrowth/pediatric.htm) . Using the same source, figured out average height of adults (who would
be the parents), and used ourselves as references. We felt comfortable reaching to a height of
about 4 feet, which is about the average height of 4 year olds. We felt that this height would be a
good height for the project, but we are making a prototype in order to get user feedback.
Safety was also discussed. The users need to be protected and that the chance of a
person’s head being inside the plane of the harp needs to be minimized. Three options were
discussed. One was altering the harp frame so that it would be more difficult to have someone’s
head in the plane of the project. Another idea was to add a part in the code that would turn off all
lasers for a period of time if three consecutive beams were broken. The third idea was to add
pieces of Plexiglas or some type of clear plastic in the plane of the project with a section in the
middle where users could put their hands to break the beams. These ideas were brought up in the
week 15 design review of fall 2011.
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Outcome v: Demonstrates an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams and an
appreciation for the contributions from individuals from other disciplines
Past two semester team make-up:
Kirsten Sikes (me): Spring 2011, Fall 2011; Electrical Engineering
Jemimah Kwoba: Spring 2011, Fall 2011; Electrical Engineering
Mara Paluszewski: Spring 2011, Fall 2011; Industrial Engineering
Seth Tempel: Fall 2011, Industrial Design
Scott Thorne: Fall 2011, Industrial Design
This project team has many different majors participating on the project. Each member
participates and presents ideas and communicates within the project team as well as with the
team as a whole.
The actual Imagination Station Team has members from many different schools, including
science, engineering, liberal arts, and agriculture. All project teams communicate the projects
current progress, issues encounters, goals for the week, and how they are in relation to the
project schedule on a weekly basis. This fosters communication within the team, which is
important, since it is such a large and diverse team. As a co-team leader, this communication was
very important. Many team members have said they enjoyed the leadership style employed the
past two semesters (reward based, with some minor disappointment thrown in), and many
students have returned to the team because they enjoy the atmosphere that the IS team has.
Thanking team members:
Bring in treats: Fall 2011: cookies for one lab, cookies and brownies for a design review
practice, Halloween candy for another lab
Saying Thank you: Thank you cards for design reviewers, verbal thank yous to team for a
job well done during the design review
Mid Semester Feedback:
Question
Average Self Response
Rate Kirsten's appreciation of other disciplines when
discussing the project.
4.18
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4
Rate Kirsten's use of the language or models of other
disciplines when discussing design ideas.
4.36
4
Rate Kirsten's integration of ideas from own discipline and
other disciplines when making design decisions.
4.18
4
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Outcome vi: demonstrates an ability to communicate effectively with audiences with widelyvarying backgrounds
I have spoken at all design reviews for the first and second semesters of senior design. From the
questions and feedback received, I believe that I have communicated effectively the concepts of
the projects that I am working on as well as the goals of the team. Videos of the final design
review for fall 2011 will be up on sharepoint under IS-Semester Documentation-Fall 2011Design Review-Design Review Week 15.
As a co-team leader, I have worked on communicating with the team and relaying expectations
and due dates.
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Outcome vii: demonstrates an awareness of professional ethics and responsibility
A lecture on ethics was attended, and a paper was written. Ethics has also been discussed in
ECE400, and a paper was written in response to those questions (assignment here:
https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE400/ECE%20400%20Ethics%20Assignment%20Fall%2020
11%2008.25.11.pdf/ ). Ethics has also been discussed in WOST 280, a course being taken this
fall, and a paper was written on the current events of Penn State and the question of moral
obligation. Papers can be provided upon request.
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Outcome viii: demonstrates an appreciation of the role that their discipline can play in social
contexts
Living in a family were my siblings and I all have the same chronic condition, I see the
applications of engineering every day. I see how my devices help keep my brothers and I
healthy, and I see the applications of electrical engineering in these devices. In one device, there
are motors, logic, lighting, screens, and so many electrical components that I don’t even know
about (taking it apart would void the warranty), but I see them come together and make my life
better. I see the companion of this device communicate and allow me to access the options
without having to dig out this device every time I need to take care of my health. I see the
electrical communication protocols, the encryption, the concern for the patient in this device
combination. I see another medical device that I use that unites chemistry and electrical
engineering by taking a sample of liquid and then determining the concentration of a certain
substance in the liquid.
Beyond my personal experiences, I see simple components coming together to enable people to
travel, to complete tasks that might have otherwise been incredibly difficult, to keep us
connected even when we’re half a world apart. I see the world becoming more accessible, more
inviting to all people from the technology that we engineer.
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Technical Appendix
Block diagrams
Figure 1 General Block diagram of electrical system
Figure 2 Working on an amplifier, design type learned in ECE 255
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Figure 3 Block diagram for code
Figure 4 Sensor Circuit. Have been using Bias Voltage of 6V and RL of 1kΩ
Figure 5 Non-inverting Operational Amplifier. R1 and R2 will need to be scaled for each laser to get an appropriate output of
5V for a Vin=Vo from Figure 4. Vin being logic high correlates to Vout being 5V, and Vin being logic low correlates to Vout being
~0V.
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const int pins[] = {
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 }; // Input from the
photo-diode
const int offset = 0x1E; // 1E is F#. working up
from it we have the table of notes shown in
Table 1.0
const int freq[] = {
offset+1, offset+3, offset+5, offset+6, offset+8,
offset+9, offset+10, offset+12}; // Defining the
notes ie. what freq to play
int index = 0; // Place holder
void setup()
{
// Set MIDI baud rate:
Serial.begin(31250);
// Baud
rate is a MIDI standard = 31250 bits/sec
for(index = 0; index < 8; index++)
//
Defines all input pins as inputs
{
pinMode(index, INPUT);
}
}
void loop() // Keeps repeating inside.
{
for(index = 0; index < 8; index++)
{
if(digitalRead(pins[index]) == LOW) //Note
on channel 1 (0x90), some note value (note),
middle velocity (0x45)
noteOn(0x90, freq[index], 0x45);
Figure 6 Code written for the microcontroller in C
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else //Note on channel 1 (0x90), some note
value (note), silent velocity (0x00)
noteOn(0x90, freq[index], 0x00);
}
delay(100); // 100ms delay before loop
checks again
}
// plays a MIDI note. Doesn't check to see that
// cmd is greater than 127, or that data values
are less than 127:
void noteOn(int cmd, int pitch, int velocity)
{
Serial.write(cmd);
Serial.write(pitch);
Serial.write(velocity);
}
/* TABLE 1.0
Note
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
E
F
Position
0 (1E)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
*/
Pin 1
Figure 7 Picture of microcontroller package being used, an Arduino Uno. Starting from Pin 1 and looping around counter
clockwise, the pin numbers correspond to the pins defined in the code from Figure 6
Figure 8 MIDI Shield. Connects to Arduino board by connecting 5V power, ground, and Tx pins on boards together. Sends
information to MIDI synthesizer
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Figure 9 Image of MIDI decoder/synthesizer. Connects from MIDI shield to speakers
Figure 10 Wiring of a non-inverting operational amplifier assuming that Vin in 100mV
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Figure 11 Imagine showing the output from the non-inverting operational amplifier from Figure 9 (on the top) assuming a
Vin,high of 100mV
Figure 12 Image of Sensor circuit as described in Figure 4
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