Circuit Building

16-Channel Simulation Circuit
Yesterday, we received both the package of multiplexers and eval boards and the package from Adafruit with the PCB boards. In the lab we are currently wrapping up the divider circuit to simulate the mux signals, using 15 resistors, female pin headers, a SMA cable connector and a ribbon cable connector (left). Once we solder everything to the board as needed and test for the signal sounds with an oscilloscope, we can actually try to mount the discrete logic pieces to the PCB board and look at the muxes.

Packages of Electronics
However, to ensure that these muxes are completely compatible with the whole configuration, I have to create voltage diagrams and timing diagrams. The original mod16 binary counter would not work with the decoder or muxes due to different specifications. I found another 4-bit, synchronous counter that used the same voltage levels for High/Low signals (except for one scenario that we are looking into). Now using the propagation delays for each components in High/Low scenarios, I can generate timing diagrams for what "should" happen (without delays) and what most likely "will" happen.

It seems that I will be drawing these timing diagrams by hand -- the old-fashioned way -- as all the timing editing software available are either too simple or too complex for what I need. So far the calculated delays seem small but you want a visual of the signals for each line and output.

On top of that, student presentations within the physics department were given today and it seems all went well. For an electrical engineering giving an electronics talk to a bunch of non-engineers, I'm glad that I was able to communicate my information clear enough to display the general big picture while also not minimizing the important details. (And, I stayed within 10 minutes -- flat!)

For the weekend, I'll focus on finishing the mux circuit diagrams and protoboard as well as preparing for my status report on Thursday. I'll be leading the meeting between Prof. Battat, Dr. Phillips and I, so I best have some concrete work to show and discuss. I'll also see if I can draw the gyroscope parts in SolidWorks if I have the time or possibly by hand. Oh, I can't forget to make a small ribbon cable for the protoboard (right). A vice should do the trick for locking the connectors to the wires. Busy, busy, busy....

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