pJpiP
znuammmm
Volume
12,
Issu;
6
&
jAiVzl
'
Swf
By:
Molly
Eichar
The
Board
of
Trustees
of
the
College
of
New
Caledonia
was
treated
to
a
special
demonstration
by
two
recent
graduates
of
the
CNC
Electronics
Engineering
Program,
Robert
Bradley
and
Steve
Shannon.
Their
brain
child
was
wheeled
into
the
Board
Room,
and
proceeded
to
charm
all
present
by
lifitng
a
plate
of
mints
and
presenting
them
to
a
member
of
the
Board.
This
was
their
term
project,
conceived
and
executed
as
a
requirement
of
the
Systems
Project
course.
They
have
designed
and
created
a
computer
driven
robotics
arm
that
marries
existing
technologies
in
a
new
and
exciting
way.
The
designs
component
of
their
training
requires
students
to
create
a
new
product
from
the
initial
conception
to
the
final
product.
They
must
create
the
budget,
write
the
software,
and
design
the
hardware
to
make
their
project
work.
The
two
worked
together
on
all
aspects
of
the
project,
with
Robert
creating
most
of
the
software
and
Steve
doing
most
of
the
hardware.
When
asked
which
created
the
most
hairpulling
they
responded
emphatically,
"The
hardware,"
then
added
the
rider
that
software
to
teach
the
robot
to
repeat
its
action
(a
part
of
the
inital
concept)
would
have
created
a
number
of
difficulties,
too.
Their
project
utilized
a
"really
old"
IBM
8088
and
a
purchased
mechanical
arm.
Their
job
was
to
make
the
mechanical
arm
respond
to
commands
from
the
computer.
Initially
problems
with
the
motherboard
required
changes,
with
progressively
more
in-depth
work
required
as
they
proceeded
through
their
project.
S
teve
and
Robert
designed
and
created
a
special
interface
to
interpret
and
relay
messages
from
the
computer
to
the
robot
arm,
that
is
to
marry
the
input
and
output.
An
apartment
style
structure
houses
the
circuits
that
drive
the
six
motors
in
the
arm.
The
motors
create
movement
in
different
directions
similar
to
the
fingers,
the
wrist,
the
elbow,
the
shoulder
and
the
waist
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FEEEBOM
OF
EXPRESSION
IN
THE
SPQDS;
Free
Press
THE
VOICE
OF
THE
STUDENT
BODY
1
1
0
.V
9
tf
m&M
.
y
V
Friday
December
7,
1990
0
Electronics
Grads
Make
Robot
Arm
Electronics
Students
with
their
robot
arm.
Photo
by
Molly
Eichar
joints
in
humans.
Three
circuits
are
required
to
create
the
movements:
a
drive
circuit
that
relays
motor
movement
commands,
a
feedback
circuit
that
sends
a
message
to
the
computer
regarding
the
location
of
the
motor,
and
a
"latch"
circuit
which
"remembers"
the
last
command
and
last
feedback
position.
The
"latch"
is
a
very
short-term
memory
which
is
replaced
with
each
new
command
and
feedback.
A
unique
feature
of
their
system
is
that
the
motor
drivers
are
modular;
that
is,
each
one
may
be
interchanged
with
the
others
with
a
few
flips
of
switches.
Thisallowsthem
toconstruct
one
additional
drive
that
can
replace
any
defective
unit.
The
OpAmp
is
a
feature
that
was
not
available
to
the
students
of
last
year.
This
tiny
amplifier
is
likened
to
any
amplifier
on
a
home
stereo
system.
This
"enlarges"
the
signal
of
the
Digital
Analog
Circuit
which
is
sent
to
the
drive
moving
the
robotic
arm.
The
use
of
the
OpAmp
generates
so
much
heat
that
large
heat
sinks
are
required.
The
project
will
be
left
as
a
heritage
project
for
demonstrations
at
lM
jsp
open
houses
and
as
inspiration
for
future
Electronics
students,
while
Steve
and
Robert
move
on.
Robert,
from
Houston,
B.C.
and
Steve,
of
Prince
Geroge
via
the
Lower
Mainland,
feel
that
their
education
at
CNC
has
prepared
them
well
for
future
employment
as
Electronics
Technologists.
The
distinction
between
Technician
and
Technologist
is
an
important
one,
with
Technicians
"fixing
TVs,
radios,
and
toasters"
says
Steve.
There
is
little
design
required
of
a
Technician.
A
Technologist,
by
contrast
works
with
engineers
as
part
of
a
design
team;
he
works
on
design,
instrumentation,
communications,
microwave
and
fibreoplics.
Robert's
summer
employment
with
the
Ministry
of
Forests,
for
example,
included
designing
test
equipment
as
well
as
repairs
and
modification
to
existing
equipment.
They
offered
some
comparisons
between
the
CNC
and
the
BCIT
programs,
stating
that
the
CNC
program
"is
a
better
dollar
value."
At
CNC
the
students
receive
a
survey
of
the
eler
tronics
field
int
he
first
year,
follow
MEMRJ
CMMSITMAS!
0
'
0
;
by
a
full
spectrum
education
in
the
second
year.
They
receive
virutally
unlimited
lab
time
in
the
second
year,
with
students
sometimes
staying
until
1
a.m.
to
work
on
projects.
Their
are
5
instructors
for
the
20
1st
year
and
6
second
year
students
at
CNC,
giving
it
a
highly
enviable
student-teacher
ratio.
BCIT,
by
contrast,
offers
a
survey
in
the
first
year,
but
the
second
year
student
is.
expected
to
choose
a
particular
aspect
on
which
to
focus
during
their
second
year.
The
second
year
students
are
limited
to
three
hours
of
lab
time
per
week,
which
both
Steve
and
Robert
felt
would
be
detrimental
to
student
learning.
When
asked
about
their
em-ploymentprospects.both
responded
r-
positively.
They
anticipate
em
ployment
within
a
very
short
time,
citing
the
fact
that
all
of
the
previous
graduates
of
the
program
are
cur
rently
employed
in
their
chosen
field.
Will
they
be
staying
in
Prince
George
and
keeping
their
expertise
in
our
community?
"I'll
be
moving
to
Victoria
because
my
fiancee
is
a
student
there,
but
I
want
to
move
back
to
the
North
soon,"
says
Steve.
"I
like
it
better
here;
the
people
are
a
lot
friendlier."
"I'm
going
to
be
staying
in
Prince
George,"
added
Robert.
"There
are
a
lot
less
people,
and
they're
friendlier."
Inside
j
ediroak
2
Amazon
Ralnforst
3
Drama
Clufo
4
OS.T.
5
Exam
Schedule
7
NewCattee
8
Political
Comer
9
Scholarships
10
Canadia
Science
11
par
w
1
i-SS
o