I - Introduction

Microcontrollers play a huge role in the electronics world. Electronics

hobbyist, students and enthusiast alike uses microcontrollers for their own

project making. This is because microcontrollers make circuit making easier

since it uses user coded programs. Microcontrollers are even implemented in

schools. For example, in the University of Mindanao, students in the fields of

computer, electrical, electronic engineering and even in the fields of computing

education use microcontrollers and play a huge role in the course syllabus.

Currently, students use the Programmable Interface Controller (PICs) made by

Microchip Technologies. It is great but it is becoming outdated due to the

demands of users to include more features. The Arduino is an example of what

the users want. It has many features compared to PICs and has a wide range of

tutorials online. Due to the popularity of single-board microcontrollers, many

companies have created single-board computers that can recreate

microcontrollers do and also have fast computing capabilities. An example of

this is the Raspberry Pi.

The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer and has the

ability to interact with the outside world. It can be used to make electronic

projects and users can learn the Python programming language. From what the

researchers have observed from the theses section in the library, out of fifty

(50) researches gathered from year 2009-2014, only twenty-eight (28) have

used microcontrollers, only two (2) have used the Arduino platform and no one

used the Raspberry Pi. This is due to the students having little to no knowledge

1
of the Raspberry Pi. The students are not exposed to new technology and are

lagging behind the time. The introduction of Arduino is a good start but it is not

enough. If there are new technologies, it should be slowly implemented.

The student’s education will improve if new technologies are introduced

(Rajadel, 2016). The introduction of Raspberry Pi is a good start. Thus,

developing a laboratory circuit trainer based on Raspberry Pi will not only

widen the knowledge of the students but also help them be more competitive.

II - Objectives of the Study

This study aimed to develop a Raspberry Pi Laboratory Circuit Trainer.

Specifically, the researchers aim to achieve the following objectives:

1. To develop a circuit trainer that is capable of performing different

kinds of laboratory experiments using the platform of Raspberry Pi.

2. To conduct a function test on various modules and components

included in the trainer in terms of:

a. General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)

b. Interfacing

c. Data communications

2
III - Significance of the Study

The development of the Raspberry Pi Laboratory circuit trainer is a new

way of introducing an interactive instructional device that benefits the students

and teachers of the University of Mindanao for courses that involved

programming and circuit design. With this circuit trainer, we won’t be needing

a desktop computer that is bulky. In contrast, the Raspberry Pi is just a small

computer the size of a credit card which only requires a small power source.

Due to the cheap price of the minicomputer, students won’t have to worry

breaking it during experiments. In the near future, single board computers will

become a hype and will be used by many, so, Raspberry Pi is a good

introduction to create and build educational exercises and projects.

IV - Target Beneficiaries

The researchers aimed to develop a Raspberry Pi laboratory circuit

trainer which will be put into use in three engineering courses of the University

of Mindanao mainly the computer, electrical and electronics engineering.

Through this, the proposed study should benefit the following:

Students. The circuit trainer will be able to develop student’s technical

and academic expertise when it comes to programming and circuit designing.

While doing some or after the completion of laboratory exercises, students

might be able to build or create other designs or projects which may further

help develop their academic skills.

3
 Professors. Professors will also benefit from this project. Since the

traditional way of teaching is through theory, professors could use the trainers

to demonstrate the theories discussed.

V - Review of Related Literature

This section provides related views and literatures from different

sources like books, magazines, dissertations and journals which have been

beneficial to the development of the circuit trainer. The following contents has

connection with the current project on which have been studied by the

researchers.

Laboratory Trainer

According to Cuzon, et. Al. (2014), a laboratory trainer is a training

equipment comprised of several circuit components used to control loads

electronically. It is regularly used in school laboratories to show the

fundamental principles of the field of study. Tools for teaching electronics have

a history dating back to the beginning of twentieth century. It wasn’t long

before training schools and designers included breadboards into cases which

also contain onboard power supplies, function and pulse generators, switch

banks, LED indicators, and many other frequently used components. Today,

standalone breadboards may be purchased starting at under $10 with training or

design kits offering built-in generators, power supplies, and many newer

features ranging into hundreds of dollars. Nevertheless, these kits are cheaper

4
and take much less bench space than having each piece of gear. A used analog

or digital trainer is a great addition to a hobbyist's bench (Johnson, 2013).

Shown if Figure 1 is an example of a trainer

(http://www.electronicproducts.com).

Figure 1. An analog/digital trainer

According to Kadiri et. Al. (2014), the development of a low-cost and

improvised digital electronic training module fabricated using components

found on their location had proved that the trainer is useful for experiments in

an introductory course in digital logic design, which is a basic course in most

electrical and computer engineering programs offered in their tertiary

institution, Federal Polytechnic, Offa of Nigeria. Hacker (2009) also conducted

a study regarding low cost digital trainer using a parallel printer port as a

communication device between the computer and the circuit board. He

concluded that the implementation of the low-cost trainer he named PortBuffer

had significant benefits in student’s education. It has been explored by the

5
students during the author’s Digital Electronic course. The student feedback

was significantly favorable, and strengthened the PortBuffer’s role as a

valuable teaching resource.

Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi is a series of low-cost, palm-sized, single-board

computers developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in the United Kingdom.

The foundation's intention on making the raspberry pi was to promote the

teaching of basic computer skills in schools. The expansion of the Raspberry Pi

has penetrated the market of embedded systems and research (Pajankar, 2015).

According to Rouse (2012), the Raspberry Pi is about the size of a credit card,

has a 32-bit Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) processor and uses a Raspbian

Wheezy distribution of Linux for its default operating system (OS). It can be

programmed with Python or any other language that will compile for ARM v6.

The Raspberry Pi computer is essentially a system-on-a-chip (SoC) with

connection ports. It can be operated by hooking up a USB keyboard and

plugging the computer into an HDMI ready monitor or television.

The introduction of Raspberry Pi had seen significant success. They’ve

been introduced mainly to schools to introduce coding and electronic

component manipulation to students. The Raspberry Pi Foundation supported a

University of Cambridge team of two researchers, Dr Maximilian Bock and

Aftab Jalia, in a pilot project exploring the potentials of providing computing

access and education in rural schools in India. Working with local

organisations and using an adaptable three-day program, they led two

6
workshops in June 2014 introducing students and teachers to computing with

the Raspberry Pi. The workshops used specifically designed electronics kits,

including Raspberry Pis and peripherals, that were handed over to the partner

organisations. The Cambridge team’s “Frugal Engineering” approach,

delivering computing education without the need for complicated

infrastructure, proved very effective in Indian rural schools (Lynn, 2014).

15,000 free microcomputers were given to schools around the UK, with a view

to making new generation of computer scientists. Funded by Google, the

Raspberry Pi Foundation hopes the free devices will inspire children to take up

coding. The pared-down Raspberry Pi, launched in 2012, was already a huge

success (Wakefield and Rich, 2013). Shown in Figure 2 is the comparison of

Raspberry Pi models from Model A to Model B+ (http://tinkersphere.com).

Figure 2. Raspberry Pi model comparison

7
Raspberry Pi 2 Model B

The most powerful Raspberry Pi on the market is the Raspberry Pi 2

Model B. The Raspberry Pi 2 is the one that is most suitable for the average

person (Newell, 2015). The Raspberry Pi 2 offers an important upgrade in

performance from its predecessor, and represents the first time the company

has upgraded the CPU at the heart of the microcomputer. With the switch to a

quad-core, 900MHz Broadcom BCM2836 system on a chip (SoC), the new

Raspberry Pi is now multi-core for the very first time. It's also accompanied by

1GB of RAM – double that of the B+ – and the USB ports can now supply up

to 1.2A of current – perfect for more power-hungry components (Bray, 2015).

Shown in Figure 3 is the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B introduced in February 2015

(https://www.raspberrypi.org).

Figure 3. The Raspberry Pi 2 Model B

Beyond the upgrades, the micro-PC uses the same VideoCore IV 3D

graphics processor as its forefathers, but that was already a well built processor

that punches above its weight class with full 1080p video output capabilities.

The Raspberry Pi 2 also features an Ethernet port, a full HDMI port, a jack for

8
combined 3.5mm audio and composite video, and a micro-SD card slot. Users

will appreciate the 40 GPIO pins (the original Model B had 24), and camera

serial interface (CSI) and digital serial interface (DSI) connectors for direct

connections to expansion boards, displays, and more (Chacos, 2015). Even

with the huge upgrade in capabilities, the Pi 2 remains backwards compatible

with existing hardware and software projects, so for upgraders, the transition

will be easy. Most most users will only need to re-download Raspbian OS to

get the new ARMv7 compatible kernel (Bray, 2015).

Raspberry Pi (General Purpose Input/Output) GPIO

One of the powerful feature of the Raspberry Pi is the GPIO. They are

usually represented by pinheaders or pins. These pins allow your Raspberry Pi

to be connected to the external world. Raspberry Pi Models A and B have 26

pins (17 GPIO) whereas the models B+ and B2 come with 40 pins (26 GPIO).

The models B+ and B2 are pin compatible with models A and B (Prasad,

2014). Users can drive LEDs, spin motors, or read button presses because of

the Raspberry Pi’s biderectional GPIO. Driving the Raspberry Pi’s I/O lines

requires a bit of programming (Lindblom and Taylor, 2015).

According to Dee (2015), the Raspberry Pi GPIO operate at 3.3 volts,

which is unusual since many devices (such as sensors, logic and functional

chips) run on 5 volts. Lots of Raspberry Pi forum recommends the use of

potential dividers and level shifters when interfacing 5 volt devices with the

Raspberry Pi. Also, according to geeks3d.com (2015), users have to pay

9
attention to the max current intensity that can be delivered by the pins. This is

very important if users don’t want to damage the Raspberry Pi board. Also, the

3.3V power supply can deliver up to 50mA (or 0.165W which is really low).

The intensity of 50mA is the total current intensity for all pins simultaneously.

A single pin can deliver from 2mA to 16mA. It’s not suggested to draw a lot of

current. The Raspberry Pi GPIO is not designed to supply much power and

should be use to send/receive information only. That means, users have to

interface the GPIO and the final device with an amplification stage. Users

shouldn’t, for example, directly control a small motor with a programmable

pin. To control such a small motor, users should use an interface with some

transistors and resistors. The general rule is to limit the current to the lowest

possible value (2mA or 3mA or even lower per pin). A value less than 1mA is

perfect but requires an amplifier to control a LED or a fan for example. Shown

in Figure 4 are the Raspberry Pi Model A and B’s physical pins and pin

configuration (http://elinux.org). Shown in Figure 5 are the Raspberry Pi Model

A+, B+ and 2’s physical pins and pin configuration (http://elinux.org).

Figure 4. Raspberry Pi A and B Pin Configuration

10
 Figure 5. Raspberry Pi A+, B+ and 2 Pin Configuration

Raspbian (Operating System)

Raspbian has been the default distribution (distro) for the Raspberry Pi

since its launch in 2012 (Pounder, 2016). According to Thomas (2014),

Raspbian is based on Debian, which is a Linux distribution. It’s called

Raspbian because it’s a portmanteau of Raspberry and Debian. Shown in

Figure 6 is the Raspbian desktop (http://www.mbtechworks.com).

Figure 6. Raspbian Desktop Environment

11
 The Raspbian operating system is one of the most popular operating

system that Raspberry Pi uses. Raspbian is an unofficial variant of Debian

Wheezy that is compiled to run on Raspberry Pi computers. Raspbian is more

than a pure operating system. It contains over thirty-five thousand (35,000)

packages and precompiled software compatible with the Raspberry Pi

(Pajankar, 2015). According to Calin (2015), Raspbian is an operating system

that is easy to use and with a good support around the world. The Raspbian OS

is simple and familiar. Also, it is the best platform for teaching beginners to

work with the Raspberry Pi. Once the Linux operating system becomes familiar

to the user, it will be like riding a bicycle; users will never forget how to do it.

The Raspbian features include multimedia and graphics packages as default

software, and if the user needs more for the Raspberry Pi, users can add

additional working packages with internet browsers, messaging, office software

suites, etc.

Sensors

Sensors are sophisticated devices that are frequently used to detect and

respond to electrical or optical signals (engineersgarage.com, 2011). Basically

what a sensor does is it takes a physical property and changes it to an electrical

signal. An example of this is a temperature sensor that takes the physical

property "temperature" and converts it into a signal that the controllers can

interpret. Robotics rely on sensors mainly on two reasons. First of all, they

make the robot become more autonomous because it can perceive its own

environment and through programming it can make decisions based on what it

12
perceives. Sensors are also important to robotics for remote operation, because

they give the remote users the ability to "see" what is going on and make

decisions about what the robot should do next (Stansbury, 2002). Shown in

Figure 7 are different kinds of sensors (http://www.engineersgarage.com).

Figure 7. Different kinds of sensors

There are certain features which we have to consider when choosing a

sensor, it is the accuracy, environmental condition, ranges, calibration,

resolution, cost, and the repeatability of the sensors. It can be classified based

on power or energy supply requirement like active sensors that requires power

supply before using and passive sensors that do not require power supply

(engineersgarage.com, 2011). Sensors are either immediate showing (e.g., a

mercury thermometer or electrical meter) or are matched with a pointer perhaps

by implication through a simple computerized Analog to Digital converter

(A/D), and a Personal Computer (PC). Sensors are utilized in different

applications such as in pharmaceutical, industry, and mechanical autonomy.

With the specialized advancement, more sensors are fabricated with Micro-

13
Electronics-Mechanic-Systems (MEMS) innovation. This regularly offers the

capability of coming to a much higher affectability. (Li, 2008).

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

According to Violino (2005), an RFID is a broad term that is used to

define a system that transmits the identity (in the form of a unique serial

number) of an object or person wirelessly, using radio waves. RFID technology

has similarities to the bar code identification systems that people see in retail

stores every day; however, one big difference between the RFID and the bar

code technology is that RFID does not depend on the line-of-sight reading that

bar code scanning requires to work (Beal, 2005).

Widespread in today's well-connected society are the use of RFID.

Found in nearly every market including government, transportation, food,

health care, retail, and manufacturing, RFID is used to track vehicles, cattle,

shipping containers, tools and equipment, and even personnel -- and in some

cases to provide information about the tracked object's state such as

temperature, humidity, and precise location. RFID systems involves data-

collecting readers and data-providing transponders, or tags, which are attached

to the physical objects to be tracked. RFID tags are available as strips, chips,

swallowable capsules, and even embedded in hardware like screws for

attachment to nearly any object (Evanczuk, 2012). Each tag is attached to an

antenna that retrieves electromagnetic energy sent at it from a reader. When it

picks up the energy, the tag sends back its unique identification number to the

reader, allowing the item to be remotely identified (McIntyre and Albrecht,

14
2003). Shown in Figure 8 is an example of an RFID reader and tags

(http://www.14core.com).

Figure 8. An RFID reader and tags

VI - Scope and Delimitations

This study aimed to develop a Raspberry Pi laboratory circuit trainer to

help the students of the University of Mindanao in performing laboratory

experiments on general purpose input/output (GPIO), interfacing and data

communications. The study is also targeted to a number of engineering courses

specifically, computer engineering, electronics engineering and electrical

engineering.

The main single-board computer will be the Raspberry Pi 2 model B. In

terms of the GPIO, the pins can only tolerate 3.3 volts compared to Arduino

Uno which can accept 5 volts from various outside devices. Aside from the

voltage tolerance, the Raspberry Pi 2 model B has only 1 PWM output. The

Raspberry Pi 2 doesn’t have embedded analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and

must be bought separately.

15
VII - Methodology

This section contains procedures taken into account for the development

of the device. It includes the research design, consideration of multiple designs

and constraints, design standards, and procedures.

A. Research Design

The research study was outlined using the structure of applied research.

It involved the application of basic principles about circuits and basic concepts

of computers. Also, it involves the application of programming languages that

will be used to communicate with other devices. The design structure was

proven essential for the development of the trainer.

B. Conceptual Framework

The researchers had designed a number of laboratory exercises in using

the trainer based on minimum requirements of CHED and the course syllabus

as shown in Figure 1. This is followed by the computer engineering program in

implementing programming and circuit design subjects. Topics that are covered

by the device are cross-referenced with these guidelines. The researchers

designed a trainer and construct the main board that contained various circuit

modules suited for the laboratory exercises.

16
 Input Process Output

Experiment gathering
from various sources
based on the course
syllabus and or the
CHED Memorandum Hardware development
Order 13 Series of  Component
2008 gathering
Hardware  Create circuit
corresponding to Raspberry Pi
 GPIO the component Laboratory circuit
 Interfacing  Test functionality trainer
 Data  Make into printed
Communications circuit board
Design Constraints  Embed into an
enclosure
 Economic
 Environmental
 Manufacturability
 Sustainability

Figure 9. Conceptual framework of the study

C. Multiple Designs and Constraints

The researchers had considered two designs, Design A and Design B.

Both designs have the same modules and components. Components like

resistors, and transistors are soldered directly into the board. The difference is

mainly found in the circuit board. In Design A, the components are soldered

directly into the circuit board while in Design B has female pinheaders soldered

and the components are attached later. See figure 9 for Design A and figure 10

for Design B.

17
 Figure 9 Design A

Figure 10 Design B

The researchers considered the following realistic constraints of the two

proposed designs:

Economic Constraint. Based on the cost analysis as shown in Table 1,

Design A and Design B’s cost are almost comparable. However, in the long run

if ever there will be damages to some components, Design A will have to be

dismantled and remade while Design B can be easily replaced with new

components, thereby making the latter more economical.

18
Table 1. Costing

Design A Design B
Main Components Price Main Components Price
1 PCB 15x12 PHP 180 2 PCB 9.5x6.5 PHP 123.5
1 Raspberry Pi Kit PHP 2,678 1 Raspberry Pi Kit PHP 2,678.04
10 Female Pinheader PHP 80 30 Female Pinheader PHP 240
Total PHP 2938 Total PHP 2942

Environmental Constraint. Both designs A and B has a Raspberry Pi 2 Model

B as the main computer. Considering that the Raspberry Pi only uses 5 volts, 2

amperes direct current electricity, we can’t deny the fact that this consumes less

electricity compared to a typical desktop computer. With this, the research

helps lessen the consumption of electricity and will lead to less use of fossil

fuels. Also, the researchers will use little to no hazardous materials in making

the circuit trainer.

Manufacturability Constraints. The researchers had considered many things to

complete the trainer. This included the physical dimensions, circuit design, and

time consumption. With design A, the circuit components are soldered directly

to the circuit board while design B has pin headers that will be used to insert

the components. Both designs are easy to manufacture but design B is

preferable because of easy component replacement.

Sustainability Constraints. Design A makes sustainability hard since all is

wasted when a single component busts. Since the trainer is to be used by a lot

of students, there is a possibility of items wearing down. The researchers came

19
up of a design that will make replacement easy. Design B is more sustainable

because of easy component replacement. Since the trainer is to be used by a lot

of students, there is a possibility of items wearing down. The researchers came

up of a design that will make replacement easy.

D. Trade-offs

Table 2. Constraints summary per design

Constraints Design A Design B

Somewhat not
Economical in the long
economical in the long
Economical run because of
run because of non-
replaceable components.
replaceable components.
Uses 5 volts 2 amperes Uses 5 volts 2 amperes
Environmental
power source. power source.
Components are
Components are directly
removable because of
Manufacturability soldered to the circuit
soldered female
board.
pinheaders.
Easier to sustain because
Less sustainable in the
Sustainability of easy component
long run
replacement.
Design A was discarded by the researchers since it is not that economic

and not easy to sustain as mentioned above. Design B has been chosen as it is

more economical and has potential for sustainability.

E. Design Standards

After, considering the realistic constraints, researchers opted to pursue

design B and the following industry standards will be followed:

20
 1. IPC-2221 (Generic Standard on Printed Board Design).

This standard establishes the generic requirements for the design of organic

printed boards and other forms of component mounting or interconnecting

structures, including PC card form factors. The organic materials may be

homogeneous, rein- forced, or used in combination with inorganic

materials; the interconnections may be single, double, or multilayered.

2. IPC-6011(Generic Performance Specification for Printed Boards).

This specification establishes the general requirements for printed

boards and the quality and reliability assurance requirements that must

be met for their acquisition. The intent of this specification is to allow

the Printed Board user and supplier flexibility to develop optimum

procedures for the Manufacture and Procurement of Printed Boards

F. Research Procedure

The study was focused on creating a circuit trainer using the Raspberry

Pi.

1. At the early stage of the research, the proponents have gathered

electronic components that are applicable to the said circuit trainer.

2. Next, create a circuit corresponding to the component and then test

the functionality.

3. After the functionality test, the circuits were made into a printed

circuit board and the researchers had embedded it to a presentable

enclosure. Shown in Figure 9 is the process flow of how the circuit

trainer was made.

21
 The circuit trainer had several different laboratory exercises followed by

observational questions in order to evaluate student’s progress and learning

regarding on what type of experiment they have performed. The Raspberry

laboratory circuit trainer consists of 26 electronic components. The researchers

had conducted 15 trials per component.

Figure 9. Process Flow for the Development of the Trainer

22
Testing Procedure:

1. Generate a sample Python program to be run by the Raspberry Pi.

2. Connect the component according to correct pinning to the GPIO

pins of the Raspberry Pi

3. Observe the output and collect data

VIII. Findings of the Study

This section contains the final design of the trainer and the results and

findings attained from the series of tests conducted to serve the purpose of the

study.

Raspberry Pi Circuit Trainer

Shown in Figure 11 is the layout design of the trainer. The researchers

designed a trainer that the parts are easily replaceable incase a component

doesn’t work anymore. The dimensions of the enclosure of the trainer are 16

inches by 13 inches by 4 inches with cover of dimensions 16 inches by 13

inches.

Figure 11. Final Trainer

23
 Shown in Figure 12 is the back part of the trainer which shows the AC

socket and the switch for turning on the trainer. There are two circuit boards as

shown in Figure 13. The dimensions of each board are 9.5 inches by 6.5

inches. The trainer consists of components from basic electronics to

complicated components like motors and sensors. A 7-inch monitor is the main

display of the circuit trainer.

Figure 12. Final Trainer (Back)

Figure 13. Printed Circuit Board

24
 The trainer has 26 components. It consists of components such as LEDs,

buttons, active buzzer, passive buzzer, 7-segmend display, 4-bit 7-segmen

display, RGB LED, dot-matrix display, 74HC595, 16x2 LCD, LED bar graph,

DC motor, servo motor, stepper motor, relay, passive infrared sensor, tilt

switch, photoresistor, thermistor, DHT11, potentiometer, joystick, matrix

keypad, ADXL345 accelerometer and RFID MFRC522. Breadboard, a GPIO

expansion board and an expansion cable were also used. Shown in Figure 7 are

the components found in the circuit trainer.

Figure 14. Components of the Trainer

Functionality Test Results

Shown in Table 3 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

LED display. The objective was to ensure that the lights emitted by the LEDs

were stable. The tabulated data below show that the testing conducted was

successful.

25
Table 3. Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 4 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

Active buzzer module. The objective was to make an active buzzer sound and

ensure that it is functioning as it should be. The table below indicate that it was

working properly.

26
Table 4. Active Buzzer

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 5 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

Passive Buzzer. The objective was to make an active buzzer sound and ensure

that it is functioning as it should be. The table below indicate that it was

working properly.

27
Table 5. Passive Buzzer

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 6 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

Tilt Switch. The objective was to know whether or not the tilt switch works as

it should be by tilting it to a certain angle. The tabulated data indicate that the

test conduct was successful.

28
Table 6. Tilt Switch

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 7 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

button control. The objective was to know where or not the buttons are

consistent when pressed. The result of the test was successful as shown in the

tabulated data below.

29
Table 7. Button

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 8 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

Relay. The objective to know where or not the relay works as intended. The

relay produces a sound whenever it opens or closes. The tabulated data below

show that the testing was successful.

30
Table 8. Relay

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Show in Table 9 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

RGB LED. The objective was to ensure that all three colors of the RGB led are

okay and works at is it should. The tabulated data below show a result that the

testing was successful.

31
Table 9. RGB Led

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 10 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the 7-Segment Display. The objective was to guarantee that the lights emitted

by the nodes of the segment were equally distributed. The tabulated data below

is the trials conducted during the testing which give a successful result.

32
Table 10. 7-Segment Display

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 11 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the 74HC959. The objective was to ensure that the IC can drive the 7-segment

display and the dot-matrix display. The tabulated data below is the trials

conducted during the testing which give a successful result.

33
Table 11. 74HC595

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 12 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the 4-digit 7-Segment Display module. The objective was to ensure that all

LED nodes of the display works. The tabulated data below shows that the

experiment was successful.

34
Table 12. 4-Digit 7-Segment Display

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 13 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the 16x2 LCD. The objective was to know whether the LCD displays the

intended output. The data below tells that the testing was successful.

35
Table 13. 16x2 LCD

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 14 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Matrix Keyboard. The objective was to ensure that all keys are working.

The tabulated data below tells that the testing was successful.

36
Table 14. Matrix Keyboard

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 15 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Ultrasonic Sensor. The objective was to ensure that the sensor

communicates correctly with the Raspberry Pi. The result of testing was

successful based on the tabulated data below.

37
Table 15. Ultrasonic Sensor

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 16 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Temperature & Humidity Sensor – DHT-11. The objective was to ensure

the interconnection of the GPIO and the sensor was functional. The data below

shows that the testing was successful.

38
Table 16. DHT11

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 17 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Dot-Matrix Display. The objective was to ensure that all lights are

functional and lights emitted are equally distributed. The tabulated data below

show that the testing was successful.

39
Table 17. Dot-Matrix Display

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 18 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Photoresistor. The objective was to measure the variable resistance based

on the light intensity. The tabulated data below show that the testing was

successful.

40
Table 18. Photoresistor

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 19 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Thermistor module. The objective was to measure the variable resistance

based on temperature. As shown in data below, the testing was successful.

41
Table 19. Thermistor

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 20 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the LED Bar Graph. The objective was to ensure that all light nodes of the LED

Bar Graph are all functioning. The tabulated data below tells that the testing

was successful.

42
Table 20. LED Bar Graph

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 21 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the DC motor module. The objective was to ensure that the motor turns

according to the state commanded by the Raspberry Pi. The states of the DC

motor include forward, reverse, acceleration, deceleration and stop. The testing

result was successful as shown in the tabulated data below.

43
Table 21. DC Motor

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 22 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the stepper motor. The objective was to ensure that the Raspberry Pi connected

to the motor driver are communicating correctly and that the motor turns

according to the Pi’s command. The tabulated data below show that the testing

was successful.

44
Table 22. Stepper Motor

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 23 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the accelerometer ADXL345. The objective was to ensure that the

accelerometer works and the output changes depending on the axis of the

component. The tabulated data below show that the testing was successful.

45
Table 23. ADXL345

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 24 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the PS2 Joystick. The objective was to ensure that all states of the joystick, left,

right, up, and down, are working properly. The table below show that the

testing conducted was successful.

46
Table 24. PS2 Joystick

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 25 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Potentiometer. The objective was to ensure that the output of the

potentiometer changes whenever the knob is turned. The tabulated data below

shows that the program used and the device are functional and stable.

47
Table 25. Potentiometer

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 26 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Passive Infrared (PIR) Sensor. The objective was to know where or not the

PIR sensor detects motion. The tabulated data below shows that the program

used and the device are functional and stable.

48
Table 26. Passive Infrared (PIR) Sensor

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 27 are the results of the test procedures conducted for

the Servo motor. The objective was to ensure that the servo motor turns

according to the state command of the Raspberry Pi. The states are 0 degrees,

90 degrees, and 180 degrees. The tabulated data below show that the testing

was functional and stable.

49
Table 27. Servo Motor

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

Shown in Table 28 are the results of the test procedures conducted for the

RFID. The objective was to ensure that there is data communication between

the RFID card and the Raspberry Pi. The tabulated data below show that the

testing was functional and stable.

50
Table 28. RFID

Functional

No. of Trials Yes No Remarks

1  Successful

2  Successful

3  Successful

4  Successful

5  Successful

6  Successful

7  Successful

8  Successful

9  Successful

10  Successful

11  Successful

12  Successful

13  Successful

14  Successful

15  Successful

51
Conclusions

Based on the findings of the study, the researchers came up with the

following conclusions:

1. The trainer makes is capable of performing different kinds of

laboratory experiments. The components which were used in the

trainer are made up of basic electronic circuit components to full

modules are what makes these activities important in studying.

2. All of the components used where functioning well based on the

component datasheet and online sources. The components tested

were GPIO like LEDs and buttons, interfacing like motors, and data

communications like RFID.

Recommendations

Based on the results of the tests conducted by the researchers and the

conclusion drawn, the following are recommended:

1. Further studies can be done to improve the trainer. Since the

Raspberry Pi is a computer itself, future researchers can implement

other computer functions to the components used on the trainer. One

can use web-based servers to control the components wirelessly.

2. Future researchers can upgrade the Raspberry Pi if there is a newer

model available.

52