Ticketed event: $30.00
The Digilent Basys MX3 board is a versatile embedded systems platform that can be used for data acquisition and control. This workshop covers the basics of using the Basys MX3 platform and freeRTOS, and details how this hardware and software is currently being used in a Mechanical Engineering data acquisition and instrumentation course taught by Dr. Greg Mason at Seattle University.
The workshop will highlight four labs from the mechanical engineering course: multitasking and timing; experimentally determining the convective heat transfer coefficient of a sphere; measuring fundamental frequency of a vibrating beam; and implementing feedback control with a servomotor and encoder. Each lab will be discussed in detail with respect to learning its objectives and required hardware. Workshop participants will use a Basys MX3 board and freeRTOS in a series of hands-on activities related to these labs. Upon the conclusion of the workshop, participants will feel comfortable writing simple programs for the Basys MX3 using MPLAB X and freeRTOS, and understand how this platform can be used for data acquisition and control labs.
Participants should have some familiarity with C programming and operating system concepts. Participants will get to take home a Basys MX3 board and supporting hardware for all of the workshop labs, but will need to provide their own laptop, Mac or PC, capable of running MPLAB X.
Tickets for the workshop will be $50. Scholarship opportunities will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The workshop will be funded through ticket price and Digilent sponsorship.
Dr. Gregory Mason P.E.
Dr. Mason received a BSME from Gonzaga University, an MS in Computer Integrated Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington-Seattle. He developed a robotics laboratory for the Department of Defense in Keyport, WA and was involved in numerous automation projects, including a robotic container welding system and a robotic torpedo fueling system. While at the University of Washington Dr. Mason did post-doctoral research for NASA, designing a multirate flutter suppression system for a commercial jet.
Dr. Mason teaches 300- and 400- level control and DAQ & instrumentation courses. His current research interests include digital controls, robotics, and automation. He has published several papers addressing the uses of advanced controls system techniques in manufacturing. He is also active in pedagogical research, receiving an HP equipment grant for innovative use of classroom technology, NSF grant with Dr. Shuman for developing a learning community, and developing a handheld data acquisition system.