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.

During the lecture and studio 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 a three 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:

• Make sure you have an up-to-date web browser. (needed in part 1)
• Sign up for a free TinkerCAD account. (needed in part 1)
• Install the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) from the software page on the Arduino website. (needed in part 2)

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¶

After the lessons are completed students will be able to:

• explain what a microcontroller is and what it may be used for in the context of mechanical engineering
• use an emulator for microcontroller design
• program an Arduino using the C programming language
• design code that implements a simple theoretical control system
• build a physical circuit that implements a simple control system

Lesson Materials¶

• Part 1: Intro to Microcontrollers With Emulation.
• Part 2: Part 2: Implementing a PI Controller with an Arduino.

Reference¶

• Arduino Website
• Arduino IDE Download
• Arduino Language Reference
• Q & A for Arduino
• TinkerCAD
• circuits.io