First year project description

Period :1
Theme : Intelligent Sound & Vision
Project goal :Control the volume of an audio signal

Good to know:

Duration: 7 weeks.
A mixture of analog electronics and software
Can be used at home or elsewhere!
Dive in deep, make the project your own by adding different functions
The project directly applies knowledge from practical and theory lessons
Project is setup so that it can be done at home or school because you have your
own instrument (Analog Discovery 2)

The main steps for a typical electronics project:

Simulation and calculation (just as a new engineer would work)

Make and test prototypes and modules
(Breadboard, housing, measurement skills)
Design (with KiCad) and etch your own PCB
Solder the components, including SMD components, on the board
(recognizing components and soldering skills)
Present and demonstrate your project

What will the school provide?

A guarantee that the project works, so you get off to a flying start
All the components and tools to work at school or at home

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Contents
1. Problem description. ........................................................................................................................ 3
2. We need you! .................................................................................................................................... 4
3. System development ....................................................................................................................... 4
4. Important milestones ....................................................................................................................... 6
5. Project learning outcomes .............................................................................................................. 6
6. What do we provide? ....................................................................................................................... 7
7. The road to success? ...................................................................................................................... 7
8. Options for extra help ...................................................................................................................... 7
9. Documentation and project finish .................................................................................................. 9
9.1 Evidence for analog ................................................................................................................. 10
9.2 Evidence for software. ............................................................................................................. 11
10. Conclusions................................................................................................................................... 12

Figure 1. One of the Fontys pubs....................................................................................................... 3

Figure 2. Floor plan of the pub ........................................................................................................... 3
Figure 3 System block diagram .......................................................................................................... 4
Figure 4. A working prototype with 3 programs ............................................................................... 8

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1. Problem description.
Maybe you haven’t discovered them yet, but Fontys has several pubs! These are the perfect
place to relax from all the hard work you have done. The photo below shows the pub at
Rachelsmolen, just across the road.

Figure 1. One of the Fontys pubs

Like every pub, there is a great sound system. And, when it gets busy, the background noise
increases, and the volume gets cranked up. But, not everyone likes a loud environments,
such as people with tinnitus. To accommodate people who prefer a quieter environment, the
pub has a corner with an active speaker. The speaker is controlled via table-mounted buttons
or via an infrared remote. Two important goals are:

 The pub operators can set a maximum volume. The maximum must be safe, and it
must not be possible for patrons to access the setting.
 When a waiter approaches, the patron should be able to quickly reduce the volume to
a minimum via a single button press. With a second button press, the patron should
be able to return the volume to its original level.
Figure 2 shows the layout of the room.

Stille
ruimte

Cafe

Figure 2. Floor plan of the pub

What do you notice about the walls of the quiet room?

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2. We need you!
Caterers know all about food preparation and making cocktails, but they don’t know how to
make audio systems: they need your electrical engineering skills! Luckily, you don’t have to
start from scratch, electrical engineering companies often have a database of concept
designs, thus, you can often begin with a design that is close to what you need and modify it.
So, don’t think that, because we are giving you a lot of information that this is just a practice
project with no application. Later, we will expect you to have enough knowledge and skills to
be able to find your own solution to a problem like this.

It is important to read this description several times to understand what you

will be given and what you need to do and what you need to demonstrate
at the end.

3. System development
The block diagram of the system is shown in figure 3. You have to design and make a
working example of this system. One of the exceptional qualities of this design is that there is
a clear division between the analog hardware and the digital (microcontroller) parts.

Make sure that the boundary between the analog and digital parts of the
system is clearly marked in your report.

Status led 1 Status led 2

Drukknop A Digital potentiometer

DS1804
?
Audio in
Drukknop B

Mikrocontroller ?
???? Logica
Arduino Uno
Drukknop C
?
Audio out

IR module
TSOP2236
12V

LM317MSTT3G regulator Power supply

External power supply

Figure 3 System block diagram

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All the arrows that have question marks need further investigation. Translate the block
diagram into an electronic circuit with calculations and simulations where required. Make
sure you describe each block in your report, which will ensure that you have enough
evidence of your knowledge and skills. The report will become part of your portfolio. This is
an individual project, so you must complete every aspect yourself.

The schematic and PCB design must be created using KiCad. No other
software packet should be used.

Dive in deep and challenge yourself. If you want more and maybe are more experienced in
electronics you can lift the project to a higher level (this is not mandatory):

 Level 1: Aside from the buttons, there is also an IR receiver of type: TSOP2236. The
IR receiver sends the data from any remote control directly through. In this project we
don’t use the data, except as an indication: is data being sent or not. If you press on
any remote control button the audio volume must reduce, and, after a short pause, if
a remote control button is pressed again, the volume should return to its original
setting.

It is important that all the other parts of the project work before you start on
the remote control part.

 Level 2: If you know more about programming, then you can use the data from the
remote control to introduce new functionality to your system.

Make sure you plan properly so you don’t run out of time.

 Turn the dial up to 11. Can you add something to this project. Discuss with your ideas
with your mentor! Be careful not to make it too complicated, sometimes the best ideas
are the simplest .

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4. Important milestones
By now you should have a basic idea of what you are going to be doing. But, you may not
understand the project as a whole. Below is a list of possible deliverables. Discuss this list
with your mentor: which items you are going to put in your portfolio for grading and when?

 A project plan (planning) (check this with your teacher).

 Schematics for the whole system in KiCad (you will get all symbols and footprints that
are not available directly from KiCad from school)
 Make sure that you include the IR receiver in your design, schematics and PCB
layout, even if you don’t implement it.
 Software code design which controls the project.
 PCB with a header connector so that it can be used as an Arduino shield.
 PCB completed and tested.
 Metal housing to protect the PCB.
 General documentation to communicate the project to others.

5. Project learning outcomes

The project formats automatically generate your learning outcomes. This will not work with
every part, therefore the practical’s en lessons are there. They are always supporting to the
project.

Ultimately, if everything goes well, you meet the requirements of the assessment form.

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6. What do we provide?
To save time, you get all the required components. In some cases, you need to choose
which ICs to use.
The resistors are not provided. In this case, you need to calculate the values of the resistors.
Resistors can be obtained at school from the carousel. If required, you can obtain extra
components from your teacher or mentor.
So that you can work on your project from home, everything runs on 5V, which can be
obtained from the Arduino (via your laptop). And, separately, the Analog Discovery 2 can be
used to measure and power your system. The Analog discovery 2 is mandatory for this
education and must be purchased via the store room with special student discount.

7. The road to success?

There are only two major tasks, aside from being motivated, that determine the success of
the project:

Ask for feedback from experts regularly. You (like us) don’t know everything, or
something simply isn’t working. Then we expect you to take action. We are here to help,
make use of us.

Don’t delay. Anything you leave to tomorrow will, in the end, hurt you. Planning is not
fun, but, it does force you to keep track of your progress. This will give you a chance to fix
problems as they arise, and increase your chance of success. Independent planning and
working to a plan is an expected standard. Your routine should be: plan, follow the plan, and
update the plan regularly.
So, don’t wait until week 6 to ask for help. We are also busy, and if you are too late with your
questions, we may not be able to help. Even if we can help, you may not have time to carry
out the work. It is crucial that everything is submitted in Gradeworks on time, you must
register yourself for this!

8. Options for extra help

It is always possible to find extra sources of help on the internet and from friends and fellow
students. If you have trouble with study, you can also approach Beta Ritmé who are there to
help you learn the best way to study for you.
When you find material on the internet, you must make it your own. For example, you may
find an example of code that solves your problem on the internet. Then, if you copy that
code, you will not need to program your Arduino yourself. However, when you deliver your
evidence, you must link to the exact place where you got the code. If you got the code from a
friend, they must be credited.
On top of that, you must demonstrate that you understand the material that you have taken
from elsewhere. If you copied code, then you will need to demonstrate to a teacher that you
understand how that code works and why it does what it does.

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 Figure 4. A working prototype with 3 programs

For soldering and making (etching) printed circuit boards you can contact: Pieter Smolders.
You can also order from a manufacturer, but this is not advised from school and can cause
unexpected delays as a result of delivery time. However, these types of printed circuit boards
are of higher quality and the soldering is easier.

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9. Documentation and project finish
During the realization of the project you will have to collect evidence, this must be submitted
in an orderly manner so that it can be judged fairly and correctly. To ensure a streamlined
check, we work with 2 main subjects:
• Analog (technical)
• Software (technical)
In order to keep everything clear, we have not opted for one large project report, but
everything has been divided into small manageable blocks. This way you can quickly see in
the feedback where you need to adjust or improve something. Specific questions are asked
so that there is no doubt about what to submit. Two rules are crucial here:

It is mandatory to make the report from the format (check canvas)

Copying of a report is noticed and immediately results in a fail.

Your reports are therefore unique parts made by you and no one else. These are not a list of
answering questions, but consist of substantiation and explanation of the various
components.
The reports for analog and software are typically technical in nature, while for communication
this is more about planning, choices: your process.

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9.1 Evidence for analog
Use the module design document part B format (check canvas) where the following
questions and underlined terms are explained. Write this down in a logical and readable
order, also find the parts with pictures on the internet and explain how the components work.

 The system block diagram is shown in the format, complete this with the question
marks and clearly indicate the boundary between the digital and analogue part.
 The external supply is 20VDC, which is too high for an Arduino. The voltage is
reduced with a voltage regulator IC of type: LM317MSTT3G. This is the only SMD
component that you will use in this project. Find and read the datasheet and make
sure you understand how this IC works. Use your understanding to calculate the
component values required to ensure that we always have 12V on the Vin of the
Arduino. Give explanation why a regulator like this needs a proper heatsink.
 You will use the same Arduino Uno for software lessons. Use the knowledge from
software to design and write the control program required for this project.
 The digital potentiometer is of type: DS1804. As before, you must find out how this
works and how to connect it to the Arduino. The digital potentiometer requires a
supply voltage and a number of control signals. The output is not literally a controlled
potentiometer on three pins but works more sophisticated.
 How should you connect the audio signal to your circuit? Stereo or Mono? How can
you ensure that the analog output from the IC controls the volume? How does a
passive potentiometer work as a volume control? Hint: check the analog lesson about
voltage dividers.
 What is the difference between a LOG and LIN potentiometer?
 Add leds (or a display) to your system so you can indicate what the system is doing—
for instance, when the button has been pressed. Calculate the required resistance for
the leds so that you keep the current through the led below the maximum current
allowed.
 What is a polyfuse, what is it for and what can happen if you work without fuses?
Which symbol is used? Explain what the difference is with a normal fuse. What is an
important advantage of a normal fuse over the polyfuse?
 The IR receiver is a commercial sensor. The internals of the sensor are complex, but
we will treat it as a black box and only look at the data from the output. The sensor
was developed for this purpose.
Add your Kicad schematic and PCB drawings in the appendix. Give a maximum of one A4
concise explanation about the total operation of the schematic Do the same for your PCB
design choices.

Make sure your name is in the Kicad schedule. The maximum size of this report is indicated
in the format (check canvas).

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9.2 Evidence for software.
Use the module design document part B format (see canvas). For software, submit your
project's code (see Canvas for instructions), along with a high-level flowchart (showing the
functionality of your program's main loop) and detailed flowcharts for all non-trivial blocks.
Then answer the following questions, for your program:
• What do the different block shapes in flowcharts (diamond, parallelogram, rectangle)
mean?
• What is the difference between int, float and double, and which is the best choice for
volume?
• Why isn't it wise to use double for all numbers in your program?
• Explain in words what the functionality of your program is (based on your high level
flowchart).
• What are arrays and why do you want to use them instead of individual variables?
• Why isn't it wise to put all code in one big program?
• What does the return keyword mean and what happens when your program executes the
line with the return command?

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10. Conclusions
To finish this manual see the following conclusion:

 With this project description and our support, you can get off to a flying start with
your education. Even better, this project asks you to find a real solution to a real
problem.
The text above contains a hint…
In a report, it is import to draw conclusions about what you have seen, calculated, measured,
and through about. Doing this will also guide you in how to include and defend the evidence
that you supply.
Tip: this report is an example of the type of reports we expect (though a little less formal).
The structure and the information content is key. All documents and extra information can be
found in Canvas in the different courses.
Good luck 

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