Start
Welcome students, NextProject is a fun and exciting opportunity to learn about the wonders of electronics and computer science. On this website, you will find everything you need to learn in order to build and understand the projects described on this website. Once the projects are completed, you will be able to build your own interesting projects!
Arduino
The Arduino is an open-source microcontroller for hobbyists. At the core of the Arduino UNO is the ATMEGA328 microcontroller, this chip holds and runs a program. The Arduino UNO has 32KB of program space, 2KB of RAM and runs at 16Mhz. The microcontroller is programmed in C or C++ with the Wiring library. The programmer calls functions to access the digital I/O and analog input pins. There is a variety of external libraries that can be added to add extra functionality and interface with add-on shields.
The source code for “Hello World” for Arduino. The Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) allows the programmer to write the program, verify the program, compile the program and then finally upload the program to the Arduino. More information for working with the Arduino can be found at http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer capable of running Linux. It was developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of making computer science easier to learn. Raspberry Pi model B has 512MB of RAM and runs an ARM processor at 700Mhz. It has 2 USB ports, an ethernet port, a composite video output, analog audio output, a HDMI video output and a 26 pin GPIO (general purpose input/output) header. The Raspberry Pi holds the Linux filesystem on an SD card. The Linux distribution recommended to run by the Raspberry Pi Foundation is Raspbian, which is based on Debian. This distribution comes with tools such as Python and Scratch so you will be able to start programming right away. - http://www.raspberrypi.org/
Python
Python is the programming language that will be used for many of the projects covered on this website. Python has a gentle learning curve so it’s good for beginners but it is also capable of being used in large programs. It is object-orientated and has a very powerful standard library. Furthermore, many libraries can be added to further improve the functionality of Python.
Python running some simple commands. Python is a powerful object-oriented language. Download Python from: www.python.org. Read the documentation about Python at: http://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/
Solderless Breadboard
Solderless breadboard is a great way to construct a circuit without making anything permanent.
It’s connections inside the board are as follows.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Breadboard_scheme.svg
When building with a solderless breadboard, components are simply pressed into the holes. In the middle of the breadboard there is special spot for integrated circuits. When finished components are simply pulled out to be removed.
Transistor
A transistor is a 3 terminal discrete electronic component that controls the flow of electric current. Transistors were first created in the late 1940s and were considered revolutionary as they replaced their old vacuum tube counterparts. Today, they are found in almost all electronic devices. Computer microprocessors use millions of transistors inside their chips to implement their logic. The leads on a transistor are called emitter, collector and base. In a NPN transistor, when a small current flows from base to emitter, a large current flows from collector to emitter. In a PNP transistor, when a small current flows from emitter to base, a large current flows from emitter to collector. This allows a transistor to be used in switching and amplifying applications.
Schematic symbols for NPN and PNP (respectively) bipolar junction transistors:
Projects for students
Welcome students, NextProject is a fun and exciting opportunity to learn about the wonders of electronics and computer science. On this website, you will find everything you need to learn in order to build and understand the projects described on this website. Once the projects are completed, you will be able to build your own interesting projects!
Next
After completing the challenge modules under the projects tab you prepare yourself to "step up the game!" All challenges under projects tab were designed by students. They too felt the anxiety, anticipation, triumph and fear to fail — identical feelings that gave you the thrill during completing your choice of challenge modules.
"Step up the game!"
"Top projects get superb prizes!"
"Engineering components are available at campus!"
Now, we suggest you with few seedling ideas that build on existing challenge modules. These project suggestions deepen your skills further. You personalize, write, and do your own project based on the following seedlings. However, seedling listing below is a guide: not a law. If you are not fully convinced in taking it as a building point, make your own seedling! Either way, each seedling should have a problem and solution statement.
"Aye, aye, who is the captain?"
"You are the captain."
"You set your own rules and set a new course of exploration!"
As a captain, you design, program and build the whole project from existing skills you have developed from challenge modules seen under the projects tab. If your project is very unique and addresses a demand in the market, all patents that may follow will be owned by you and you only.
Seedling project start points:
- Doctors instruct diabetes patients to walk everyday at a constant high pace. Prototype and build a full demo of a Pedometer that gives out voice messages to train and help the patient during her/his walk to stroll at constant pace within the allowed range of speed.
- Holiday weeks are full of music and lighting decorations, both indoor and outdoor. Prototype and build a full demo of a Light Controller that will make the light sequence blink on and off according to the beat of the music.
- Internet and phone reception is unavailable in isolated mining locations, rural areas. Prototype and do a full demo of a chat client enabling two users, say two static mine operators, to communicate using their computers via laser.
- Moving garbage to curbside on the day of waste truck bores everyone in family to invent excuses to make someone else do it. Prototype and demo both, a recyling bin and a refuse bin, that have wheels, follows a line from the house side to curb side, and moves on its own only at the day of waste truck.
- New chef at family owned restaurant wants passerby public to taste family secret recipes, not offered at big fast food chains. Demo a way the chef can text to the display attached at the entrance door of the restaurant. Use or make a large LED display made only of Light Emitting Diodes, that accepts to show text updates.
- Most cars still don't automatically heat or cool. Design a controller that will turn on the Air Conditoner or Heater at varying intensities to ensure that car's internal temperature is, say, fixed at 24 degrees. Demo it inside a car analogue, not a real car!
- Radio station broadcasts music, but pirates copy these music for illegal sales and profiteering. Design a demo level radio receiver, where the receiver detects wirless signals being written to a memory source and transmits a "SOS" signal to the demo radio station — your own transmitter.
Bonus Marks!
As captain, you or your team receive Bonus Marks if you use professional circuit drafting techniques, abide by good code style and writing practices, make lab manual(s) with figures, tables, and feature video demos.