1) LCD display

a) Libraries
i) The LCDs use the LiquidCrystal library
b) What is an LCD
i) An LCD is a flat paneled device that utilizes the light modulating
properties of crystals to display an image on a screen. LCD stands for
Liquid Crystal Display.
c) What are some of the commands we need to know with the LCD
i) Lcd.begin is used to begin your code. You have to set up the amount of
columns and rows that you are able to manipulate. There are a total of 32
possible positions on our LCDs, consisting of 2 rows of 16 columns.
ii) setCursor is used to tell the arduino in which position you want to be able
to work. This function can be used to place your cursor at any of the
predetermined spaces that you created with the lcd.begin code.
iii) Lcd.blink is used to make the spot you have chosen flash on and off. This
can be used to determine which spot you are working on, or to clarify
where the reader should be looking and what has been printed
iv) The serial monitor is the readout of what types of inputs and outputs your
arduino is experiencing. This is only able to be read on your computer.
However, if your readouts are being printed to the lcd, you will be able to
leave your computer and work elsewhere if you need to test a project that
isn’t at arms length
v) The most challenging part of working the the LCD was creating the
hardware. There were a lot of small bits and pieces that had to be in the
correct spots or else the display wouldn’t work. Additionally, we used
potentiometers to control our cursor which made the board much more
crowded than it already was.
2) Ultrasonic Sensor
a) An ultrasonic sensor is one that is able to measure the distances of objects by
sending out a pulse of noise and listening for it to return. It measures the amount
of time that it took for that soundwave to return, and then calculates how far it is
based on the speed of sound. This is how radar and sonar work.
b) See above
c) A trig pin is one that sends out the ping of noise, while the echo pin is the one
that receives and calculates the distance
d) Commands
i) pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT) tells the trig pin to send out a pulse
ii) digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW) tells the trig pin not to send out a pulse of noise
e) Surfaces perpendicular to the sensor will produce the most accurate response.
Surfaces at and angle to the sensor will be able to deflect most of the sound
waves and will produce a less accurate return. Curved surfaces will deflect the
waves as well meaning that the sound waves will be split up and some may
bounce off other things that are farther away and return to mislead the echo pin.
3) Stepper Motors
a) Stepper motors are motors that convert electromagnetic pulses into mechanical
rotation via the use of magnetized coils and teeth that pull and push the central
shaft
b) Unipolar stepper motor
i) Two coils, four ends
c) Wire leads
i) There’s a connection for each end of a coil and one for the center of the
coil
(1) Leaves you with 5 leads
(a) Blue and yellow - one coil
(b) Red - center coil
(c) Pink and orange -
d) Teeth
i) One tooth per step
ii) 32 teeth in total
iii) 8 per layer
e) The rotor
i) Permanent magnet on plastic body
ii) The shaft is a gear w nine teeth
iii) The rotor slides down on a post extending from the bottom
f) The gears and the shaft
i) 64: 1 ratio
(1) Motor must turn 64 full rotations for the outer shaft to turn once
g) Electromagnetics
i) Don’t need any circuitry to change direction of current
ii) Each coil has its own set of teeth. The current going through them
magnetizes the teeth
iii) Depending on the coil that is grounded, the motor changes direction ?
h) Wave drive
i) Only a single phase is activated
ii) Less torque
iii) Fire single phase at a time
iv) Least used
v) Four phases in cycle
vi) 11.25 degree step angle
vii) 32 steps for the rotor to do a full 360 degree rotation
viii) Motor continues to turn to alig for the teeth
i) Full step
i) Both phases are always on so the motor gives maximum torque
ii) Same precision as wave drive but double the torque
iii) Two phases are always energized
iv) Single cycle through four phases
 v) Steps will point in the gap between colors
vi) Rotor will rotate to the gaps and not center of the tooth
vii) 11.25 degree step angle
viii) Magnetic field is much stronger so it can work with much heavier loads
j) Half step
i) Drive alternates between two phases and a single phase on.
ii) Motor has less torque
iii) Eight phases in a full cycle
iv) Half the step angle of ful
v) Double the precision of full
vi) 5.625 step angle
vii) The rotor start in the center and then jump to the next gap and then back
etc.
viii) 64 steps for the motor to go a full rotation
ix) More torque than wave driving or less than full stepping
x)
k) Gears influence the ratio - how many turns the motor must make to rotate the
shaft.
i) 64:1 gear ratio
ii) Rotor shaft
iii) 3.55 gear ratio which means inner rotor has to go around 3.55 times for
the inner gear to go around once
iv) Find the gear ratio of the entire system by adding up all of the ratios
v) The overall ratio is 64 and that means that the outer gear must go around
64 time before the inner one goes around once
l)