Digital Electronics Education

Module by: Don Wilcher

Summary: The objective of this course is to illustrate how an advanced Digital Electronics course can be enhanced using New Product Development Practices.

BITS AND BYTES

Enhancing Digital Electronics Education with New Product Development Practices

Don Wilcher

Adjunct Instructor: ITT Technical Institute

Sr. Project Engineer: Hunter Fan Company

Abstract:

The objective of Advanced Digital Electronics courses is to bridge basic logic gates (combinational circuits) with technical topics related to binary counter topologies (Asynchronous & Synchronous), shift registers, memory, and DSP (Digital Signal Processors) which fall under the sequential devices umbrella. The fundamental design tools of using Boolean Algebra, K-Maps, Truth Tables, and Finite State Machines (FSM) aid in illustrating how combinational circuits can assist in the construction of such sequential digital devices mentioned. To provide a synthesis of how these digital building blocks are used in the creation of industrial equipment and consumer products, New Product Development (NPD) practices can be integrated quite seamlessly into the curriculum. This paper will discuss how NPD can be introduced to advanced 2year Computer and Electronics Engineering Technology (CEET) Students via a Digital Design Project.

The NPD Process

The product creation process consists of fundamentally conceiving an idea for cultivation and eventually the development of the finished good. According to Research Design Experts, the professional technologist is confronted by many design challenges in the technical environment.

[1] Technologies have rapidly, and current engineering practice features a high level of integration of technologies that were once regarded as separate technical domains. This means that the designs of many products require skills and knowledge that cannot be encompassed by a single individual, or even a small group of individuals. Engineering design has become a team activity.

The New Product Development Process is a living design machine that embodies a multidisciplinary team approach using the skill-sets of engineers, technicians, and technologists. Figure 1 illustrates a [2] Whiteboard approach of product creation. The first [3] Gate of NPD is defining the problem for which this multidisciplinary team will solve through product creation. To illustrate this first Gate event, advanced CEET students are introduced to using Multisim software as virtual analysis tool for validating a possible solution to a given Lab Project problem. For example, a 4Bit Digital Controller was needed to provide a visual status of when a four bit serial shift register cells are filled with binary 1’s (e.g. 1111).

Figure 1. “Whiteboard” NPD Diagram

To develop a solution to this Lab Project challenge, System Block Diagrams were introduced as a Problem Definition tool to CEET Students. A System Block Diagram is primarily a graphical design tool whereby a block represents a subcircuit such as a 2 Input NAND logic gate attached to another block identified as a LED circuit. To show the interconnecting relationship between the 2 blocks an “arrow” symbol is used. This basic logic gate circuit System Block Diagram is illustrated in Figure 2. By graphically defining the subcircuits that makeup the final product of a 4Bit Digital Controller, basic principles of how digital flip-flops operate are reinforced during the Design and Problem Definition phase of the NPD process.

Figure 2. A 2-Input NAND Gate with LED Output Circuit System Block Diagram

Prior to building the virtual controller using Multisim, each student had to create a System Block diagram for an Instructor’s Signature (the Author) Sign Off. To create a design environment within the lab, students were encouraged to work in teams or to seek advice from their peers if individual lab participation was desired. After the 4Bit Digital Controller was validated within Multisim for correct circuit functionality and signed off by the Instructor, the students then proceeded to Gate 2 event. This next phase of the NPD process is to build a physical working prototype of the digital controller. The solderless breadboard is one of the commonly used prototyping tools employed by Electrical Engineers, Electronic Technicians, and Technologists to validate a concept’s feasibility. To illustrate, the author discussed an advanced Embedded Controls development product using Powerline Technology for operating a ceiling fan with a remote hardwired wall control for which he was the Lead Product Developer. The communications protocol for allowing the wall control to talk with the ceiling fan’s receiver, the AC motor, and light bulb driver circuits were validated using a solderless breadboard. Figure 3 shows the low fidelity prototype ceiling fan embedded Powerline controller built on a solderless breadboard. The emphasis of “circuit simulation” and “physical prototyping” and “testing” was the main theme of the advanced Digital Electronics course for the 10week quarter session along with the introduction of the 2 discussed Product Development Gates of “Design” and “Build”.

Figure 1

Figure 3. Product Build and Test of a Powerline Based Ceiling Fan Controller using a Solderless Breadboard. Courtesy Arma Design

Prototyping Products

Another critical area in NPD is the ability to check the feasibility of a product concept with the aid of a functional prototype. Marketing is responsible in most consumer products companies for establishing Design Guidelines as it relates to key attributes of the target device. The Feasibility document captures these attributes along with projected volumes and piece cost for the specific product. In developing Human Machine Interfaces (HID) for consumer appliances like cell-phones, coffee makers, and pc tablets, sensing devices & controls are in the background retrieving data and processing the equivalent bits and bytes based on the HID interactions with the customer. The first step in validating a consumer product HID is to build a “Proof of Concept” (PoC) device. For electronic controls, the solderless breadboard along with “sneaking” circuits from other devices aid the Electronics Engineering Technician in building the PoC easily and expediently. The sneaking circuit method consists of taking either specific components like LEDs, motors, & switches and using jumper wires attach to them to physically connect to the designer’s core electronic circuit or subsystem. This technique rapidly expedites the product development process as well as assists in proving a concept’s feasibility. Therefore, the solderless breadboard and circuit building was emphasized weekly to the students along with actual product build examples (Figure 3) and Figure 4.

Figure 4. Prototype Lighting Control circuit for a Ceiling Fan. Courtesy of Hunter Fan Company

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the tools used in an Academia setting are actually put into Industry practice by engineers, technicians and technologists. The advanced Digital Electronics students were quite motivated by these real world examples and product development techniques and were demonstrated in their Final Design Projects for the course. And to illustrate how the skills being obtained in an advanced Digital Electronics course can be used in an entrepreneurial venture, a small NPD Logic Probe Kit development project created by the Author for Electronics Technology Education and the Hobbyist market was discussed. Figure 5 shows the prototype Logic Probe Kit created by the Author. This practical NPD project illustrates how a solderless breadboard circuit design can be transformed into a working printed circuit board version for additional testing and final product development.

Figure 5(a). Prototype 1.0 of Logic Probe

Figure 2

Figure 5(b). Final Logic Probe Kit

Final Design Projects

The last 2 weeks (weeks 9 and 10) of class were allocated for students to work on their Final Design Projects. The 2 weeks allowed the students to obtain technical assistance as well as tips on Final Design Project presentations to be completed in MS Power-point. The Final Design Project was graded on the following rubrics.

In addition to the Power point document, actual product presentation and demonstration to the class was required for a final grade as well. An example project designed, built and demonstrated to the class was a “Sun Up Alarm Clock” developed by James Hamm. The alarm clock had the following unique attributes for the consumer.

Out of the five rubrics outlined previously, Bullet 5 was emphasized greatly because in all NPD projects, products are designed to solve problems. Therefore, James’ Problem Definition which he used as his Conclusion consisted of the following description.

“After countless mornings of over sleeping because of the same old sound coming from my alarm clock, this new idea brings hope to an end of the madness. The brain has many sensors and one sound hits one sensor, with this idea I hope to highlight the sensor that are not being used for everyday wake pattern and bring about a new way to start your mornings on time.”

In building his PoC, James used 2 prototyping techniques, solderless breadboarding, and sneaking circuits. The transistor relay driver circuit was built using the solderless breadboard where as the core digital circuit consisted of an actual alarm clock’s Seven Segment LED display and control switch functions using the sneaking circuit approach. This technique was highly emphasized because of the short product development cycle for the class (only 10weeks per quarter). Also, an “off the shelf” electronics kit for kids (and adults) was incorporated into his design for creating “eight” selectable sounds for the alarm, using the sneaking circuit technique. Figure 6 shows his circuit schematic diagrams along with the prototype product.

Figure 6(a). James’ Circuit Schematic representation of the Sun Up Alarm Clock

Figure 3

Figure 6(b). Circuit Schematic representation of the Sun Up Alarm Clock’ Alarm IC

Figure 6(c). James Hamm and his ET285 Final Design Project “Sun Up Alarm Clock”

Figure 4

Figure 6(d). Prototype Project Up Close

Although, the circuit schematic diagrams look very crude, the main emphasis behind the project is to allow the student to create an electronics product from a “blank sheet of paper” following Industry based NPD practices. Also, by allowing the student creative freedoms, they seem to take ownership in their learning through serious play [4].

Course Continual Improvements

Based on student participation and feedback on the Advanced Digital Electronics Course (ET285), new lab projects will be developed with emphasis on NPD prototyping techniques and testing elements discussed every class session. With a basic knowledge of the Product Creation Process (PCP) and how digital circuits’ “Bits & Bytes” assist in the product’s development the course material presented will provide more relevance in the students’ technical studies. Last, this knowledge in NPD will also enhance their academic portfolio for presenting to potential hiring managers from Industry based corporations as well.

References

[1]. Waldron, M.B, and Waldron, K.J.,eds (1996), Mechanical Design:Theory & Methodology, New York, NY, Springer.

[2]. Flaim, K.B., (2008), “The Napkin Sketch”, Fast Company Magazine.

[3]. Cooper, R.G., (2005), Product Leadership: Pathways to Profitable Innovation, 2nd ed, New York, NY, Basic Books.

[4]. Schrage, M.,(2000),Serious Play: How the Worlds Best Companies Simulate to Innovate, Boston, Massachusetts, Harvard Business School Press.

About the Author

Don Wilcher is a full time Embedded Controls Engineer employing NPD, Mechatronics and Physical Computing techniques for wireless-embedded consumer electronics and appliance products of the future as well as Engineering Education Instructor and Author. Additional information on his projects can be found at the website: http://www.family-science.net

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This work is licensed by Don Wilcher under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 2.0).

Last edited by Don Wilcher on Jul 5, 2008 12:52 am GMT-5.