Cameron Devine
Cameron Devine

Mechatronics and Measurements Laboratory ME 316

Course Description

The laboratory provides hands-on experience working with various types of instrumentation and electrical components. Topics include DC and AC circuits, electronic filters, power supplies, function generators, microprocessor boards, analog and digital signals, sensors, Wheatstone bridges, AC-to-DC power conversion, real-time measurement of time response, LabVIEW programming, and motors. Concurrent/prerequisite enrollment with ME 345.

General Information

Instructor
Cameron Devine Ph.D.
Email
[email protected]
Classroom Location
Panowicz 107
Times
T 1:00 - 3:50 pm

Laboratory Manual

The lab manual can be found here. Printing this document (in full or in part) is suggested as there are helpful tables to record measurements and other data.

Schedule

The following schedule is tentative.

day lab
8/30 Syllabus and group formation
9/6 Lab 01
9/13 Lab 02
9/20 No lab
9/27 Lab 03
10/4 No lab
10/11 Lab 04
10/18 No lab
10/25 Lab 05
11/1 Advising Day
11/8 Lab 06
11/15 Lab 07
11/22 Thanksgiving
11/29 Lab 08
12/6 No lab

Resources

Class resources will be posted here throughout the semester.

Useful Texts

Some texts you may find useful throughout the course are listed below.

Writing Resources

Laboratory Policies

Laboratory procedures and reports should be completed by the assigned groups. The report should be turned in before the next laboratory exercise. These reports will be submitted via moodle as a PDF file. The lab report should utilize the one of the provided templates. A Microsoft Word template is available here. Alternatively, a LaTeX template is available on Overleaf here (select “Clone this project” to get started). Details on how to use LaTeX are included in the lab manual and instructions for installing LaTeX on your personal computer are available in Resource 1.13.

Grading Policies

Total grades in the course may be curved, but laboratory reports will not be. Grades will be available on moodle throughout the semester and solely consist of the laboratory report grades. The laboratory report grades will be based on laboratory exercise execution, theoretical analysis, presentation of data and analysis, and writing. The following breakdown is used.

Lab Exercise Execution (30%)

Overall quality of the execution of the laboratory exercise is considered. Are your results reasonable? Did you describe the proper steps? Do you demonstrate an understanding of the experiment and results?

Theoretical Analysis (30%)

Also considered is a theoretical analysis to predict experimental results. This should be performed in virtually all lab exercises. Do you thoroughly describe your analysis? Are there enough equations included to follow your reasoning? Are your predictions correct?

Presentation (10%)

Another consideration is the quality of your overall presentation in the report. This includes your figures (e.g. good scaling of axes, size, clarity, etc.), captions (e.g. can a table or figure be understood without reading the body of the text?), equations (e.g. are they nicely formatted?), etc.

Writing (30%)

A significant portion of your grade depends on writing quality. This includes overall narrative flow of the document, grammar, clarity, and style. This is taken very seriously because it doesn’t matter how great your design, analysis, or experiment is – if you can’t communicate your results effectively, nobody cares.

Grade Scale

The following grade scale is for informational purposes only. Grades may be curved rendering this scale inaccurate. All percent grades will be rounded to the nearest integer percentage before the table below is used.

Percent Grade Letter Grade
97 - 100% A+
93 - 96% A
90 - 92% A-
87 - 89% B+
83 - 86% B
80 - 82% B-
77 - 79% C+
73 - 76% C
70 - 72% C-
67 - 69% D+
65 - 66% D
Below 65% F

AI Large Language Model Policies

As assignments in this course are used to measure your knowledge of the course material, it is important that all work is your own. Therefore, using text generated by large language models such as Chat GPT and others in the work you turn in is not allowed. To ensure these policies are followed, tools for checking if content is AI generated may be used.

Academic Honesty/Professionalism

What is Academic Integrity?

Saint Martin’s University is a community of faculty, students and staff engaged in the exchange of ideas in the ongoing pursuit of academic excellence. Essential to our mission is a focused commitment to scholarly values and intellectual integrity, and a respect for the ideas, beliefs and work of others. This commitment extends to all aspects of academic performance. All members are expected to abide by ethical standards both in their conduct and their exercise of responsibility to themselves and toward other members of the community. As an expression of our shared belief in the Benedictine tradition, we support the intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual nurturing of students.

What is Academic Dishonesty?

Saint Martin’s University defines academic dishonesty as violating the academic integrity of an assignment, test and/or evaluation of any coursework. This dishonest practice occurs when you seek to gain for yourself or another an academic advantage by deception or other dishonest means. You have a responsibility to understand the requirements that apply to particular assessments and to be aware of acceptable academic practice regarding the use of material prepared by others. Therefore, it is your responsibility to be familiar with the policies surrounding academic dishonesty as these may differ from other institutions.

The Acceptable Use of AI in Coursework

Any use of technology that misleads a reviewer in assessing the student’s mastery of a specific set of skills or knowledge is a type of intellectual dishonesty, that is, a type of cheating. Students who are unsure about the appropriateness of using an artificial intelligence tool (or “AI”) should check with the instructor before using it. This includes the use of tools that generate text, images, video, code, and other works. If you are permitted by your instructor to use one or more AI tools in producing your work, you should disclose the use of that tool. You should say which tool you used and how you used it. Then if you use specific AI generated content (text, images, videos, audio, code, and so on) you should cite it in the style (APA, MLA, and so on) specified by your instructor.

University-Sanctioned Activities

If you are absent from class due to university-sanctioned activities, such as sports, it is your responsibility to request that the absence be excused; otherwise, the absence will be recorded as unexcused. Absent students are responsible for catching up with the class, and if any assignments are due on the day of the absence, it is your responsibility to turn in the assignments on time.

Counseling and Wellness Center

There may be times, as a college student, when personal stressors interfere with your academic performance and your daily life. The Counseling and Wellness Center supports students by addressing mental and emotional well-being with FREE and confidential services. To schedule an appointment, call 360-412-6123 or email [email protected] or stop by the CWC (1 st floor St. Raphael Center).

If you would rather not go to the CWC or need support in the evenings and weekends, please consider using the TimelyCare app (timelycare.com/smusaints) to speak with a mental health provider, free, 24/7, from your phone or computer.

Center for Student Success

The Center for Student Success is an integrated learning assistance program that offers services for students at all levels of achievement in pursuit of intellectual growth and academic excellence. The Center offers peer tutoring, study support, first year/early major advising, and writing support. Please investigate ways in which to support your learning. The CSS is located in the lower level of O’Grady Library. You can sign up for tutoring appointments on the webpage: https://www.stmartin.edu/academics/academic-resources/center-student-success.

Religious Accommodation Statement

Saint Martin’s University, in honor of the sacredness of the individual, and being deeply rooted in the Catholic Benedictine tradition of higher education, values the many religious and spiritual practices of our campus community. Saint Martin’s University supports our students in their ongoing journey of becoming. In compliance with Washington State Law RCW 28B.137.010, Saint Martin’s University reasonably accommodates students for reasons of religious observances.

Access and Accommodations

Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Support Services (DSS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through DSS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but are not limited to mental health, attention- related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DSS at 360-438-4580 or [email protected] or [email protected]. DSS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DSS.  It is the policy and practice of the Saint Martin’s University to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Sexual Misconduct/Sexual Harrassment Reporting

Saint Martin’s University is committed to providing an environment free from sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. There are Title IX/sexual harassment posters around campus that include the contact information for confidential reporting and formal reporting. Confidential reporting is where you can talk about incidents of sexual harassment and gender-based crimes including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence. This confidential resource can help you without having to report your situation to the formal reporting process through the Dean of Students – Ms. Melanie Richardson, Associate VP of Human Resources – Ms. Cynthia Johnson, Public Safety – Ms. Sharon Schnebly, or the Office of the Provost – Dr. Tanya Smith-Brice, unless you request that they make a report. Please be aware that, in compliance with Title IX and under the Saint Martin’s University policies, educators must report incidents of sexual harassment and gender-based crimes including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence. If you disclose any of these situations in class, on papers, or to me personally, I am required to report it.

Correlation of Course & Program Outcomes

In keeping with the standards of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, each course is evaluated in terms of its desired outcomes and how these support the desired program outcomes. The following sections document the evaluation of this course.

Desired Course Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the following course outcomes are desired:

  1. students will have been introduced to several electronics components including resistors, capacitors, and inductors;
  2. students will have learned how to use instrumentation such as function generators, oscilloscopes, multimeters, and breadboards;
  3. students will be able to build basic circuits and probe them using various electrical instrumentation;
  4. students will be able to write a technical report on their laboratory procedures;
  5. students will be able to use various measurement devices, such as calipers, micrometers, and strain gauges;
  6. students will be able to use National Instruments myRIO devices to obtain data from sensor inputs;
  7. students will be able to process, plot, and explain data;

Desired Program Outcomes

In accordance with ABET’s student outcomes, our desired program outcomes are that mechanical engineering graduates have:

  1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
  2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
  3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
  4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
  5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
  6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
  7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Correlation of Outcomes

The following table correlates the desired course outcomes listed along the left hand side with the desired program outcomes listed along the top.

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 ✔       ✔ ✔ ✔
2 ✔       ✔ ✔ ✔
3 ✔ ✔     ✔ ✔ ✔
4 ✔   ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔
5 ✔       ✔ ✔ ✔
6 ✔       ✔ ✔ ✔
7 ✔   ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔