(Jonathan Lin) Recitation 1: Electronics & Soldering

Questions

  1. After reading the article, I see how much interaction we truly had put into creating this circuit. Not only were were my partner and I interacting at the beginning to figure out our plan, but our constant interactions with the circuit itself eventually led to an interactive final product. Our end products all required some interaction from an user, like pushing the button or twisting the knob. 

2. When you combine both of these elements you create something that must be considered art. Take for example the eye tracking writer, where not only is it art where it allows the user to express themselves, but also something practical that solves a real life issue. Sheer ingenuity allows something to become art, something everyone could interpret differently.  

Materials

  • 1 * Breadboard
  • 1 * LM7805 Voltage Regulator
  • 1 * Buzzer
  • 1 * Push-Button Switch
  • 1 * Arcade Button
  • 1 * 220 ohm Resistor
  • 1 * LED
  • 1 * 100 nF (0.1uF) Capacitor
  • 1 * 10K ohm Variable Resistor (Potentiometer)
  • 1 * 12 volt power supply
  • 1 * Barrel Jack
  • 1 * Multimeter
  • Several Jumper Cables (Hook-up Wires)

Tasks

Task 1: Build the circuits (Success)

With your partner, build Circuit 1: Door BellCircuit 2: Lamp, and Circuit 3: Dimmable Lamp on a breadboard based on the provided schematics. When you’ve finished a circuit, take pictures or film the finished circuit working. Record notes about the building process for each circuit, such as problems that you encountered, and how you fixed them.

Task 2: Switch the switches (Success)

During the recitation, you and your partner will be brought to soldering stations to learn how to solder. Here you will solder long wires to an arcade button.  Once you have completed this, you should replace the push button switch in at least one of the circuits you built with the newly soldered arcade button.

Circuit 1

In our first circuit, my partner and I first looked over the sketches and the parts to try to understand our task. Then, using our knowledge from the first two classes and help from the wandering instructors, we were able to slowly put the components together. The instructor gave us advice to start from the power source and go on from there. After we figured out where each component would be placed, the wiring came naturally. 

Circuit 2

Building from our first circuit, this one was pretty easy. This was because we already had the foundation placed, and all we needed to figure out was where to put the resistor in an already connected circuit. After replacing the speaker and moving some wires we were able to successfully light up the LED.

 

Circuit 3

Using the experience from our previous two circuits we build this one pretty quickly, but it wasn’t working. Not yet finished we were called to the back to solder a large button. After learning how solder, and with a new button in hand we tried to fix our circuit once more. After trying for a few more minutes, we eventually asked for help from another instructor, and found out our issue. When we replaced the LED we forgot about the polarity, after that our circuit was fully functional. 

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