CE432-1 Robotics II 2021 Fall
Lab 6
Name: Mychael Garcia
Email: mhgarcia@fortlewis.edu

Materials:
Sensors and Actuators:

For this project we were given multiple sensors/sinarios and tasked with using an Arduino UNO to control and get readings from them. The first one was to create an ultrasonic distance measuring device. Second was to create a simple pulse detector, the arduino would recive a signal and repete the signal a given taime later. Third, was to use a gyroscope and buzzer to create a vibration detector. Fourth was using the wireless signal transducers, joystic, and stepper motor to control the speed of the motors rotation. Lastly, we were given a rotary encoder and devolped a code that could determin which way the nob was rotating.

Task 1:
For this task we need to explain the benifits of a full-bridge strain gauge and how the sensitivity changes between a quarter-bridge, half-bridge, and full-bridge.


Task 2:
Using the Arduino UNO and a HC-SR04 ultrasonic module we created a device that could measure distances in inches and centimeters and print them to the serial monitor.


Task 3:
For this task we developed a simple pulse detector. The Arduino would recive a 5V pulse from a signal generator and would wait 800us to send a response that would last for 400us. This was varified using an oscilloscope to record the original functions input and the Arduinos response.


Task 4:
This task required the use of an MPU6050, a three-axis accelerometer and three-axis gyroscope. The MPU6050 was set up to react to small vibrations, this would be caused by someone hitting the tabel it was currently sitting on. If this change exceeded a threshold the attached Arduino would send a signal out to a small buzzer which was used as an audible sound for the triggered event.


Task 5:
For the final task we gave the Arduino that was reciveng the information an additional task, to control the direction and speed of a stepper motor. This was done by the use of a simple if statement, if the recived value was a given amount away from the joysticks idel state (arround 500) the motor would turn in a given direction. As the value got further away from this state (closer to 0 or 1023) the rotational speed would increase.


Task 6:
For the final task we were to use a simple rotary encoder and devope a code that could determine if the dial was spinning clockwise or counterclockwise and count the ticks/rotation steps. For every rotation, the output would be displayed to the serial monitor. Using this you could keep track of how far the dial has been turned past its initial location and how many complete rotations it has completed.

 
Conclusion:
This tutorial was very good in understanding how some simple sensors work/opperate and how to code them in. Using the  stepper motor the only issue I had was figuring out a way to make the joystics movemt corespond to a speed. I solved this by using two functions, (one for clockwise and one for counter clockwise) delay=-7*joystick_input+7950, delay=-7.5*joystic_input+590. These functions would output a number that would work as the delay time between stepper motor steps/pulses.
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