Hi All -
As we approach the beginning of the Fall 2013 Semester, I wanted to provide you with some details about the course.
Schedule
The schedule for both the lecture and lab portions of the class is provided below and can be downloaded here. The schedule shows that both labs and lectures will begin during the first full week of the semester -- no lecture/labs during the first week (9/4 - 9/6). There will be twelve lectures and twelve labs. Please note the schedule for both your lab and lecture session and plan your semester schedule accordingly.
Lecture and Lab Attendance
It is expected that you will attend all scheduled lectures and labs. Should some circumstance arise in which you can not attend a specific lab or lecture, it is expected that you will attend one of the other scheduled labs/lectures. All lab and lecture times are noted on the attached schedule sheet. If you are attending a lab that is not your regular lab, you must notify the lab instructor and lab TA at the beginning of the lab. You do not need to do this for the lecture.
Sparkfun Inventor's Kit
I spoke to the bookstore today. They should have these kits in by early next week. I have received a couple inquires from students who already own arduinos wondering if they would need to get the kit. The short answer is "heck - you might as well. Owning one arduino board is cool - owning two and more stuff is even cooler..." Another practical consideration is that you will need to bring these materials to your lab sections and the kit contains a nice carrying case. But I fully intend this kit to be your "gateway drug" into the amazing world of hacking. See the attached picture to see what happens once you get started...
SolidProfessor
Once you obtain your SolidProfessor subscription, you will be able to access the course materials. I have begun listing the assignments as Pre-Labs. You need to complete these Pre-Lab assignments before each of the twelve lab sessions. So... you need to have this taken care of well in advance of your first lab section. The first of these has been created and you are expected to use the first week of class to complete this Pre-Lab assignment. There will be a quiz on this material at the beginning of Lab1.
SolidWorks
SolidWorks 2013 is available on all of the PC's in the ME Labs. I am in the process of obtaining the required information that I will need to provide you with so that you can download a copy of SolidWorks onto your personal computers if you so choose.
Optional Materials
I will be assigning various video tutorials for you to watch to help you come up to speed on using the Arduino board. One set of these is a series created by Jeremy Blum. A text has just been published that expands on these tutorials and I think that you would find it well worth the $25. Here are the relevant links:
Jeremy Blum's website - he's only four years older than you...
Okay - that's enough for now
Prof. Sullivan
my desk...
Course Schedule...
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