Final Report:
You've spent a term exploring various aspects of the variable speed motor driver circuit. Along the way you have worked with project boards, oscilloscopes, DMMs, IC's, resistors, transistors, and other detritus from the electronic world. In some ways you have kept your heads down and focused on the task at hand and not taken much of a global view. Now it's time to try to get a more overall picture of what you've been doing.
Deliverable(s):
Take another look at this circuit that you have built and consider it from a more global perspective in terms of what is does and how it does it.
1) The functionality of the circuit could be divided into the following: power to system, boundary conditions for PWM chip, sensor that affects output of PWM chip, PWM chip output, and motor control. Describe which parts of the circuit and devices are associated with each function. In general terms describe how each of these sections operate and what the significant inputs and outputs are.
2) Describe conceptually how PWM controls the speed of the motor and why this is different that just turning the voltage to the motor up and down which would be easier.
3) If you've played with your completed system even a little you'll noticed that there is a frustrating problem with it's behavior. What is that problem, how serious is the problem, and what is the specific change to the function of the system that is needed?
4) Reflect on your experiences in constructing this circuit. What was the most rewarding experience you had during the process? What was the most frustrating experience you had? What would you do differently if you had it to do over again?