HOUND
  • Home
  • About
  • Contract
  • Presentation
  • Advice

Advice

  • Start early ... it actually helps. Use your summer wisely
  • If you measure something, save a picture. For your Report and Presentation!
  • Matlab has a great export tool, with settings to export presentation quality figures, use it!
  • Make and keep many working copies of your project
  • Focus on you specifications initially
  • Just because you spent all night in Barrows doesn't mean you are working hard. (Cough .. Rigel .. Cough)
  • Just try SOMETHING!
  • Don't be afraid to ask for help
  • Order extra parts, you'll need them and the shipping is a pain.
  • The quicker you want a part the more the shipping will cost. Its not a linear relation, its exponential!
  • Start with small PCBs. PCB fab houses charge based on surface area.
  • Having small component PCBs protects you if mistakes are made. 
  • OSHpark is a great fab for small quantity orders. (< 15 boards)
  • PCBCart is also a great fab, but for larger quantity orders > 15 boards. Compare the costs. The stencils are useless.
  • Use Google Docs for everything except your final report. We created a shared folder with all of the documents generated along the way.
  • If you are interested in PCB design get a copy of Altium Designer and learn to use it well. Its the gold standard in the prototyping/layout field. (Umaine has licences, just ask).
  • When you are putting together your presentation make sure the text is large enough to be read from the back of Hill Auditorium
  • Use Prezi for your presentation. It has a great multi-present feature that lets you watch as one presents. Use a wireless keyboard then you and your partner can see and advance the presentation.
  • Learn to use the search interfaces on Digikey and Mouser's sites. Its easy to get turned around.
  • Read the datasheets. They usually contain all of the answers you need and hints, buried in wordiness verbosity!
  • Find relevant app notes for parts to learn how to properly use them
  • Learn how to use test equipment!
  • Why is it that some function generators output an amplitude double what you ask for?
  • The ground on your scope probe is usually connected to Earth Ground so be careful when measuring 120VAC power circuits.
  • Avoid power projects. 
  • Become a computer engineer :)
  • Your priorities should be:
  1. Work Hard
  2. Learn Lots
  3. Sleep & Eat
HOUND project 2015 Copyleft some right reserved. 

Blake Bourque - Benjamin Carlson
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.