Conclusion

Overall I think that this would be a good lab to use for ECE 476. There are two big cavets I see with this lab: (1) the set up is on the larger side and thus room will be needed nearby the work stations so students can modify their code and test it relatively easy and (2) there will be one track per two groups, so working together could be an issue. This should give students a chance to learn to budget their time and come up with intelligent solutions instead of using trial and error to figure things out since they would have limited access to the race track. Taking everything into consideration, I feel that this lab would be very educational since it teaches students how to operate motors using microcontrollers, opto-isolation, and Hall Effect sensors. Here is a suggested homework handout and lab handout to give to students.