The use of Functional Modules in the Mechatronics Education of non-Electrical Engineering Students

ABSTRACT: We have found that the electrical/electronics knowledge of non-electrical (non-EE) engineering students is insufficient and needs improvement. The Mechatronics education aim is to raise this knowledge to the level at which a non-EE graduate can confidently perform the interfacing of mechanical, electrical, electronics, and microcontroller subsystems in an overall design. To address this need, the University of South Carolina has embarked upon an NSF-funded project to enhance the Mechatronics education of non-EE engineering students. Part of this project is the development of a suit of functional modules that address the teaching of essential interfacing functions. This effort includes three main directions: (a) understanding circuit components; (b) conditioning sensors; (c) powering and controlling actuators. These functional modules are intended as bolt-on building blocks with clearly defined inputs and outputs. The functional modules are stand-alone units accompanied by electrical circuit and component schematics, applicable equations, a bag of components, and a full experimental report containing the operational principles and the calibration results. When using a functional module, the students are expected to study the accompanying report, view the physical realization, build the circuit using the given components, and test it to verify its performance against the reported results. To achieve this, the functional modules are housed in transparent casings, which allow the students to se