Arduino
Uno, IR emission, and data logging shield
MSc dissertation
proposal 2010/2011
Introduction:
Doing real world systems can be as simple
as assembling some hardware components available off-the-shelve. The main
novelty nowadays is that some of those systems can be built in an affordable
manner. Current (low cost) microcontrollers provide high quality analog-to-digital inputs and PWM outputs at very low
prices. This project proposal is focused on exploring the hardware
possibilities and limits on generating, acquiring and logging analog signals, using one Arduino
2009 / Uno device.
Objectives:
The objectives of this work proposal
are: (i)
Detailed description:
The open-source electronics
prototyping platform Arduino 2009 / Uno, which is
based on the ATMEGA 328 microcontroller, allows acquiring analog
signals up-to about 5KHz. This is already a fast data rate if one wants to
transmit the data through the USB (framing the serial port of the Arduino) in a sample-per-sample basis. However, using a
SD/MMC card, one gains a much larger bandwidth for locally accessing or logging
the signal samples. This enlarged bandwidth is enough for a number of audio
experiments, such as the audio playback [Wave-play-www].
Considering sound acquisition, the
standard analog to digital converters allow about 5KHz sampling (i.e. ~2.5KHz bandwidth signals). This suffice
to have some perception of the human voice (note that telephone operate in the
bandwidth 400-4000Hz), but is an objective of the project to further explore
more solutions.
The work is therefore organized in the following main steps:
1) Interfacing to the MMC/SD card
2) Playing sounds with low bandwidth
such as a voice warning message
3) Playing sounds with larger
bandwidth such as music
4) Recording sounds
References:
[Arduino-www]
"Arduino open-source electronics prototyping platform",
http://www.arduino.cc/
[Logging-www] Logging data and wave
shields, http://www.ladyada.net/make/logshield/lighttemp.html
[Wave-play-www] http://www.ladyada.net/make/waveshield/design.html
[IR-www] "Multi Camera IR
Control", http://sebastian.setz.name/arduino/my-libraries/multi-camera-ir-control,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_IR
Requirements (grades, required courses, etc):
-
Expected results:
At the end of the work, the students will have enriched their experience
in creating an embedded system using off-the-shelve components. In particular
are expected to develop and assess microcontroller based signal generation and
acquisition.
Place for conducting the work-proposal:
ISR / IST
Quotation:
"In summary...you don't always get the luxury to pick your term
project, but if you can, find a problem you want to solve for yourself in your
own life. Design a novel solution for it with a PIC or other microprocessor.
Wire it up and program it. Understand the hardware and software well so that
you can present it well. Have a fun time doing it. If you find that you lose
track of time while you are working on the program and find it hard to put it
down even at midnight, you've got exactly the right idea! Best wishes!"
[excerpt extracted from
http://www.vermontficks.org/students.htm]
More MSc dissertation
proposals on Computer and Robot Vision in:
http://omni.isr.ist.utl.pt/~jag