Engineering Design

How to build stuff that works, and

make it work better
Dr. Tom Clarke, Second Year Electronics
Laboratory Coordinator

Why learn design?

EEE courses teach the theory needed to do
real engineering.
Applying that theory happens later in
projects, and some coursework. It helps
you:

Motivate theoretical work

Become better at solving real problems
Perform better in your year 3 & 4 project work
Have fun on your EEE or ISE course

Engineering design in Second Year

Electronics Laboratory

What is design?
1. Specify the problem
2. Explore top-level decomposition
3. Discover relevant information from diverse
sources
4. Perform system analysis (where possible)
5. Make assumptions, prioritise problems
6. Perform detailed prototype design
7. Evaluate prototype
test assumptions
identify problems & areas for further work

8. Improve design
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

Design is not linear

Top-down

Specify

These activities are

inter-dependent and
concurrent

Top-level

Assumptions Analysis Information

Bottom-up

Prototype
Evaluate
Improve

Engineering design in Second Year

Electronics Laboratory

Putting it all together

Not all elements of design are open.
Some problems are closed, with specific
constraints that allow only one solution
You will often find these problems in EEE
coursework or exam problems

Use analysis to solve closed problems, to

simplify the design space
No-one tells you which bits of analysis to do!

Design requires both analysis and creative

exploration
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

Specify

Example

Need to set bias voltage (Vb) input to

alphanumeric LCD display module.
From LCD datasheet:
LCD module supply is 5v
Vb >0.5v, Vb < 3v
Circuit must adjust Vb to an unknown correct
value in this range
This sets LCD contrast

Ib < 10uA
ILCD = 2mA (typical)
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

Top-down

Bias Adjust Circuit

+5V

Bias
Adjust
Circuit

Vb

LCD
Module

GND

Engineering design in Second Year

Electronics Laboratory

Design ideas

Multiple viewpoin

Use voltage regulator IC?

Need to read datasheets to see how to make
adjustable over required range

Use Zener diode (last years circuit)

Does not help since not variable

Use potential divider (P.D.) with variable

resistor
Simplest solution if feasible

Could combine P.D. and Zener for slightly

better stability
(probably not worth it)
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

Variable resistors

Information

Preset resistors have three terminals,

with a fixed resistance between the
two ends and a slider which can move
anywhere between the two ends.
PR1

Engineering design in Second Year

Electronics Laboratory

Detailed circuit design using

variable resistor
+5v
R1
Vx

2v

PR2
Vy

Vb
0.5v

Detailed
design

This circuit will

allow Vb to be
adjusted between
0.5v & 2v
What values R1,
R3, PR2?

R3
GND
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

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Know your resistors

Informatio

22k resistor is not 22,000 ohms!

22k resistor has specified tolerance (1%,2%,5%)

2% tolerance: 0.98*22,000 < R < 1.02*22,000
Variable resistors typically have tolerance 10%
Resistors have preferred values:
Fixed resistors available in E24 series and
multiples
1,1.1,1.2,1.3,1.5,1.6,1.8,2.0,2.2,2.4,2.7,3.0,3.3,
3.6,3.9,4.3,4.7,5.1,5.6,6.2,6.8,7.5,8.2,9.1
Variable resistors only available: 1, 2, 5 and
multiples!

Check catalogues and datasheets

Design for available precision & values

Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

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Analysis (ohms law)

Analysis

R3 = 0.5/(2-0.5)PR2
R1 = (5-2.5)/(2-0.5)PR2
Choose PR2 first, calculate R3,R1
How accurate do these ratios need to be?
If Vx>2V, Vy<0.5V the adjustment range
includes the required range of 0.5-2V
Precision not required
R3,R1 can be smaller then calculated

Engineering design in Second Year

Electronics Laboratory

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Assumptions

Assumption

PR2 too low => more current used in circuit.

Assume want current as small as possible
PR2 too high => Vb will vary too much with LCD
bias current change.
Datasheet does not say how much bias current
changes so assume 10uA is possible (worst case,
since we know it is < 10uA)
Datasheet does not say how accurate Vb must
be: assume 10%.
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

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More analysis
Analysis
+
Approximate analysis approximation
Assume Thevenin equivalent resistance at Vy =
R3 (actually slightly smaller)
Assume OK at all other voltages if OK at Vy
50mV > R3.Ib = R3.10uA => R3 < 5k

=> total divider current = 1mA

Not too bad, but significant compared with I LCD

R1=50k, PR2=15k, R3=5k

Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

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Are values realistic?

Detailed
design

Variable resistors are available 10k,20k,50k

15k not possible

Could scale by 2/3

R1=33k, PR2=10k, R3=3k3

These resistor values are all available

This is not good idea. Designing precisely to

limits is dangerous.
Reduce R1, R3 by 20% to ensure coverage of
entire range even if resistor values vary
R1=27k, PR2=10k, R3=2k7 (use E24 values)

Note that precise values dont matter

R1=22k, PR2=10k,R3=2k2 would also be fine

Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

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Optimise circuit

Optimise

Why bother with R1, R3?

Not really needed, but allows better
adjustment
Resolution = minimum change in resistance value
that a variable resistor can be adjusted to.
Typically 1%. 1.5V across PR2 =>15mV res
R3 missing => 2V across PR2 => 20mV res
R1 & R3 missing => 5V across PR2 => 50mV res

R3 probably not needed (1.5V -> 2V)

R1 maybe also not needed (1.5V -> 5V)
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

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Guess which one is

recommended in the
LCD datasheets?

Possible circuits
+5v
30k
R1

R1
27k

2v
10k
PR2
3k
0R3
GND

+5v

+5v

Vb
PR2
20k

50k
PR2

Vb

Vb

0.5v
GND

GND

Engineering design in Second Year

Electronics Laboratory

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Design in EE2 & ISE2 Laboratory

Design activities during 1st half of each Term
Work through examples of design
Learn skills useful in project work
PCB design
Embedded system design
Prototyping
Measurement
Conducted in laboratory pairs
Assessed individually by demo, interview, &
logbook
Engineering design in Second Year
Electronics Laboratory

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