11/15: [work session & prototyping]

Project

Today is dedicated to getting things moving. Let's get your ideas take shape. You are free to use other shops/studio as long as you check in with me. Today, I will go over:

• on prototyping
• on trouble shooting
• Optional: 3D printing demo

Reminder for the schedule

• 11/22 prototype due
• 12/6 presentation
• 12/13 Documentation due

On Prototyping

Next week we will be reviewing your prototype for your project. I want you to consider a few things towards next week to get most out from the feedback.

1. Prototype does not have to look slick! It is a model of your project so we can discuss what is working
2. Identify the important part of your project and decide what part you want people to experience
3. Prepare questions to ask
4. Take a break! We make some mistake often when we are working on the same thing for too long. Fresh eye always helps to see a problem
5. Break it down. Make small part of your project work first, then scale it up!
6. Iterate your idea
7. Try not to get confined by the tech and stay flexible with your experiments!

感情纏身装身具 / ACCESSORIES FOR WEARING EMOTIONS by Hazuki Katagai

Ranjit Bhatnagar - 28 Instruments, 28 Days

Christine Sun Kim

Naki nonsense machines by Meiwa Denki

Sumersault (excerpt)from Callum Cooper

Troubleshooting Checklist

When we work with electronics, do not expect everything to work on a first try! There are times that things work on a first try but always expect a problem.
Troubleshooting is an important and an essential skill for working with electronics.
Here are some guidelines for troubleshooting projects. Ask few questions to yourself to start this process.

1. Is this problem occurring for the first time?
2. What was the last thing you change in your project?
3. Are there a part that's working? If so what is working and what is not?
4. Based on these questions, what do you think might be happening?

Now, when you get to troubleshooting with details of your project, I want you to pay attention to a couple of things.

• If anything is too hot to touch, smells burned, or if you see smoke, unplug everything and identify where in your project is it coming from. Heat is bad in most cases!
• Test your components from one end or another so you can eliminate working part of circuit as you go
• Take a break! We make some mistake often when we are working on the same thing for too long. Fresh eye always helps to see a problem
• Break it down. Make small part of your project work first, then scale it up!

Above is an example set up for a testing sequence.
We will start at the plug and work our way up to the sensors and outputs.
Use a multimeter to test the circuit! Here is a refresher on how to use a multimeter

1: Wall

• Test if the outlet you are using is working by plugging other electronics in like lamps
• Try another outlet
• If you are using power strips or surge protectors, make sure they are turned on
• Test any extension cords you are using
• Some outlet has "reset" button

2: Power Supply / Battery

• Make sure your power supply is plugged in firmly to wall and arduino
• Check polarity
• Check the label and make sure it is meant to provide in between 6V and 15V if you are plugging into 2.1 mm center positive plug
• Use multimeter to check the output voltage
• Use another power supply
• Make sure battery is not dead

3: USB cord

• It is more common then we expect that bad USB cable causes issues.
• if you are having a trouble uploading to the board even if you have selected right port and the board, check USB cable first.
• Swap out the USB cable to make sure cable is good. If not throw it away!
• USB C to USB adapter can cause issues connecting to your arduino. Try another adapter

4: Computer / Code

• Make sure you have selected right board to upload in arduino software (Tools --> Board)
• Make sure you have selected the port you are connecting (Tools --> Serial Port)
• Try to load simple sketch like Blink.ino sketch from example and see if it uploads
• Restart arduino software
• Restart computer
• Come back to coding troubleshooting after you confirm that arduino is working with simple code

5: Arduino

• Make sure On LED is lighting up. If On LED goes out when you plug something into arduino, that's a bad sign (likely there is wiring issue). Unplug them and see the On LED comes back up.
• Make sure no conductive objects are touching on the bottom of the board
• Press "Reset" button
• Try to load simple sketch like Blink.ino sketch from example and make sure TX and RX LEDs are lighting up during upload
• Double check all connection and there is no short circuit
• make sure there is no heat coming off of any pat of arduino.
• Remove all connection except for USB and try to upload Blink sketch
• Try another arduino

6: Wires to the sensors

• Bad solder can cause connection issues. Make sure your soldering connections are attached well
• Check continuity from one end to soldered connection to the sensor using multimeter
• Discard any wire that fails continuity test

7: Sensors / Components

• Check if it's soldered well
• If you are using Digital input, upload the simplest sketch like Examples > Digital > Button
• If you are using Analog input, upload the simplest sketch like Examples > Analog > AnalogInput
• Use serial monitor and serial plotter
• Swap out for identical sensor

8: wire to the output

• Again, bad solder can cause connection issues. Make sure your soldering connections are attached well
• Check continuity

9: output

• Check if it's wired correctly
• Power it without arduino if you can
• swap it with another one

10: coding

• always start small. When you have multiples input and output, start with one input one outputs
• Make sure you have main structure down --- void setup() void loop()
• make sure there is no duplicate variables
• make multiple sketches in stages of your project
• comment your code!
• Use serial monitor
• Always make sure your physical part of your project (circuits) are connected correctly and working before you tackle coding problem

3D printing and modeling

3D printers

We have three 3D printers in house! I will be doing a demo and going over how to use them. In case you need a refresher in the future, here are some videos of walk through

Afinia H800 manual

Afinia UP

Monoprice 3D printer configuration file

3D modeling software

• OpenSCAD: Free code based 3D modeling software. Great if you are good at coding
  Basic Tutorials
• Rhinoceros 3D: Popular paid 3D modeling software that cost ~$200 for students. Installed on computers on the 4th floor computer LAB.
  Tutorials at Lynda.com through your MICA portal
• TINKERCAD :Free basic online 3D modeling software
• BlocksCAD :Free online block based 3D modeling
• SculptGL :Free online sculpting 3D modeling



• Netfabb: Free software for cleaning your 3D models