ECE 111: Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering I
ECE111 is the first course many students take when they arrive at Oregon State University in the pre-electrical engineering program. This course covers the basics of engineering, electrical engineering, ethics, and the engineering method. The recitation portion of the course includes community building exercises and engineering design practice through the use of the Tiny26 board and small design projects.
The following lab material requires Adobe Acrobot Reader to view.
Hardware Used
- Tiny26 Board (click link for board info)
- TekBots Universal Programmer
Software Used
ECE 111 Firmware Project on BeaverSource
- WinAVR
- Universal Programmer
GUI
On a Windows machine, simply extract the .zip file to any location. To run the software, double click Universal_GUI.exe in the Universal Programmer directory.
Useful Tutorials
- How to Solder (Video)
- Basics of Protoboarding (Video)
- How to Solder
- A More In-Depth Look at Soldering
Important Documents
Lab Manual
Complete ECE 111 Manual
Section 1: Assembling the Tiny26 Board
The Tiny26 microcontroller is a versatile integrated circuit that can be reprogrammed to do many different tasks. The Tiny26 Board adds the circuitry to control the input voltage and connect a programmer to the microcontroller.
Section 2: Materials and Devices
The Materials and Devices track of ECE studies how to build electrical or magnetic devices. This section explores using pencil to deposit graphite onto paper, creating a resistor.
Section 3: Signals and Systems
The Signals and Systems track of ECE studies how to transmit and receive electrical signals. This section explores how an electrical signal can control a speaker to make sound.
Section 4: Energy Systems
The Energy Systems track of ECE studies how to make or use motors and generators. This section explores how to light a small LED using a motor as a generator and how to control the speed of a motor by using PWM.
Section 5: Robotics and Control
The Robotics and Controls track of ECE studies how to effectively control motors and how to use those motors to build robots. This section explores how to build a servo using a motor with a feedback loop.
Section 6: Sustainability and Renewable Energy
The Final Project in ECE 111 combines many of the prior sections to create a servo that rotates a solar panel to maximize the amount of light striking the solar panel.