The Engineering Projects

How to Design an Engineering Product

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I will tell you the key steps about How to Design an Engineering Product. In this tutorial you will learn almost all the necessary steps to be taken while launching an engineering product. They very basic and the most important thing before launching any product, is the idea to be selected for the product designing. The selected idea plays a vital role in the product designing. The idea could be anything, like it is not restricted to either only software products or the hardware products. It could be software, hardware or a combination of both as well. But the uniqueness and something new in the idea results in the popularity of launched product. Most of the engineers want to do their jobs in the related departments. But some of them are willing to launch their different kinds of business including engineering product designing, even by taking taking different sort of risks and act as an entrepreneur too. The engineers who design different products for the any industry are usually known as industrial designers. Industrial designers are in a high demand in the market these days, due to the customers latest technology demand and innovation. Engineering products are totally dependent on the imagination of the industrial designer. Engineering product could be any tool which is helpful in industrial work. Online help is also available for designing and engineering product in the form of articles, research papers, magazines. They are helpful for you from the designing phase to the manufacturing phase. Online videos are also available to help them in designing the industrial engineering products. The further detail about the design of engineering product will be given later in this tutorial.

1. How to Design an Engineering Product

Basically there two types of engineers. Most of them are willing to do their jobs in different industries. While some of them wan to start their business including designing engineering products. The engineers who design engineering product for the different industries are known in the market as industrial designers. All the engineering products depend upon the ideas. One unique idea results in the popularity of designer as well the industry. Different engineering products are shown in the figure given below.

1. Helpful Sources for Engineering Product Designers

• There are several different helpful resources for the designers.
• They help them from the designing phase to the manufacturing phase.
• Some of them are provided in the table given in the figure shown below.

2. Key points for the Growth of Industrial Designs

• They points for engineering industrial design is given in the figure shown below.

 

2. Key points for Successful Product Design

In this section we will learn abut the points that are necessary for launching a successful product design. The detailed description is given below.

1. Important Points

• There are some key points told by the senior experts industrial designers for the successful product designing techniques.
• By following these steps properly there is a lot probability that you will be able to design and launch a successful product.
• These keys points are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

• These are the few important points that should be kept in mind while designing any industrial or engineering product.
• The description about each point is given below.

2. Easily Understandable Idea

• The idea for launching an engineering product should be simple.
• Idea should be such that even a lay man can easily understand it.
• Moreover depending upon the audience, we should use the related terminology, so that everyone can understand our idea.
• Of course, if the idea is easy to understand, it will be more beneficial for the person as well as the industry launching that product.
• So, we can conclude that the nature of the idea chosen, plays a vital role in the fame of industry or a person.

3. Excellent Presentation Plan

• If the idea is presented in a well manner, more people will show their interest in that idea.
• Well presented plays a vital role in the sale of a particular product.
• Sometimes, the products are extremely good but a person does not able to present it in an excellent way.
• So, due to this problem most of the people do not show their interest in that idea.
• It could be possible that the same product become more popular if a person presents it in an excellent manner.
• So, the conclusion is, the product should be presented well.

4. Attracting/Excellent External Look

• The external look is also very important parameter in the popularity of any product.
• If a device has good features but its external look is not good, most of the people will not show attraction towards that product.
• If a product has an excellent external look even if it has not excellent features even then most of the people will show their interest.
• So, external look of a device matters  lot.
• It becomes very difficult to design an external look first and arrange all the other equipment inside it properly.
• Now, its very easy to do all that, after making your entire internal system, you need to just give the dimensions and you external casing will be ready.
• A very famous website www.electronicase.co.uk, provides you this type of facility.
• They make the external plastic enclosures of any shape and size.
• You need to just provide your dimensions and your good looking plastic enclosures will be ready just within 5 days.
• We have also placed our orders at this website for the design of different product's plastic enclosures and had an excellent experience.
• Some plastic enclosures designed by this website are shown in the figure given below.

• This is a very supportive website specially for engineering products.

5. Cost Efficiency

• Cost efficiency is also an important factor for the popularity of any product.
• If the device is efficient and is available at low price, more people will be willing to use that product.
• The product with a higher cost can not attract more people towards it.

3. Categories of Engineering Products/Projects

In this section I' will tell you about the types into which engineering products can be divided. There are basically the three major types of engineering products as given and explained below.

1. Types of Products

• The engineering products or projects can be categorized in three different ways.
• The three categories of engineering products are listed in the table shown in the figure below.

2. Software Products/Projects

• Software products are basically the products.projects that are only designed on the software and there is no need of any kind of hardware
• For example, in medical department we can design we can design a project for diagnosis of heart disease using ECG signal.
• In other fields, we can design software based travelling management system, library management system, finger print based security system are the examples of software based engineering product or projects.

3. Hardware Products/Projects

• Hardware products include the projects/products with only a mechanical structure and there is no need of any software to control that structure.
• Standard lawnmowers, oil furnaces, vehicles are the examples of hardware products.

4. Software + Hardware Products/Projects

• Software + hardware products are the products which require both hardware and software for the proper operations.
• Robots, embedded products, home automation system, security system, boilers are the examples of software + hardware products.

• The screenshot of the different engineering products is given in the figure shown below.

• You can see different engineering related products in the above figure.

5. Project/Product Management Tool

• Primavera provides us the prgram management software tool.
• This tool is for architecture and engineering industrial departments.
• It provides the facilities like measuring the progress consecutively and it improves the team collaboration.
• It can handle large scale projects, and is capable of organizing more than 100,000 activities with unlimited resources.
• It can also handle the unlimited numbers of targeted plans.
• The Primavera screenshot while handling projects is given in the figure shown below.

In the tutorial How to Design an Engineering Product, I have provided a detailed description about designing an engineering industrial products. I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and you will appreciate my efforts. If you have any sort of problem you can ask us in comments anytime without even feeling any kind of hesitation. We will try our best to solve your problems. Our team is always available to entertain you. I will share further informative topics in my upcoming tutorials. Till my next tutorial, take care and bye :)

Students Stress: How to Deal with That?

Student life might seem carefree and fun to everyone, but students. In reality, there are so many things for young people to worry about. Future career, assignments, exams, money, part-time jobs, internship, and love life – all these can get pretty overwhelming. Ironically, straight-A students are usually more vulnerable to stress than others. It's like the harder you try and the better you get, the more stressful your life becomes. To maintain peace of mind and prevent burnout, you should learn how to deal with stress. We offer you some effective and simple tips to help you stay on the positive side of life.

Physical Exercises

Regular physical exercises help to reduce stress and improve the quality of your life in general. When you train, your body produces hormones: endorphin and serotonin. These hormones are responsible for the feeling of happiness and satisfaction. For your body to start producing them, the intensity of exercises should slightly exceed the average level. In other words, they should be challenging. An hour of such exercises two or three times a week can significantly elevate your mood. But avoid overtraining. If you exhaust yourself, your body will protest by weakening the immune system. Select a sport that best suits your temper and physical condition. If you feel like you need to blow off some steam, you may opt for boxing or martial arts. If you're looking for something relaxing, try yoga, Pilates or swimming. For those who want to free their minds and burn calories in the meantime, running is the best option. Team sports will help you dive into a different world and forget about problems for a period of your training. If you're not sure what to choose, hit the gym and work out on machines.

Prioritizing and Time Management

Obviously, you cannot grasp all the opportunities that life offers you. You have only a limited amount of time at hand. Your success depends on the way you manage it. Proper time management starts with prioritizing your goals and tasks. Here is a nice instrument that can help you plan your time. All the assignments can be divided into four categories:

1. important and urgent;
2. important and not urgent;
3. urgent and unimportant;
4. unimportant and not urgent.

Tasks from the first category are sources of stress. You should minimize their amount. Tasks from the fourth group are time killers. You should avoid them or manage them last. The third category is the tricky one. Due to their urgency, some things might seem crucial, but after a close inspection, you will see that they are not. Thus, when it comes to prioritizing, make sure they do not divert you from the second category tasks. It is a group you need to pay close attention to. Plan your time based on thorough management of important and not urgent tasks. Writing research papers, studying for exams, planning your career, working on your CV are examples of such tasks. Make sure you devote enough time to them. Otherwise, they will shift to the first category and get you into trouble!

Manage Your Workload

It is the continuation of the previous tip. You should not take on more responsibilities than you can handle. You don't have to participate in every conference, take on all the extra credit work or join every club. But even if you prioritize your tasks wisely, you can still get overwhelmed. Sometimes you might discover yourself unable to cope with all the pending tasks. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Your parents, friends, teachers, and mentors can assist you if needed. Moreover, numerous professional services can help you with various assignments. For instance, you may find some useful tips on how to write a popular academic paper called a case study in this post.

Loosen the Grip of Perfectionism

This advice sounds the simplest, but indeed is the hardest to follow. Perfectionism can be good and useful. It stimulates you to do your best and achieve outstanding results. On the other hand, if you take it too seriously, it can ruin your life. Constantly striving for excellence results in stress and deep frustration in case of failures. You should accept the fact that you don't have to be perfect. Focus on several fundamental aspects of your life and let go of the others. Allow yourself little innocent imperfections and weaknesses. Forgive your mistakes and failures. You will see how much more enjoyable your life can be.

Meditation

It is a rather complicated practice that takes years to master. But you can always try a simplified version of it, which is rather effective. All you need is 10 to 20 minutes of spare time, a quiet place and relaxing music. Assume a comfortable position, close your eyes and try to free your mind. Let your thoughts flow through your head, but don't dwell on them. Concentrate on your breath and relax your muscles. Breathe deeply so that your body gets oxygenated properly. Good meditation has both emotional and physical effects. On the one hand, silence and relaxation help you calm down. On the contrary, more oxygen makes your body and brain work efficiently.  It is worth trying!

Stop Multitasking

Multitasking has recently become a synonym of effectiveness. If you can complete several tasks simultaneously, you seem very productive and almost all-powerful. In spite of the allurement of such a perspective, there is the other side of the medal. Multitasking generates stress. You might not notice it at once, but it will keep growing inside of you. At some point in time, you will discover tiredness, lack of concentration and loss of enthusiasm. Then you should revise your habits. In fact, multitasking is not always conditioned by the need. Very often we do it just because we are used to it, or because everybody is doing so, and we don't want to seem lazy by contrast. Therefore, try focusing on one job in a single period and see how your life improves. And last, but not least, have fun without feeling guilty. We all need to relax both physically and emotionally. Sometimes you might find it hard to do because you have so many things to worry about. But the youth is the time for us to live our lives to the fullest. Remember, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Excuse yourself from responsibilities every once in a while and just have fun. After all, this is how you are going to remember your student life!

Servo Motor Control using myRIO

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I would like to provide a complete discussion on Servo Motor Control using myRIO. In this tutorial I will tell you about the control of a servo motor using NI myRIO. First of all, I will give you a brief introduction on servo motors and then we will proceed towards their interfacing with myRIO. Servo motor is an electronic device with a small output shaft. This shaft can be adjusted at different angles for the different purposes. We can adjust this shaft by sending a signal usually known as servo coded signal. Servo motor is able maintain a particular angle as long as it has the servo coded signal at its input. Servo motor changes the angular position of its shaft with every change in the servo coded signal applied at its input. I have already designed and shared Servo Motor Control in Proteus. If you are using the servo motor for the first time then you must go through this tutorial. This design is always helpful to the beginners. In my previous tutorial I have controlled DC motor using NI myRIO. DC motor is a simple device having two input terminals. We just have to supply voltage at its terminals and it starts rotating in either direction depending upon the polarity of the applied voltage. Whereas, servo motor has three input terminals, two terminals are for the power supply and one is for sending servo coded signal to rotate at specific angle and in specific direction as well. If some electrical projects require some mobile (move able/not static) tasks, servo motor will be the better option. It is easily available in the market and has a low cost. There are a lot of real life applications associated with servo motors. For example, robotics, elevators, air crafts, remote controlled appliances, vehicles, solar tracking system, automated baby cradle system, conveyor belts system and a lot more. The further detail about servo motor control using myRIO will be given later in this tutorial.

Servo Motor Control using myRIO

Servo Motor is a device with a small output shaft. It has three input terminals. Two terminals are for the power supply and the third is for sending the servo coded signal. The electrical or electronics projects where there is a need of motion, servo will be the best option in this case. The shaft of the servo motor changes its position corresponding to the servo coded signal applied at its input. It has a wide range of applications including robotics, automated baby cradle, solar tracking systems, elevators etc. Servo motor is shown in the figure given below. Note: I have already shared different articles on control of a servo motor as given below.

• Servo Motor Control with PIC Microcontroller
• Angle Control of Servo Motor using 555 Timer
• Control Servo Motor with Arduino in Proteus
• Servo Motor Control using Arduino

1. Servo Motor Pins

• Servo motor has three pins, two for the power supply and one for sending servo coded signal.
• These three pins are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

• Servo motor along with its pins is shown in the figure given below.

2. Servo Motor Pins Description

• We must know the function of each pin of any electronic device.
• Pin functions of all the pins are provided in the table shown in the figure given below.

3. Servo Motor Dimensions

• In the figure shown below, servo motor is divided into different segments e.g. A, B, C etc.

• The dimensions of each segments are provided in the table given in the figure shown below.

4. Servo Motor Specifications

• Specifications are such parameters on the basis of which a device can become more popular.
• Servo motor specifications are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

5. Servo Motor Ratings

• The power requirement of any device can be estimated through its ratings.
• Servo motor ratings are given in the table shown in the figure below.

6. Servo Motor Applications

• Servo motor has a wide range of real life applications.
• Some of them are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

7. Servo Motor Control using myRIO Wiring Diagram

• I have made a completely labelled wiring diagram for servo motor control using myRIO.
• A complete wiring diagram is given in the figure shown below.

8. Servo Motor Control using myRIO Actual Wiring Diagram

• The actual wiring diagram for servo motor control using myRIO is shown in the figure given below.

9. NI LabVIEW Complete Front Panel Window

• The complete front pane; window for servo motor control using myRIO is given in the figure shown below.

10. NI LabVIEW Complete Block Diagram Window

• The complete Virtual Instrument (VI) for servo motor control using myRIO is shown in the figure given below.

• You can download the wiring diagram for servo motor control using myRIO and the complete LabVIEW VI, just by clicking on the button below.

That is all from the tutorial Servo Motor Control using myRIO. I have tried my level best to provide all the necessary detail about servo motor control using myRIO. I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and will appreciate my efforts. If you found something missing, please let me know so that I can update this tutorial accordingly in order to avoid any future inconvenience. I will share different projects on myRIO in my upcoming tutorials. Till my next tutorial take care and bye bye :)

Introduction to C945

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I would like to provide a complete discussion on Introduction to C945. You will see a detailed description on the basics of the transistor C-945 and its different parameters. I have already shared Introduction to MMBD914, 74HC245, NE556, LM348 and PIC18F4550. So, must go through these tutorials in order to have better understanding about different IC's. C-945 transistor is basically a Negative Positive Negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor. C945 is usually used in the electronic circuits where there is a need of high speed transistor and a low current. C-945 has three semiconductor regions named as emitter, base and collector respectively. Since C-945 is a bipolar junction transistor, its base is doped with the positive or P type semiconducting material. Whereas, it collector and emitter both are doped with the negative or N type semiconducting material. When we apply voltage at C-945's base, the current starts to flow between collector and emitter. C-945 transistor is an electronic equipment used for low power applications. C945 has a lot of amazing features. These features include low current, low voltage, good linearity, low noise, complementary to A733 and many more. C-945 bipolar junction transistor has a wide range of applications in real life. Some of them include high speed switching applications, amplification processes, low power applications and a lot more. I have also provided all these information of other IC's in Introduction to L298, MC34063, LM386, TL072, UA741, 2N3906 and LM1458.  It is a low cost electronic component and is easily available in the market these days. It is most common equipment in the market due to its large range of applications. C-945 can also be used in two relay module used to drive different AC (Alternating Current) as well as DC (Direct Current) loads. If you want to work on C945 in Proteus, then you should download this C945 Library for Proteus. The further detail about C-945 transistor will be given later in this tutorial.

Introduction to C945

C945 is a Negative Positive Negative (NPN) bipolar junction transistor. It has three regions emitter, base and collector. Its base is doped with P type semi-conductor material. Emitter and collector are doped with N type semiconducting material. Its a low cost device and is very popular in the market due to its large range of applications. Its applications include fast switching, amplification, low power electronic circuits and many more. C-945 is shown in the figure given below.

• Moving from left to right pins of C-945 in the above figure are in an order emitter, collector and base.

1. C945 Pins Symbol

• C-945 has three (3) pins, each having different symbol.
• All the pins along with the symbols are give in the table shown in the figure given below.

2. C945 Pins Names

• It has three pins having different individual functions.
• C-945 pin names are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

• Symbols of C-945's pins are shown on the left side of the table.
• Its pin names are listed on the right side in the above table.

3. C945 Pinout

• Pinout diagram represents the pin configurations of any electronic device.
• A new user can be easily able to use any device after going through its pinout diagram
• C-945 pinout diagram is shown in the figure given below.

• You can see from the above figure, I have provided the animation, symbolic representation and real image of C-945 bipolar junction transistor.
• For the pinout diagram of other IC's, you must also have a look at Introduction to LM393, LM317, 1N4007, and LM335.

4. C945 Pin's Doping Material

• As we already know C-945 is a NPN bipolar junction transistor, i.e. it has both type of doping materials N-type as well as P-type.
• It base region is doped with P-type semiconducting material and is sandwiched between emitter and collector.
• Both emitter and collector are doped with N-type materials.
• The doping materials of all the regions are listed in the table shown in the figure given below.

5. C945 Ratings

• If we have not used any device before, we must know about its power requirements.
• We can estimate the power requirements of any electronic device with the help of its ratings.
• C-945 ratings are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

6. C945 Features

• A device's popularity is directly related to its features.
• If a device is having more unique and beneficial features, it will be more popular among its competitors.
• C-945 some of the features are provided in the table given in the figure shown below.

7. C945 Applications

• Today, most of the devices are popular and known on the basis of their application areas.
• So, we can conclude that applications plays a vital role in the importance and popularity of an electronic device.
• C-945's few of the applications are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

• Here's a short video in which I have shown How to use this C925 Transistor:

In the tutorial Introduction to C945, I have tried my best to provide all the important details about the basics of the NPN bipolar junction transistor named as C945. I have provided the deaitls about its pin configurations, features, applications etc.I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. If you have any problem, you can ask us in comments anytime, without even feeling any sort of hesitation. Our team is 24/7 here to help and to entertain you. I will share different IC's information in my upcoming tutorials as well. So, take care till my next tutorial :)

myRIO GPS Interfacing

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I would like to provide a complete discussion on introduction to GPS and myRIO as well as myRIO GPS Interfacing as the most related part. First of all I would like to tell you about GPS, from what it is abbreviated, at which principle it works and how it plays its role in our daily life. GPS is basically derived from the word Global Positioning System. GPS is a complete network of satellites which are continuously rotating in their orbits and send information to earth about their accurate position in space. GPS receivers are used to receive the signals, and the received signals help us to estimate the precise time, position and speed of anything moving around. I have share GPS Library for Proteus in my previous tutorials, which is quite helpful for the engineering students. GPS plays a vital role in our daily life. It provides a complete map, i.e. it helps us to easily go through the places which we have never seen before. GPS first system was developed by Americans in 1960's. They introduced it to locate their ships in the ocean. This system has five (5) satellites which are used to locate their ships once in every hour. GPS has three basics parts named as satellites, control stations and receivers. All of these will be explained later. This entire system is able to provide us the information about altitude, precise position, speed etc. But there are also some errors while estimating all these things. The major cause of its error is the inaccurate time of the receivers clock. Due to this fact, we get same GPS coordinates for the different points and it becomes impossible to locate anything accurately. For example, in a small garden we want to locate a robotic lawn mower. But due to the error problem we get the same GPS coordinates, for the initial as well as the final position of the lawn mower. This system has a lot of real life applications e.g. mapping forests, military applications, intelligence applications, locating ship, navigating vehicles and aircraft, guide hikers etc.The further detail about the GPS and myRIO GPS interfacing will be provided later in this section.

Introduction to GPS Receiver Module

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is the network of satellites which are orbiting in their orbits and send information to the earth, about the precise position. This system plays a vital role in daily life. It was first introduced by Americans to navigate their ships. It is now enhanced to a great level and is able to provide information about forest mapping, guide hikers, locating air crafts, navigating vehicles and a lot more. If we want to go at newer places which we have never visited before, we can easily go there taking help from the GPS system by using GPS receiver. The GPS receiver or a GPS module is shown in the figure given below.

• You can see from the above figure, I have cut white and yellow wire because I am not using it.
• I have used the other four remaining wires for the communication between GPS module and myRIO.
• I have also provided the detailed article on Getting Started with myRIO and Introduction to myRIO, you should also go through this articles.

1. GPS Pins

• GPS has total six (6) pins, but we will use only four (4) of them.
• Each of the pins has different functions to perform.
• GPS module/receiver pins are provided in the table shown in the figure given below.

2. GPS Pins Description

• Since each pin is assigned with a different task, so must know about functions associated with each pin.
• GPS pin description are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

3. GPS Receiver Operating Conditions

• Like all other devices, GPS receiver also works on certain conditions, which must be fulfill to get better performance.
• Normal operating conditions for this particular GPS receiver are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

4. GPS Receiver Specifications

• The specifications are such parameters which show the efficiency of that device.
• GPS receiver specifications are provided in the table shown in the figure given below.

5. GPS Receiver Ratings

• Ratings tell us about the power, current and voltage requirement of any electronic device.
• GPS receiver absolute maximum ratings are listed in the table shown in the figure given below.

6. GPS Receiver Applications

• Most of the electronic devices are known on the basis of their applications.
• GPS receiver applications are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

myRIO GPS Interfacing

In the previous section we have discussed i detail about the basics parameters of the GP receiver module and the different properties and applications associated with that particular module. Now, in this section of the tutorial myRIO GPS interfacing, I am going to tell the step by step procedure to be followed in order to interface a GPS receiver module with NI myRIO. So, the major focus of the section will be the only discussion on the interfacing of GPS receiver module using NI myRIO and NI LabVIEW. All the step are explained in detail below. So, do follow all the steps in the same way as I did.

1. myRIO GPS Interfacing Actual Wiring Diagram

• In my previous tutorial, I have shared the detail about Interfacing of GPS Module with Arduino in Proteus ISIS, you must have a look at this article for the better understanding of the current article.
• GPS receiver module interfaced with myRIO is given in the figure shown below.

2. NI LabVIEW Final VI for sReceiving GPS Data

• The Virtual Instrument (VI) is huge in size, so I have added it into three different parts.
• Each part of the entire VI is given in the separate figure.
• Below, I am going to share each part of the VI and will explain a bit about it later.
• The first part of the VI for receiving GPS data is given in the figure shown below.

• In the first part of the VI as shown above, I have used VISA Serial Port for the communication between GPS receiver and myRIO.
• VISA Resource Name is basically the MXP of myRIO as described in Introduction to myRIO.
• ASRL1 shows the GPS receiver is attached with the MXP A of myRIO.
• If you want to attach your GPS receiver with MXP B, then you have to select ASRL2.
• 9600 is the baud rate, shows the rate at which GPS is communicating with myRIO or vice versa.
• So, that was the discussion about the first part of VI for getting GPS data.
• The second part of the VI is given in the figure shown below.

• At the extreme left of the above figure, I have used a VISA Read block, which is reading continuously 100 characters when termination character encountered.
• Then I used a block Concatenate String which takes input from VISA Read and produces NMEA sentences, which are back to its input as feedback.
• Moving to the right the next small While Loop is for extracting the data fields.
• The next comparatively large loop is for getting latitude, longitude, UC time, speed etc.
• And at the top right corner of the above figure I have added a delay of 100 milli seconds.
• So, that was the detailed description of the second part of the VI for getting GPS data usig NI myRIO.
• The 3rd part of the VI for getting GPS data is shown in the figure given below.

• In the above figure, inside the While Loop, I have used Digital Input whose output is connected to and LED.
• The above step describes the monitoring of one pulse per second signal (1PPS) on the on-board LED 3. 
• Then I have used Merge Error block to produce a single final output.
• Then, I used a Simple Error block in order to visualize the error, if it occurs.
• At the end, I have used a Reset myIRO block, which resets the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) target and all the input/output channels on myRIO.
• So, that was the detailed description of the third part of the block diagram window VI for receiving GPS data using NI myRIO.
• You can easily receive the data from GPS receiver by following all of the above steps carefully.

3. NI LabVIEW Final GUI for Receiving GPS Data

• I have made a complete VI in LabVIEW to receive GPS data.
• The arrangements of the blocks e.g.time, latitude, longitude and speed are made to provide a better look to the GUI.
• An LED on the right side shows the one pulse per second (1-PPS).
• On the bottom left of the above GUI, I have made a region to obtain all the data from the GPS receiver module.
• The final form of GUI (Graphical User Interface) is given in the figure shown in the figure below.

• In the above figure, at the bottom right you can see a button with a red colored small square inside it.
• Using this button, you can terminate your program when it is in running condition, this function can also be performed using Esc button from either your personal computer or from your laptop.

4. Received GPS Data

• The data obtained from the GPS receiver is displayed on the GUI.
• The GUI is given in the figure shown below.

• From the above figure, you can see that the longitude, longitude are properly obtained.
• At the top left corner of the above GUI, I have shown the exact time inside a Numeric Indicator.
• Date has also been displayed in the middle of the right side of the GUI.
• I have displayed longitude, latitude, time, date etc as shown in the figure above.
• So, that was the brief discussion on the results obtained from GPS receiver module.
• You can download the complete NI LabVIEW VI (Virtual Instrument) here by clicking on the button below.

That is all from the tutorial myRIO GPS Interfacing. I have covered almost all the necessary details about getting GPS data from the satellites using GPS receiver/module. I have also provided the detail about the GPS network and working of the whole network. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and hoping for your appreciation for this effort. I have shared the complete NI LabVIEW VI (Virtual Instrument) for myRIO GPS interfacing. Just by downloading it you will be able to get GPS data using any of the GPS receiver/module. I will further share interesting and informative topics in my later tutorials so, till then take care and bye :)

Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino Interfacing

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I would like to provide a complete discussion on Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino Interfacing. I would like to tell you some detail about ultrasonic sensor, after that we will move towards ultrasonic sensor Arduino interfacing. Ultrasonic sensor is also known as SONAR sensor. SONAR basically stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging. Ultrasonic is mostly used for the distance measurements. It can also be used for measuring the depth of the sea. I have already shared Ultrasonic Sensor Library for Proteus. Ultrasonic/SONAR sensor is an electronic device used to estimate the distance of an object by continuously transmitting sound waves at a particular frequency and listens to that transmitted sound wave to bounce back. It measures the time between the transmission and receiving of that sound wave, which is actually equal to the distance of an object from the SONAR. An optical sensor has both a transmitter to transmit and a receiver to receive the waves. But in comparison to that optical sensor ultrasonic sensor has only a single element for both transmitting and receiving ultrasonic/sound waves. I have also shared Ultrasonic Sensor Simulation in Proteus. Ultrasonic sensor has four pins whose detail will be given later in this tutorial. This is another sensor similar to the ultrasonic sensor i.e. PNG sensor. PNG has three pins. Both of these sensors are designed for the estimation of the distance of an object from the sensor. In this tutorial I am going to use ultrasonic sensor. The basic principle of ultrasonic sensor is that, it transmits ultrasonic waves and receives it back after getting reflected back from the surface of the object and measures the time between transmitting and receiving of the ultrasonic wave. The further detail about ultrasonic sensor/SONAR will be given later in this article.

Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino Interfacing

Ultrasonic sensor is also known as SONAR. It is used for measuring the distance between the object and the sensor itself. It transmits ultrasonic waves and receives it back after reflecting from the surface of an object. Then its measures the time during entire process which is equal to the distance between object and the sensor itself. It has four pins and is very easy to use. It is easily available in the market and is available at very low cost. It has a wide range of applications e.g. estimating the sea’s depth and many more. SONAR/ultrasonic sensor along with proper labeling is given in the figure shown below.

1. Ultrasonic Sensor Pins

• Ultrasonic sensor has total four pins, each pin has to perform different task.
• Ultrasonic sensor all pins are listed in the table shown in the figure below.

2. Ultrasonic Sensor Pins Description

• Since each pin has different task to perform, so we must know about the functionality of each pin.
• Ultrasonic sensor pins description is listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

3. Ultrasonic Sensor Pinout

• Pinout diagram provides us the information about all the pins of electronic device.
• Ultrasonic pinout diagram is given in the figure show below.

4. Ultrasonic Sensor Working Principle

• Ultrasonic sensor transmits sound waves.
• These waves are reflected back from the surface of an object.
• Ultrasonic sensors receives the reflected waves.
• Then it measures the time elapsed during the entire process, from transmission to receiving, it is known as round trip time.
• This time is equal to the distance between an object and the sensor itself.
• I have also provide some visual, so that you can easily understand its working principle.
• Ultrasonic sensor principle is shown in the figure given below.

5. Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino Interfacing Wiring Diagram

• I have also shared Interfacing of Ultrasonic Sensor with Arduino in previous tutorial.
• I have discussed a detailed information on Interfacing of Multiple Ultrasonic Sensor With Arduino.
• Ultrasonic sensor Arduino interfacing completely labeled wiring diagram is given in the figure shown below.

6. Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino Interfacing Source Code

• I have provided the complete Arduino code for ultrasonic sensor Arduino interfacing.
• You need to just copy and paste the entire code in your Arduino software.
• After uploading it to Arduino board, you will be able to get the desired results.

// defines arduino pins numbers
const int trigPin = 12;
const int echoPin = 11;
// defines variables
long duration;
int distance;
void setup() 
{
pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT); // Sets the trigPin as an Output
pinMode(echoPin, INPUT); // Sets the echoPin as an Input
Serial.begin(9600); // Starts the serial communication
}
void loop() {
// Clears the trigPin
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
delayMicroseconds(2);
// Sets the trigPin on HIGH state for 10 micro seconds
digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH);
delayMicroseconds(10);
digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW);
// Reads the echoPin, returns the sound wave travel time in microseconds
duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH);
// Calculating the distance
distance= duration*0.034/2;
// Prints the distance on the Serial Monitor
Serial.print("Distance from the object = ");
Serial.print(distance);
Serial.println(" cm");
delay(1000);
}

• First of all I have defined the pins for Echo and Trig pin.
• Then I changed their mode to input and output as well.
• Then I defined the formula to calculate the distance.
• You can download the wiring diagram and complete Arduino source code here by clicking on the button below.

7. Ultrasonic Sensor Ratings

• From the ratings of a device we can learn about its power, voltage and current requirement.
• Ultrasonic sensor ratings are listed in the figure shown below.

8. Ultrasonic Sensor Dimensions

• The dimensions of ultrasonic sensor are given in the figure shown below.

9. Ultrasonic Sensor Features & Formula to Measure Distance

• Ultrasonic sensor features are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

• The formula to calculate the distance between an object and the sensor itself is given below.

Distance = (Speed of sound × Time)/2

In the tutorial Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino Interfacing, we have learnt about the pins and working principle of ultrasonic sensor to estimate the distance of an object from the sensor. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. I have provided all the important details about ultrasonic sensor Arduino interfacing. If you find something missing, please let me know in comments, so that I can update the tutorial correspondingly. I will share further topics in my upcoming tutorials. Till my next post take care and bye :)

Introduction to myRIO

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I would like to give a detailed discussion on Introduction to myRIO. myRIO is basically a sort of micro controller introduced by National Instrument (NI), that is why it is sometimes known as NI myRIO. First of all I would like to tell you a bit about this device then we will move further. After listening its name i.e. myRIO, the first question comes in mind that what is this RIO. So, RIO is basically abbreviated from Re-configurable Input/Output. myRIO is a portable device and students can easily use it for the design and control of robots and may other systems quite efficiently. It operates on the frequency 667 MHz. myRIO has dual core ARM cortex A9 programmable processor. It has a Xilinx Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). FPGA support in myRIO helps the students to design real life developing systems and to solve real problems quite faster as compared to the other micro controllers. Using FPGA support we can avoid the complicated syntax used in C language and in many other. We just have to create logic instead of writing the complicated code with the proper syntax. So, it has reduced the student's difficulties while designing complicated systems. It is student friendly device and is very easy to use. The processing speed of myRIO is quite higher than the standard micro controllers. So, it can be used t solve real life problems and it can be easily used in efficient systems which need a quick output response. It supports different languages e.g. C, C++ and graphical language (FPGA). The further detail about NI myyRIO will be provided later in this article.

Introduction to myRIO

myRIO is a real time embedded for evaluation. It was introduced by National Instruments. We can use it to develop the systems which require on board FPGA and microprocessor. LabVIEW is required to program it. Using this device, it is quite easy for the students to design complicated systems and to solve real life problems quite efficiently and quickly. It processing speed is almost ten times of the standard general micro-controllers and microprocessor. We can us this device in the systems where there is a need of quick responses e.g. CNC machines, two wheeled self balancing robots, robots performing different human operations. NI myRIO is shown in the figure given below.

• If you are using myRIO for the first time, you should go through How to Configure NI myRIO on Wifi first in order to get the complete idea about its configuration using USB canle or WiFi.

1. myRIO Pins

• myRIO has thirty four (34) pins in total, each having different functionality.
• All of these pins are listed in the table shown in the figure below.

2. myRIO Front View

• myRIO has two ports named as port A and port B.
• It has a builtin WiFi shield and on board LED's.
• The front view of the myRIO is shown in the figure given below.

3. myRIO Bottom View

• At the bottom side of the myRIO, it has power pin, PC connection point, and USB port.
• The bottom view of the myRIO is shown in the figure given below.

4. myRIO Side View

• myRIO side view consists of two types of ports named as MXP A and MXP B.
• The side view of NI myRIO is shown in the figure given below.

5. myRIO Block Diagram

• The block diagram helps us to understand the internal structure of a device.
• NI myRIO block diagram is shown in the figure given below.

6. myRIO Required Software

• There are different software required for NI myRIO.
• These software are shown in the table shown in the figure given below.

7. myRIO Optional Software

• There are some optional software which can be used in case of myRIO.
• Some optional software are listed in the table shown in the figure given below.

• If you want to know that how to program NI myRIO then you must visit Creating First Program with myRIO.

8. myRIO Supported Systems

• myRIO has able to perform tasks on different operating systems.
• The different operating systems are given in the table shown in the figure below.

9. myRIO Features

• The unique features can make a device more and more popular.
• myRIO major features are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

In the tutorial Introduction to myRIO, I have tried my level best to provide you the entire necessary details about the basic use of NI myRIO. I have provided complete pins configurations in order to use it properly. I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial. If you have any problem you can ask us in comments anytime you want. Me and my entire team is 24/7 available to entertain you. I will share different interesting topics in my upcoming tutorials. Till my next tutorial Take care and bye :)

2 Relay Module Interfacing with Arduino

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I am going to provide a detailed discussion on 2 Relay Module Interfacing with Arduino. First of all I would like to explain you that what is relay and how to use it and then we will move forward towards 2 relay module interfacing with Arduino. I have already controlled relay with 555 timers. 2 relay module consists of two relays. Relay is basically an electronic device or a switch which is used to open and close the circuits electronically. A relay controls an electric circuit by opening and closing contacts in another circuit. When the relay contact is normally open (NO), there will be an open connection when the relay is not energized. When the relay contact is normally closed, there will be a closed connection even when the relay is not energized. We can use relays to control the smaller currents in different electronic circuits. 2 relay module has two relays. One relay can control two AC/DC device simultaneously. That means 2 relay module can control four AC/DC devices at a time. 2 relay module is normally used to control the DC motors in different projects e.g. robotics, automation, embedded projects etc. It can control two DC motors simultaneously. Moreover, we can also use it for different applications e.g. to control DC/AC fans, AC/DC lights, AC/DC bulbs and a lot more. The further detail about 2 relay module interfacing with Arduino will be given later in this tutorial.

2 Relay Module Interfacing with Arduino

2 Relay Module is an electronic device consists of two relays as its major components. Relay is a switch which makes or loses the connection between two different circuits. A single relay is capable of controlling two AC/DC devices simultaneously. So, 2 relay module is able to control four AC/DC devices at the same time. Mostly it is used to control the DC motors. It can also be used in different projects e.g embedded projects, robotic, automation, power etc. 2 relay module is shown in the figure given below.

1. Relay Proteus Simulation

• I have also designed relay simulation in Proteus ISIS.
• Relay Proteus ISIS simulation is shown in the figure given below.

2. 2 Relay Module  Components

• A complete list of the components used while designing 2 relay module is shown in the figure given below.

3. 2 Relay Module  Input Pins

• 2 relay module has five (5) input pins in total, each perform different action.
•  All of its pins are provided in the table shown in the figure below.

4. 2 Relay Module  Input Pins Description

• We must know about the functions of each pin.
• 2 relay board/module input pin functions are listed in the table shown in the figure below.

• Both IN1 and IN2 comes from the micro-controller (Arduino UNO in this case).
• IN1 pin controls the 1st relay attached on 2 relay module.
• IN2 pin controls the 2nd relay attached on 2 relay module

5. 2 Relay Module  Output Pins

• 2 relay module has three (3) output pins for each relay.
• Its output pins are given in the table shown in the figure given below.

6. 2 Relay Module  Output Pins Description

• Each output pin of 2 relay module has its own functions.
• 2 relay module pin functions are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

• NO pin is normally open pin and device attached to this pin will not work if the relay is not energized.
• COM is a common pin i.e. ground pin.
• NC is normally closed pin and device attached to this pin will start working even if the relay is not energized.

7. 2 Relay Module  Compatibility

• 2 relay module is compatible with different micro-controllers.
• Some of those micro-controllers are provided in the table shown in the figure given below.

8. 2 Relay Module  Circuit Diagram

• Circuit diagram of 2 relay module is given in the figure shown below.

9. 2 Relay Module  Interfacing with Arduino Wiring Diagrams

• First you should have a look at Relay Interfacing With Microcontroller using ULN2003A, you will get a better idea about its interfacing with different micro-controllers.
• Wiring diagram for 2 relay module interfacing with Arduino is shown in the figure given below.

10. 2 Relay Module  Interfacing with Arduino Actual Diagrams

• I have provided the complete wiring diagram for 2 relay module interfacing with Arduino.
• Wiring diagram is shown in the figure given below.

11. 2 Relay Module  Interfacing with Arduino Source Code & Description

• If you are new to Arduino software then you must have a look at How to write Arduino code.
• You just need to copy and paste the source code given below in your Arduino software.
• The complete source code for 2 relay module interfacing with Arduino is given below.

int relay1 = 6;
int relay2 = 7;  

void setup() {
  
  pinMode(relay1, OUTPUT); 
  pinMode(relay2, OUTPUT);
}

void loop() {

   digitalWrite(relay1,LOW);
   delay(1000);
 
   digitalWrite(relay1,HIGH); 
   delay(1000);
   
   digitalWrite(relay2,LOW); 
   delay(1000);
   
   digitalWrite(relay2,HIGH); 
   delay(1000);
}

• First of all I have defined relay pins.
• Then I have changed the mode of these pins to output.
• After that I have turned on and off both of the relays with the delay of 1 sec or 1000 msec.
• So, that was the brief description about the source code for 2 relay module interfacing with Arduino.
• You can download the wiring diagram and complete Arduino source code here by clicking on the button below.

12. 2 Relay Module  Features

• The most common features associated with 2 relay module are provided in the table shown in the figure given below.

13. 2 Relay Module  Application

• 2 relay module applications are given in the table shown in the figure below.

In the tutorial 2 Relay Module Interfacing with Arduino, we have learnt about the components used in the design of 2 relay module. We have also learnt about the 2 relay module interfacing with Arduino. I have provided the complete Arduino source code, you can control this module using the same code. I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial. If you have any problem you can ask us in comments. Out team is 24/7 available for you. I will share different informative engineering topics in my upcoming tutorials. So, till my next tutorial, take care and bye :)

Introduction to Pixy Camera

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I am going to give you an elaboration about Introduction to Pixy Camera. It is basically is an electronic device or sensor having fast vision. It is also known as fast vision sensor most of the time. Using this device we can teach to find objects in a very less time duration. It is an image sensor having a very powerful processor. Pixy is easy to interface with the micro-controllers e.g. Arduino. We can make different programs only to send the desired data from the device to micro-controller. In this way micro-controller can not overwhelm. Pixy camera is able to communicate with the micro-controller in several different ways e.g. serial communication, I2C protocol, digital out, analog out and SPI communication techniques. Using this type of communication between pixy camera and micro-controller we can also perform other tasks when camera is communicating with micro-controller. We can also attach multiple pixy cameras with a single micro-controller. Its normal mean of image detection is through RGB (Red Green Blue) color detection technique. Moreover, it can also detect different images using hue and saturation techniques. Light doesn't effect the image detection of this camera. Its a huge problem while doing image processing techniques. This module has an ability to find hundreds of objects simultaneously and it can remember seven different types of colors. It detects images with a very fast processing speed of 50 frames per second. It is a low cost and highly efficient device available in the market. The further detail about introduction to pixy camera will be given later in this section.

Introduction to Pixy Camera

Pixy camera is a fast vision electronic device. It can capture 50 frames per second. It can communicate with the mirco-controller using different types of communications e.g I2C protocol, SPI and serial communication. Its image detection technique is not effected by the light like all other devices. It cam remember 7 different colors simultaneously. Its a low cost device. It also uses hue & saturation technique for image detection. Pixy-camera is shown in the figure given below.

• Pixy camera has a particular software which is necessary to be installed before using it.
• I have share a complete detailed article on How to Install Pixy Camera Software - PixyMon.

1. Pixy Camera Pins

• It has six pins having assigned with different tasks.
• All the pins are given in the table shown in the figure given below.

2. Pixy Camera Pinout

• Pinout diagram tells us about the complete information of all the pins of any device.
• Pixy-camera pinout diagram is given in the figure shown below.

• If you are new to pixy camera you must have a look at Getting Started with Pixy Camera.
• After doing this the next, you must need to know is Upload Latest Firmware in Pixy Camera.

3. Pixy Camera Technical Specifications

• Technical specifications tell us about the efficiency and different tasks whether they can be performed by it or not.
• Pixy-camera technical specifications are listed in the table shown in the figure given below.

4. Pixy Camera Features

• Any device can become a lot popular only on the basis of its unique features.
• Pixy-camera features are listed in the table given in the figure shown below.

5. Pixy Camera Communication Techniques

• Pixy-camera has an ability to communicate with the micro-controller in different ways.
• Alla the communication mediums are provided in the table shown in the figure below.

6. Pixy Camera Result Visualization

• Its results can be visualized on an application named as Pixy Mon.
• Pixy Mon is an applications that is able to run on computer or MAC.
• Using this application we can visualize, that pixy-camera sees, in the form of either raw video or processed video.
• While using pixy camera, you must know about How to Train Pixy Camera with Computer.
• Pixy set the output port and manage colors.
• USB cable maintains communication between pixy mon and pixy-camera.

7. Pixy Camera Problems

• Each electronic device has its pros and cons, similarly pixy-camera has also some issues with it.
• The two major problems associated with the pixy-camera are listed in the table shown in the figure given below.

8. Pixy Camera Applications

• Pixy-camera has several different real life applications.
• Some of the major applications are provided in the table shown in the figure below.

  The tutorial Introduction to Pixy Camera has provided the detailed discussion on the basics of this module. I hope this tutorial is proved to be an informative for you and you will enjoy this tutorial. You can ask us if you have any problem. I will try me best to help out you. I will share different informative topics in my upcoming tutorials. Till my upcoming tutorial, taker care and bye :)

Introduction to Laser Sensor

Hello everyone! I hope you all will be absolutely fine and having fun. Today, I am going to provide a detailed discussion on Introduction to Laser Sensor. Laser  sensor is basically an electronic device which we often use for the detection of accurate positions as well as small objects. Laser sensors transmit or radiate laser light. This laser light consists of light waves having same wave length. Due to this fact laser light travels in a parallel direction from the source emitting this light. Due to its travel in parallel direction it can be transmitted over long distances. This light is dangerous for the human beings. We must avoid by looking directly into the light. It causes serious eye damaging effect and even can make anyone blind. As we know optical fiber cables are used for the communication theses days and it uses only light to transmit data. If the communication is for shorter distance, LED will be used as a information transmitting source. If we want to communicate over long distances we must use laser because it has the light waves of same wave lengths and has a capability to be transmitted over long distances. If we use laser for the shorter distance communication, the medium will be overloaded with a lot of information and hence data will be damaged and can not be sent to the receiving end. Laser sensor has basically two wires but if it is attached on a small PCB board, then it has three pins which will be discussed later. The further information about laser sensor module will be provided later in this tutorial.

Introduction to Laser Sensor

Laser Sensor is an electronic device usually used to detect small objects. It is also used to detect the accurate positions. Laser light has light waves of same wave lengths. Due to the fact, laser light travels in a parallel direction. It is dangerous for humans because it can cause serious eye problems, if you look directly into the light when it is ON. It can cause blindness too. It can be used to transmit data over long distances, which is considered to be its major benefit. Laser sensor module is shown in the figure given below.

1. Laser Sensor Pins

• Laser sensor has basically two pins, usually known as power pins.
• Both of the pins are provided in the table shown in the figure below.

2. Laser Sensor Pins Description

• We must know about the functions of all the input/output pins in order to use the device properly.
• Laser sensor pin descriptions is given in the table provided in the figure given below.

3. Laser Sensor Working Principle

• Laser radiated a laser beam as shown in the figure below.
• Receiver lens concentrates the light reflected off the target, and produces an image on a light receiving element.
• The concentrated light reflects at several different angles, when distance changes.
• With the change in angle of the concentrated light, position of the image changes correspondingly.
• I have provided the three visuals at different distances in the figure shown below.
• From the three figures given below, you can easily understand the working principle of a laser sensor.
• The laser principle for reference distance is shown in the figure below.

• The laser principle for shorter distance is shown in the figure given below.

• Laser principle for longer distance is shown in the figure given below.

4. Laser Sensor Ratings

• Ratings provides us the basic and general specifications of any electronic device.
• Laser sensor ratings are given in the table shown in the figure given below.

5. Laser Sensor Applications

• Most of the times the electronic devices are known on the basis of their applications.
• Laser sensor has a wide range of real life applications.
• Some of the common applications are listed in the table shown in the figure given below.

6. Laser Sensor Advantage

• Advantages are the parameters which can improve the efficiency of the particular device.
• Laser Sensor advantages are shown in the table given in the figure below.

7. Laser Sensor Disadvantage

• Like other devices laser sensor also has some serious disadvantages.
• Few of the main and avoidable disadvantages are listed in the table shown in the figure given below.

In the tutorial Introduction to Laser Sensor, I have explained about the basic parameters associated with the laser sensors and which are important to be known before using it. I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and hoping for your appreciation. If you have any sort of problem you can ask us in comments any time. Our team is always there to help to help you. I will share different amazing and informative topics in my upcoming tutorial. Till then take care and bye :)