The University of Western Ontario

Faculty of Engineering
Mechatronic Systems Engineering Program

MSE 2202 — Introduction to Mechatronic Design

FINAL EXAMINATION—April 28, 2019

Name:
Student Number:

CLOSED BOOK 3 HOURS INTRAMURAL

CHEATING: University policy states that cheating is a scholastic offence. The commission of a scholastic offence
is attended by academic penalties that might include expulsion from the program. If you are caught
cheating, there will be no second warning.
AIDS: You are permitted the use of a nonprogrammed calculator in this examination. No other aids are
permitted (i.e., NO books, notes, wireless devices, or other information processing devices). All
sheets (including rough work) must be handed in; no part of the examination may be taken from
the room.
GRADING: Marks will be assigned on the basis of correctness of solution, and thoroughness and clarity of pre-
sentation. All sketches must be properly labelled. Be sure to clearly state any assumptions.
NOTE: It is recommended that you start the examination by first reviewing ALL questions and then schedul-
ing your time appropriately.

There are 18 pages in this examination (2 pages at the end are blank).
It is your responsibility to ensure that no pages are missing.
Standard Arduino functions may be found on Page 18.

Record your answers to all questions in this booklet.

Question Earned Mark Total Marks

1 /12

2 /28

3 /6

4 /20

5 /16

6 /8

7 /10

Total /100
MSE 2202b—Final Exam 2019 Page 2 of 18

1. Compare and Constrast (12 marks)

In less than 50 words per item, compare and contrast four (out of five) of the following:
(a) Selection design and parametric design

(b) Thermistor and RTD

(c) QR code and RFID

(d) Accumulator and Program Counter

(e) CPM and Gantt Chart

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2. Short Answer Questions (28 marks)

(4) (a) List 3 household items that can be characterized as mechatronic systems. For each, list at least 2 components
that help to identify it as a mechatronic system.

(4) (b) Outline the purpose of the relationship and correlation matrices in a QFD. What are the characteristics of
“good” relationship and correlation matrices?
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(4) (c) Outline the advantages of using a distributed version control system over a centralized version control sys-
tem. How do multiple users exchange revisions to the code base? Use specific git or mercurial commands in
your answer.

(4) (d) Describe the roles of the data, address, and control buses found in a microcontroller. What impact does the
size of the data and address buses have on the operation of the microcontroller?
 MSE 2202b—Final Exam 2019 Page 5 of 18

(4) (e) What is meant by the term “Design for X”? Provide at least 3 concrete examples.

(4) (f ) Describe the purpose of layers, planes, traces, and vias in the context of a printed circuit board. Is each of
these always required?
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(4) (g) A disposal bin that accepts trash and recyclable items is shown below. From a human factors perspective,
discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the design.
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3. Troubleshooting (6 marks)
Suppose that you have been asked by your colleague to help debug a mechatronic system. The input side consists
of a photoresistor providing an analog signal to an Arduino. Based on the analog value read from the photoresis-
tor, the system is supposed to set the speed of a DC motor, based on a PWM output. Your friend reports that “it
doesn’t work,” meaning that the speed of the motor does not change under varying lighting conditions (if it turns
at all). Propose at least three possible problems that might cause the system to malfunction. In each case, outline
the test that you might use to determine if your hypothesis is correct, and what tool(s) you would need for this
test.
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4. Microcontroller Design (20 marks)

Consider the development of an Arduino-based project that will implement a basic vending machine for three
products, each costing 75¢. The machine will accept only quarters (25¢ coins) and does not provide change or
refunds. A simple system is used to check for the correct coins and count the number deposited. A red LED is
illuminated when insufficient funds have been provided; it turns off and a green LED is illuminated when correct
payment has been received. If sufficient payment is received, and depending on which one of three pushbuttons
is pressed, one of the three products is dispensed by a continuous-rotation motor driving an open coil (each
product fits within the pitch (gap) of the coil—a full rotation meters out one product). After dispensing, the green
LED turns off and the red LED is illuminated again, ready for the next purchase.

(4) (a) An important aspect of the system is the ability to ensure that the correct coins (only quarters) are being in-
serted prior to the dispensing of product, in addition to counting the number deposited. Identify at least 2
noncontact sensors that could be used for this purpose, along with the required configuration for this appli-
cation. Considering how each might be integrated into the system and calibrated, which is the best choice?
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(6) (b) Using the schematic layout in the figure below as a basis, draw a complete schematic that shows how the
required components would be connected to the Arduino. Be sure to include any additional components
(e.g., resistors, capacitors, diodes, switches) that might be necessary for the circuit to operate properly and
also include the components required for your chosen method from Part (a). Assume that the motors are
driven by digital outputs—show each as an appropriately labelled block. All other components should be
represented by standard symbols.

5V

3V3 5V Vin
D13
Power
RST D12

AREF D11

IO REF Arduino D10

N/C D9

D8

D7

D6

D5

A0 D4

A1 D3
Analog Input

A2 D2
TX
A3 D1
RX
A4 D0

A5 SCL

SDA
GND
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(10) (c) Write a complete Arduino sketch that would implement the required functionality for this system, assuming
that the components are connected as shown in your schematic.
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5. Part Design (16 marks)

Consider the part shown below. The arms of the cross are each 100 mm long (from end to end), 20 mm high, and
20 mm wide. The centre post is 20 × 20 mm and protrudes from the cross by 40 mm. The centre of the post is
aligned with the centre of the cross. The four corners of the post are aligned with the respective centres of the
arms of the cross. The through-hole has a diameter of 8 mm; its centre is 10 mm from the end of the arm and is
centred across its width. In all parts of this question, be sure to clearly state any assumptions.

SOLIDWORKS Educational Product. For Instructional Use Only.

(10) (a) Using the drawing template provided on the following page, generate a properly laid out and labelled drawing
of the part. Use third-angle projection and include all relevant dimensions and tolerances.
 MSE 2202b—Final Exam 2019

UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED: FINISH: DEBUR AND

DIMENSIONS ARE IN MM BREAK SHARP DO NOT SCALE DRAWING REVISION
SURFACE FINISH: EDGES
TOLERANCES:
LINEAR: MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
ANGULAR:

NAME SIGNATURE DATE TITLE:

DRAWN
CHK'D
APPV'D
MFG
Q.A MATERIAL: DWG NO.
A
WEIGHT: SCALE: SHEET 1 OF 1
Page 13 of 18
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(6) (b) Using design guidelines for manufacturing and assembly, what modifications could be made to improve the
part design? You may use annotated sketches or text in your answer.
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6. Wireless Communications (8 marks)

Consider the optical wireless communication technique used to implement the charging dock homing beacon
for the course project.
(4) (a) Outline the key components of the system and describe how they operate. Include sketches of the signals in
your answer.

(4) (b) Beyond the simple detection of the presence of a signal, information can be conveyed using this technique.
Describe how characters and/or strings of data can be transmitted and decoded.
MSE 2202b—Final Exam 2019 Page 16 of 18

7. Design Reflection (10 marks)

Consider the part collecting robot that you designed as part of the course project. Discuss the challenges of mak-
ing an autonomous robot operate in a robust and repeatable manner. Based on your experience, what changes
would you make to your design improve these aspects?
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Additional Work
MSE 2202b—Final Exam 2019 Page 18 of 18

S TANDARD A RDUINO F UNCTIONS

abs() char() loop() setup()

analogReference() constrain() lowByte() shiftIn()
analogRead() cos() map() shiftOut()
analogWrite() delay() max() sin()
byte() delayMicroseconds() micros() sizeof()
bit() digitalRead() millis() sqrt()
bitClear() digitalWrite() min() tan()
bitRead() float() noTone() tone()
bitSet() highByte() pinMode() word()
bitWrite() int() pow()
byte() long() pulseIn()

You may remove this page from the exam booklet to facilitate its use.
It must be handed in with the rest of the exam.