Implementing Embedded Control into Projects Designed by Students With Little or No Programming Experience

Abstract This is an abstract for a full paper and describes an approach to providing students in a hands-on, first-year engineering design class who have little or no computer programming experience, with the opportunity to implement embedded computer control into their projects. The design class introduces students to Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), design for manufacturing, three-dimensional (3D) printing, and embedded computer control. Because of time constraints imposed by the length of a semester, instruction focuses on CAD, 3D printing and the engineering design process, leaving insufficient time for an in-depth discussion of computer programming and other matters pertinent to embedded control. Because of a desire to provide students with a rudimentary understanding of embedded control, a new initiative was begun in the fall 2019 semester where embedded control capability can be incorporated into projects by students with little or no programming experience. In order to bridge the gap between the desire for providing an understanding of embedded control and the lack of time for in-depth instruction of pertinent skills, a set of "Standard Embedded Control Modules" have been developed for student use. These modules consist of a set of standard electrical/electronic hardware components along with the standard software modules which provide the intelligence to exercise control of those hardware components. Undergraduate teaching assistants, along with the instructor, help student teams in selecting the modules required depending on the selected project. It is then incumbent upon the student teams to design appropriate mechanical interfaces, follow electrical build instructions, and define required functionality for implementation into their projects. This initiative was introduced in a handful of projects during the fall 2019 semester and has had a positive impact on making projects more realistic, on capturing student interest, and generating enthusiasm among students. This paper will provide an overview of our approach and lessons learned.