Microcontroller Tutorial Materials and Information
Introduction
Microcontrollers are powerful tools that will allow you to bring your machines to life. Relatively recently the cost of microcontrollers has dropped and the accessibility increased such that hobbyists can make wide use of them. The wide adoption is furthermore being fueled by a large community centered around open hardware and open source code.
On Wednesday, February 10th, we will lead you through a tutorial that introduces you to using a lightweight microcontroller called the Arduino. This first lesson will use an emulator for the hardware and we will cover the basics about programming the microcontroller. The following week we will have an hour long activity in the studio sessions where you will get to work with the real hardware and will implement a simple control system in pairs of two people.
Preparation
Please do all of the following before coming to class:
- Install the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) from the software page on the Arduino website.
- Make sure you have an up-to-date web browser.
- Sign up for a free 123d.circuits.io account.
Finally, bring your prepped laptop to both class periods [1].
| [1] | If you do not have a laptop with you, that is ok, we will be pairing you up with someone who does. |
Objectives
- To learn what a microcontroller is and what it may be used for in the context of mechanical engineering.
- To learn the basic programming constructs needed to program an Arduino.
- To get introduced to an emulation tool for microcontroller design.
- To understand how a simple theoretical control system can be implemented with a microcontroller.
- To learn how to control a high power motor with a low power control circuit.
- To practice building a physical control circuit.
Lesson Materials
- Part 1: Intro to Microcontrollers With Emulation.
- Part 2: DC Motor Controller Circuit and Logic.