Multiple Points of Failure -- Design Choices

Building an original project will require a wide variety of design approaches.  An animatronic head will synchronize the movement of the head to the sounds produced.  Electronic sounds are produced in a bewildering variety of ways.  Not only does the designer need to consider loudness, quality, variety of sounds, number of sound files but also the association of a sound to a physical movement of the animatronic.

  • In this design approach, shown here, more basic components such as resistors, LEDs and an integrated circuit are tested in a breadboard.  The breadboard connects smaller electronic items without the use of solder.
  • Although using a breadboard prototype allows for full design congtrol, it does suffer from characteristic known as "multiple points of failure".
  • The more individual components that are used in a design, there are more places where faults and failures can occur when the items are being connected.
  • In the circuit board shown here, some of the problems associated with "multiple points of failure" are eliminated.
  • The circuit board becomes a module which can then be fitted into an overall sound module.
  • The module shown here stores sound files into the memory of device, and must be reprogrammed if different sounds are required.

Tasks and Activities

  1. What is an "animatronic" device? ( please do not copy or paste an Internet definition )
  2. How many components ( or modules ) were used in the construction of the prototype shown here on the red acrylic sheet?
  3. Why are breadboards used in some design prototypes? (Hint! Read the dot points above)

 
  1. What problems are associated with "multiple points of failure" ?  ( Hint! Look at the dot points linked to the first and second pictures above )

Don't forget to email your choices/answers to Mr. Widmer by the end of this week.  Keep a copy of that email in your Google Docs folder.