Prototyping Avionics

Projects

Project Description

The final project will put to work a majority of the concepts and tools you have learned in the class. The project can be individual or in teams of two people.

The final project involves:

1. Design of a circuit using the theory tools from the first part of class
2. Capture of the schematic of the circuit
3. Layout of a 2-layer PCB for the circuit
4. Assembly of the PCB
5. Testing
6. Documenting the operation of the circuit and your experiences

The electronic circuit must feature as a minimum:

• Digital control devices (digital logic gates, microcontrollers, FPGA’s, etc)
• At least one analog circuit for input or output (op-amps, transistors, filters)
• Power regulation. The power input can be selected from:
  • Batteries (preferred)
  • An AC transformer - you cannot work on the 120Vac part, only the low voltage part
  • An unregulated DC transformer and/or power supply

The design must be simple and adhere to the following limits:

• A maximum of 30 parts/components (excluding bypass capacitors and pull-up/down resistors)
• No components of more than 30 pins
• No “ball grid array” (BGA) components
• A maximum of 3 operating voltages

While there is no obvious/deterministic method to figure out exactly how complex the board will be, note that all project PCB’s will be limited to:

• 2 layers (top and bottom)
• Round holes
• “Normal” shapes

Deliverables

The following must be delivered for the project:

1. Schematic
   • Schematic - a full schematic of the project
   • Bill of materials - the list of all components, including package and ordering information
2. Layout
   • Layout file - the CAD file with the circuit board layout
   • Layout plots - 1:1 printouts of individual layers and combined board
   • Manufacturing files - the files which will be used to manufacture the PCB
3. Documentation
   • Circuit documentation - a document which is effectively a “data sheet” for your circuit (more details on documentation will be provided later)
   • Experience documentation - a document which describes your experience in designing, building, and testing the circuit
4. Circuit
   • If your layout files are ready in time for manufacturing, you will turn in your actual PCB (which you can keep later) for evaluation (assembly and operation); otherwise you will turn in another previously designed circuit

Example Projects

• Motion Control
  • Closed loop control of multiple motors
    • For multi-DOF robot arms
    • To drive 4+ wheels
• Sensing
  • Force feedback sensor
  • Electronic “wall”
• Communications
  • Digital wireless system integration

Proposal

The proposal in Week #8 should include:

1. A description of the project in words, stating what your system is going to do and how you plan to implement it
2. A block diagram of the circuit design (black box design without full detail)
3. A set of specifications that define in detail:
   • Inputs and outputs (whether electrical or physical)
   • What tests will be used to prove that it functions properly

The proposal should be typewritten.