Define A Problem
Generate Concepts
This project was given in order to help us become more familiar with electronic components and to learn how to solder correctly. We were able to use all of the partse that we learned about and actually apply them to a working circuit to make a product; the random number generator. The random number generator that was created can display a number, 1-7 on it's LED display when a button switch is pressed.
Construct and Test Prototype
Evaluate The Solution
Conclusion Questions
1) The counts weren't very close to being equal. The uneven distribution may be due to chance variation, but with 7 lights only coming on two percent of the time, it is more likely that there is an error in the circuit.
2) Admiral Alice Hopper was working when a moth got stuck in a relay. When she went to remove the moth, she said she was debugging , and the term stuck.
Conclusion
There were many challenges presented by this lab, but also many concepts that were clarified in application. Learning how to solder so precisely was difficult. However, throughout the process there were small tricks and tools that I was able to use in order to make this easier. For example, before soldering in the transistors, I would tape them to the front of the board so they would stay in place while I soldered from the back. It was also difficult to solder the components where the soldering holes were closer together. In one spot, my iron was too hot and I deposited too much solder and had to go back and de-solder to avoid having a bridge. We also had to learn to pay close attention to the orientation of each piece. Some parts were non-polarized so I didn’t have to worry about much when I was placing those. (ex. Resistors. However, for aesthetics purposes they should all face the same direction) When we were using the LED’s and capacitors we had to identify the anode and the cathode so that we could correctly place them onto the board. The coolest part about this lab was getting to apply what we learned in the PowerPoints and packets in class and actually using that knowledge to make a product. For example, we had to look at the resistors and calculate their capacities just like we did in the packet and notes in class.
1) The counts weren't very close to being equal. The uneven distribution may be due to chance variation, but with 7 lights only coming on two percent of the time, it is more likely that there is an error in the circuit.
2) Admiral Alice Hopper was working when a moth got stuck in a relay. When she went to remove the moth, she said she was debugging , and the term stuck.
Conclusion
There were many challenges presented by this lab, but also many concepts that were clarified in application. Learning how to solder so precisely was difficult. However, throughout the process there were small tricks and tools that I was able to use in order to make this easier. For example, before soldering in the transistors, I would tape them to the front of the board so they would stay in place while I soldered from the back. It was also difficult to solder the components where the soldering holes were closer together. In one spot, my iron was too hot and I deposited too much solder and had to go back and de-solder to avoid having a bridge. We also had to learn to pay close attention to the orientation of each piece. Some parts were non-polarized so I didn’t have to worry about much when I was placing those. (ex. Resistors. However, for aesthetics purposes they should all face the same direction) When we were using the LED’s and capacitors we had to identify the anode and the cathode so that we could correctly place them onto the board. The coolest part about this lab was getting to apply what we learned in the PowerPoints and packets in class and actually using that knowledge to make a product. For example, we had to look at the resistors and calculate their capacities just like we did in the packet and notes in class.