Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Digital Controller For Motor Control Experiments In The Ee472 Lab, Jeffrey David D'Amelio

Master's Theses

A digital motor controller for student lab use is designed, built, and tested. The controller uses an encoder for position measurement, and an H-bridge to drive the electromechanical plant.

A user interface is created to enhance usability of the device. The user interface is able to display key parameters of the control algorithm as well as the state of the system. It is also used to modify the gains and sample rate of the control algorithm.

The design of the system is refined, and 10 units are built for the EE472 Digital Controls Lab. The lab manuals for the first …

Wirelessly Controlled Smart Outlet, Andrew Godsil, Ariel Dubinsky

Electrical Engineering

Popularity of home automation devices has increased greatly in recent years due to higher affordability and simplicity through smartphone and tablet connectivity. For the purpose of this experiment, we have developed the Smart Outlet: a stand-alone communication unit, used to connect home outlets to the internet. The Smart Outlet controls lighting and simple appliances throughout the home, remotely, using wireless commands from the web. A Google Calendar interface directly controls the outlets’ function by scheduling them with dedicated calendar events. The calendar’s interface can even be accessed from multiple different platforms (i.e. phones, computers, tablets) for the convenience of all …

Buck Converter, Bowen Liu

Electrical Engineering

The recent sustainable energy growth triggered a huge power electronics demand, specifically related to power conversion. My senior project is a design of a buck converter which steps down the voltage from photovoltaic cells ranging from 5 to 40V to a rechargeable battery with 5V. This converter has a high enough power efficiency to effectively convert the energy harnessed from PV panels.

Transimpedance Amplifier For Polymer Photodiodes, Sheridan Knighton

Electrical Engineering

Dr. Braun’s students in the Polymer Electronics Lab currently have a way to measure the light intensity from their light emitting devices however it consumes an unnecessary amount of space and power. I offer to improve upon the existing transimpedance circuit that Dr. Braun currently uses, reducing the total space occupied by the circuit and the power consumption of the current setup. The transimpedance circuit measures the incidence light intensity from the polymer-based photo detector and outputs an accurate, discrete, and measurable voltage. The current setup however utilizes two 20V wall warts for the positive and negative rails of the …

Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machines: Lt8705 Dc-Dc Conversion For Elliptical Trainers, Braden Burk, Raj Bhula, Nathan Mckay

Electrical Engineering

Cal Poly’s Energy Harvesting from Exercise Machines (EHFEM) program aims to power the grid using human energy harvested from exercise machines in its gym. Doing so could save the school money and increase the total supply of power available on the grid. This document belongs to one of many groups attempting to design a suitable DC-DC conversion system for an elliptical trainer using an LT8705 Four-Switch Buck-Boost converter. Past teams have built other converters and developed system compatibility characteristics such as filtering, safety, and stability for interfacing components. These teams fall into one of two departments in EHFEM: DC-DC Conversion …

Microprocessor Management Of Energy Harvesting Buck Boost Converters, Timothy O'Sullivan

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Power Chest Strap, Adrianne Thoroddsson, Dennis Lin

Electrical Engineering

The Power Chest Strap is an unobtrusive device, like a heart rate monitor, worn around the chest that harvests energy from the expansion of the chest during breathing. The chest strap stores electrical energy that can charge electronic devices such as cell phones. Since small portable devices grow in number, the power strap allows a convenient way to charge your device without having to find a wall outlet for a charger. Research on systems that scavenge energy from arm or leg movement already exist, but these systems require the ability of the user to move their arms and legs. The …

High Voltage Pulse-Width Generator For The Algae Biofuel Project, Philip Yu, Stephen Leung

Electrical Engineering

This purpose of this project, sponsored by Boeing and advised by Dr. Arakaki and Dr. Taufik, is to build a high voltage pulse width generator that lyses algae cells to harvest the biofuel within. This project uses Emmanuel Loza's thesis on a cascaded high voltage converter with variable control to build a portable pulse width generator with independent control on the peak voltage, pulse width, and frequency. The project focuses on creating a pulse width generator capable of finding the most optimal pulsed electric field to lyse algae. The pulse width module ranges from 10V-80V peak voltage, 60Hz-100 kHz frequency, …

Wildlife Deterrence Method Test Device, Garrett Tietz, Adam Webb, Dane Knutson

Mechanical Engineering

The objective of the Deer Busters team is to design and build a device or system of devices that will be used to determine which method, or methods, are most effective at deer deterrence. JumpSport suspects that a method which gives the appearance of approach to the deer in an aggressive or startling manner but also changes the way it attacks so that the deer do not get used to the device will be most effective. Deer Busters is committed to the completion of the deer deterrent testing device by the end of the fall quarter of 2014.

Hybrid Silicon Mode-Locked Laser With Improved Rf Power By Impedance Matching, Bassem M. Tossoun

Master's Theses

The mode-locked laser diode (MLLD) finds a lot of use in applications such as ultra high-speed data processing and sampling, large-capacity optical fiber communications based on optical time-division multiplexing (OTDM) systems. Integrating mode-locked lasers on silicon makes way for highly integrated silicon based photonic communication devices. The mode-locked laser being used in this thesis was built with Hybrid Silicon technology. This technology, developed by UC Santa Barbara in 2006, introduced the idea of wafer bonding a crystalline III- V layer to a Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, making integrated lasers in silicon chips possible.

Furthermore, all mode-locked lasers produce phase noise, which …

Design, Characterization And Application Of A Multiple Input Stethoscope Apparatus, Spencer Geng Wong

Master's Theses

For this project, the design, implementation, characterization, calibration and possible applications of a multiple transducer stethoscope apparatus were investigated. The multi-transducer sensor array design consists of five standard stethoscope diaphragms mounted to a rigid frame for a-priori knowledge of their relative spatial locations in the x-y plane, with compliant z-direction positioning to ensure good contact and pressure against the subject’s skin for reliable acoustic coupling. When this apparatus is properly placed on the body, it can digitally capture the same important body sounds investigated with standard acoustic stethoscopes; especially heart sounds. Acoustic signal inputs from each diaphragm are converted to …

Grid-Scale Energy Storage: A Proposed Control Algorithm For Sodium Sulfur Batteries, Daniel Spaizman

Master's Theses

With carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere reaching record highs and 2020 quickly approaching, California is expected to pave the way for the United States in terms of replacing fossil fuel generation facilities with various renewable energy power plants. It is well documented that the inherent variability and limited duty cycle of renewables has hindered their growth. Energy storage technologies represent the bridge that can help us cross the divide from where we stand to where we must stand in the next 6 years. Utility companies value services such as peak shaving, voltage support, and frequency regulation, all of which …

Cnc Torch, Steven Chiu

Computer Engineering

This CNC Torch cuts steel plate. It can cut up to a maximum area of 3x3 feet. The user builds a cut list on the touchscreen from a selection of predefined shapes and enters the parameters need for each shape. When the user is ready, the cut list is sent to an Arduino that will move each motors accordingly to the shapes desired.

Team Omnimouse, Derek J. Halman, Josh B. Porter, Steven A. Silver, Ian S. Stemper

Computer Engineering

INFORMATION, DATA, FIGURES AND DRAWINGS EMBODIED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND ARE SUPPLIED ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WILL NOT BE DISCLOSED TO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE PLUS.

Ultraviolet Led Biofouling Mitigation, Andrew Lam

Computer Engineering

The goal is to determine if low-cost UV LEDs can mitigate marine biofouling on small glass or acrylic camera lenses. A microprocessor-controlled experimental setup to control the illumination of low-cost UV LEDs of various wavelength and packaging was fashioned. The system consists of a programmed microcontroller, a manufactured LED breakout interface, and a submergible UV LED array enclosed in a borosilicate glass tube. A preliminary qualitative assessment of four different UV LEDs was conducted during a three-week deployment of the experimental setup in the raw seawater system at the Cal Poly Center for Costal and Marine Sciences in Avila Beach, …

Rubidium-Based Atomic Clock, Kate Miles

Physics

In this paper we will explore the process of building an atomic clock from a function generator, go into an in-depth introductory discussion of the Datum LPRO, and examine how rubidium function generators work.

Mobile Solar Pv Trainer, Matthew Myers, Matthew Clause, Lawrence Smith

Mechanical Engineering

The aim of the Mobile Solar PV Trainer Project was to design, construct and test a versatile and robust laboratory training rig for the Cal Poly Electrical Engineering department. This project was inspired by the desire of one or more California Polytechnic State University electrical engineering professors to add laboratory components to two established upper division electrical engineering courses in photovoltaic panels and solar power. This report contains a detailed description of the trainer’s desired specifications, our ideation process, a thorough description of the selected trainer design including part drawings, assembly documentation and a bill of materials as well as …

Sonar For The Visually Impaired, Anastasia Newark, Edwin Ng, Scott Terhorst

Biomedical Engineering

There are currently no inexpensive assistive devices that allow the visually impaired detect low hanging objects that are above waist height and may cause injury, such as a rope or tree branch. The challenge presented to the team by the Quality of Life Plus Lab (QL+) was to develop a Sonar Cane device that attaches to a traditional white cane to address this problem. This device must be lightweight, inexpensive to manufacture, have a long battery life, and accurately detect obstacles to prevent user injury.

Mos Current Mode Logic (Mcml) Analysis For Quiet Digital Circuitry And Creation Of A Standard Cell Library For Reducing The Development Time Of Mixed Signal Chips, David Marusiak

Master's Theses

Many modern digital systems use forms of CMOS logical implementation due to the straight forward design nature of CMOS logic and minimal device area since CMOS uses fewer transistors than other logic families. To achieve high-performance requirements in mixed-signal chip development and quiet, noiseless circuitry, this thesis provides an alternative toCMOSin the form of MOS Current Mode Logic (MCML). MCML dissipates constant current and does not produce noise during value changing in a circuit CMOS circuits do. CMOS logical networks switch during clock ticks and with every device switching, noise is created on the supply and ground to deal with …

High-Speed Mobile Networks For Modern Farming And Agricultural Systems, Santos Najar

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

High-Speed Mobile Networks for Modern Farming and Agricultural Systems

J.Santos Najar-Ramirez

High-speed mobile networks are necessary for agriculture to inventory individual plant health, maximize yield and minimize the resources applied. More specifically, real-time information on individual plant status is critical to decisions regarding the management of resources reserved and expended. This necessity can be met by the availability of environmental sensors (such as humidity, temperature, and pH) whose data is kept on storage servers connected to static and mobile local area networks. These static and mobile local area networks are connected to cellular, core and satellite networks. For …

Data Chunking In Quasi-Synchronous Ds-Cdma, Trevor Dalke

Master's Theses

DS-CDMA is a popular multiple access technique used in many mobile networks to efficiently share channel resources between users in a cell. Synchronization between users maximizes the user capacity of these systems. However, it is difficult to perfectly synchronize users in the reverse link due to the geographic diversity of mobile users in the cell. As a result, most commercial DS-CDMA networks utilize an asynchronous reverse link resulting in a reduced user capacity. A possible compromise to increase the user capacity in the reverse link is to implement a quasi-synchronous timing scheme, a timing scheme in which users are allowed …

Smart Wall Outlet Design And Implementation For The Dc House Project, Kevin Roy Mendoza

Master's Theses

Most everyday AC appliances are designed to operate off of 120V coming from the wall outlet in our homes. This voltage is a standard set from our established infrastructure. Unlike AC devices, DC devices do not have any set standard of voltage they all will run off of. This presents a problem for the DC house as the various loads that will be used will have different required input voltages. One set voltage for a wall outlet will not suffice for the DC House. This Smart Wall Outlet is designed with a DC-DC converter that will have its output voltage …

Dual High-Voltage Power Supply For Use On Board A Cubesat, Nicholas Weiser

Master's Theses

Since their conception in 1999, CubeSats have come and gone a long way. The first few that went into space were more of a “proof of concept,” and were more focused on sending simple data and photographs back to Earth. Since then, vast improvements have been made by over 40 universities and private firms, and now CubeSats are beginning to look towards interplanetary travel. These small satellites could provide a cost effective means of exploring the galaxy, using off the shelf components and piggy-backing on other launch vehicles with more expensive payloads. However, CubeSats are traditionally launched into Low Earth …

Improvements To A Bi-Directional Flyback Dc-Dc Converter For Battery System Of The Dc House Project, Michael Wu

Master's Theses

The DC House project relies primarily on renewable energy sources to provide DC power to the various loads of the house. However, not all renewable sources are capable of providing power at all times of the day. A back-up energy source in the form of a battery storage system must be available to meet the electrical needs of the house. A bi-directional flyback power converter was initially designed to allow a battery to charge from as well as discharge to the 48V bus line of the DC House. The design provided a 35W prototype to demonstrate the converter’s feasibility. Further …

Virtual Reality Engine Development, Varun Varahamurthy

Master's Theses

With the advent of modern graphics and computing hardware and cheaper sensor and display technologies, virtual reality is becoming increasingly popular in the fields of gaming, therapy, training and visualization. Earlier attempts at popularizing VR technology were plagued by issues of cost, portability and marketability to the general public. Modern screen technologies make it possible to produce cheap, light head-mounted displays (HMDs) like the Oculus Rift, and modern GPUs make it possible to create and deliver a seamless real-time 3D experience to the user. 3D sensing has found an application in virtual and augmented reality as well, allowing for a …

Ac Power Combining Strategy With Application To Efficient Linear Power Amplifiers, Rudi Matthew Bendig

Master's Theses

With the ongoing push for wireless systems to accommodate more users and support higher data rates more efficient modulation schemes have been created that are more advanced than simple FM and AM modulation used for radio broadcasting. These modulation schemes, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), suffer from high peak to average power ratios. Standard Class A and Class AB amplifiers cannot simultaneously achieve good linearity and efficiency, and therefore there has been an increase in the development of new topologies to combat this issue. Common features to these circuits is power combining of two or more separate transistors. …

Atrengine: An Orientation-Based Algorithm For Automatic Target Recognition, Justin Ting-Jeuan Kuo

Master's Theses

Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) is a subject involving the use of sensor data to develop an algorithm for identifying targets of significance. It is of particular interest in military applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles and missile tracking systems. This thesis develops an orientation-based classification approach from previous ATR algorithms for 2-D Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Prior work in ATR includes Chessa Guilas’ Hausdorff Probabilistic Feature Analysis Approach in 2005 and Daniel Cary’s Optimal Rectangular Fit in 2007.

A system incorporating multiple modules performing different tasks is developed to streamline the data processing of previous algorithms. Using images from …

A Comparison Of Image Processing Techniques For Bird Detection, Elsa Reyes

Master's Theses

Orchard fruits and vegetable crops are vulnerable to wild birds and animals. These wild birds and animals can cause critical damage to the produce. Traditional methods of scaring away birds such as scarecrows are not long-term solutions but short-term solutions. This is a huge problem especially near areas like San Luis Obispo where there are vineyards. Bird damage can be as high as 50% for grapes being grown in vineyards. The total estimated revenue lost annually in the 10 counties in California due to bird and rodent damage to 22 selected crops ranged from $168 million to $504 million (in …

A Frequency-Domain Method For Active Acoustic Cancellation Of Known Audio Sources, Ryan D. Rocha

Master's Theses

Active noise control (ANC) is a real-time process in which a system measures an external, unwanted sound source and produces a canceling waveform. The cancellation is due to destructive interference by a perfect copy of the received signal phase-shifted by 180 degrees. Existing active noise control systems process the incoming and outgoing audio on a sample-by-sample basis, requiring a high-speed digital signal processor (DSP) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with strict timing requirements on the order of tens of microseconds. These timing requirements determine the maximum sample rate and bit size as well as the maximum attenuation that the system can …

Variable Precision Tandem Analog-To-Digital Converter (Adc), Colton A. Parsons

Master's Theses

This paper describes an analog-to-digital signal converter which varies its precision as a function of input slew rate (maximum signal rate of change), in order to best follow the input in real time. It uses Flash and Successive Approximation (SAR) conversion techniques in sequence.

As part of the design, the concept of "total real-time optimization" is explored, where any delay at all is treated as an error (Error = Delay * Signal Slew Rate). This error metric is proposed for use in digital control systems. The ADC uses a 4-bit Flash converter in tandem with SAR logic that has variable …