Project ideas? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Jon86
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 06:33:58 am
content: I'm an A-Level Electronics student and I'm coming up to the point where I need to pick a project. I know A-Level is quite low on the spectrum of knowledge, but I'd like to think I know a bit more than I need to (without trying to sound too pompous). Anyway, we can't use any microcontrollers, but we can use digital logic, analog chips, anything that we don't have to program, basically.I'd like to do something analog, so I was thinking along the lines of:Geiger Counter (A little simple, but fun)Electronic load (Constant power maybe?)Capacitance meter (Charge/Discharge with RC Constant calculation, maybe a bit difficult without micros?)Amplifier of some sortHigh-Power LEDs that respond to musicI'm not sure really, so any ideas welcome!Thanks in advance

author: Kryoclasm
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 06:44:37 am
content: How about an Analog multimeter?

author: Jon86
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 07:14:54 am
content: Hmm, Analog frontend, constant current for resistance and maybe even an inductance circuit... Sounds good!

author: madshaman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 07:21:39 am
content: Sounds like you want difficulty. How about a 100W class B (A/B) power audio amplifier with a linear response.

author: Jon86
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 07:35:14 am
content: I do want difficulty, but I don't really have enough experience with amps to design one myself. Its a possibility though if i read up on it, thanks

author: madshaman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 12:58:27 pm
content: Could also do magnetic levitation, you could use a simple feedback control loop or go for a PID controller implemented in analog?

author: Jon86
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 06:37:11 pm
content: Thanks, that sounds really goodOh and by the way, it looks like I'm limited to 50V and for some reason 50W?

author: Tranan
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 06:49:59 pm
content: How about a magnetic field meter. (Tesla meter)

author: Noize
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 07:30:12 pm
content: Try and find the characteristic impedance of the average death row prisoner so you can get maximum power transfer. Discuss various material properties of the electric chair. Pros and cons. Post the power point presentation here. Sorry I'm bored. No even better. The technology behind IED's planted under tutors cars that give low marks.

author: Noize
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 07:32:11 pm
content: Seriously the geiger counter one isn't simple if you go into the physics of the detector.Edit: Could get top marks there especially in conjuntion with second suggestion.

author: madshaman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2013, 03:08:13 pm
content: Quote from: Jon86 on October 15, 2013, 06:37:11 pmHere's a nice tutorial (on magnetic levitate with a simple control loop) by Shahriar who publishes "the signal path" video blog:http://thesignalpath.com/blogs/2013/01/28/tutorial-and-experiments-on-magnetic-levitation/I don't know Shahriar, but really enjoy his blog.If you want to do this, make *sure* you order a Hall effect sensor with *analog* output, the majority of sensor will have threshold/digital output.

author: Jebnor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2013, 09:34:21 pm
content: Quote from: Jon86 on October 15, 2013, 06:33:58 amHow about an audio spectrum analyzer? An analyzer which has an LED bar graph for each frequency range. I believe it can be done within your restrictions and it may give you good experience with both Analog and digital components.

author: dimircea
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2013, 09:51:20 pm
content: What about a 4bit/8bit computer by using only transistors, buffers and discrete components ? If you like difficulty, make it to output not by using simple LEDs but a sort of AV output (probably monochrome)...or even better, a LEDs matrix with two colors or even RGB.You can use switches to program it and LEDs (or other method) for output.

author: seanhaz
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 02:48:14 am
content: a logic robot? similar to this, you could make it more complex

author: ElectroWarrior
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 09:03:21 am
content: For me building a metal detector was really fun. Even though the project might sound a bit ambiguous it contains a great amount of really interesting theory that you really get to feel, see and hear. It is not often in electronics that you actually are able to "see" the electricity or electromagnetic waves - when i built a metal detector I got a more intimate relationship with magnetic waves, and how resonance really works.. made things for me more intuitive. There is a lot of great tutorials out there, and it can be build by analog and gates only:)A bit reading material:www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Metal-Detectorhttp://www.electroschematics.com/6616/homemade-metal-detector/Best regardsElectroWarrior

author: bitluni
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 02:30:37 pm
content: how about an sound synthesizer.you can scale the difficulty yourself. analog wave generation square, triangle, sine...frequency control and sequencing using MCU and some basic amp for a phones jack.some LEDs buttons and you will get a high entertainment factor.

author: Jon86
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2013, 08:31:12 am
content: Great ideas, thanks! The project restrictions are bloody awful, it's pretty much narrowing it down to a few generic chips sitting on a breadboard... Apparently I need four different chips at least, and nothing programmed at all... Ah well, I could have a go at the sound synthesizer / function generator, the magnetic stuff looks good too

author: Jon86
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2013, 08:32:40 am
content: I'm not sure about the logic stuff, I'll keep it in the 'maybe' pile, but I just get so bored of all the logic gates...