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Introduction to Robotics/About This Course

Organization and Methodology
This course is being organized into logical blocks. Each block corresponds approximately to 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of lab. In many settings, this is approximately 1 week worth of study, but it can be expanded or contracted to meet other needs.

The course will be predominantly hands-on. Much of the learning will be done in the laboratory setting. In some blocks, the lecture material will be relatively light, and it will be suggested that the instructor cut the lecture short to devote additional time to lab work.

Textbook
The textbook for the course will be the PBASIC Programming textbook on Wikibooks. Other free wikibooks, such as those on electric circuits or robotics may also be used.

Blocks
Every block has, at least:
 * 1) A lecture
 * 2) A Lab Assignment
 * 3) A homework or self-work assignment
 * 4) A quiz

The lecture notes will be set up for about 2 - 3 hours of lecture material per block. The lab assignments, also, will be set up for about 2 - 3 hours of material per block. Homework assignments should take about 1 hour to complete on average. Quizzes should take about 15 - 20 minutes.

Tests
Every second block will have a test that covers the previous two blocks. Starting at the fourth block onward, every second block will also contain a cumulative test option that will cover material from all previous blocks.

Instructors may decide not to have quizzes, tests, and cumulative tests all in the same block.

Tests are designed to take about 1 hour to complete. Cumulative tests are designed to take between 1 - 2 hours to complete and will serve as decent mid-term or final exams.

Tests and Quizzes
The field of engineering, where robotics typically falls into, is based heavily on problem-solving and information synthesis. Tests and quizzes will contain some questions that involve rote memorization and comprehension. However, tests and quizzes will also test the student's abilities to solve problems. Some of these questions will ask students to interpret things that they have never seen before, or develop solutions to problems they have not been exposed to.

Questions of this type will be clearly delineated from the rest of the test/quiz, and it will be left up to the instructor to determine whether these questions are appropriate for the class.

Grading of these problems can be difficult because there is no "right" answer, and few students will be able to complete the questions entirely in the time alloted. However, it should be enough to see the intentions of the students, and determine if:
 * 1) The student is attempting to use information from class to solve the problems and
 * 2) If the student understands the concepts involved, and is able to figure out where to start the problem, if not where to finish it.

Activities
Every activity in a block has three components: An introduction page, a students page, and a teachers page. The student's page represents a handout, or other materials that are to be given to the students. The teacher's page represents the teaching notes and answer sheets that the teacher should see but the students should not. The introduction pages lay out the learning objectives of the activity, and other details that can be known by both teachers and students.

Term Project
Depending on the timeframe of the class and the available resources, Instructors may want to institute a "design project" that will span the majority of the term. Design projects can be started by the third block, and should be continued throughout the entire course. We will discuss some potential design projects in another chapter.

If the class is being taught for engineering students, a term project is recommended.

Students should work in groups of 2 - 4, to help reinforce the ideas of team work and interdependence. Instructors may require the students to prepare a multimedia presentation about their project, or write a report about the project, or both.

Instructors may wish to use class time to work on the term project.

The term project will be presented at 3 different times:
 * It will be introduced in Block 2. Students should form groups and select ideas in Block 2.
 * It will be reviewed in Block 6, and information about the deliverables and final presentation, if any, will be given out to students.
 * The students will demonstrate their projects in Block 8, and will also give the instructor any necessary deliverables. The "For Teachers" page of the term project in block 8 will include grading guidelines.

Block Schedule
Blocks are arranged with a certain dependence from one activity to the other. Here is a breakdown of this:

 * 1) Lecture: Lecture introduces the topic, and provides background information.
 * 2) Assignments: Test the students on a individual basis to ensure that they've learned the necessary material in the lecture.
 * 3) Lab: Material learned in the lecture and assignment will be used hands-on in the lab
 * 4) Quiz: All lessons of the block will be summarized in the quiz. Lecture notes, assignments and lab work are all suitable study aides for the quiz.

Learning Aides
Two types of learning aides are provided: Printed handouts, and visual aides.

Printed handouts, or more simply "printouts", are pages that can be printed and handed to the students for their own use. These sheets contain the days date, a space for the student's name, and a series of notes designed to fit on an 8 × 11 sheet of paper. Lab assignments and homework assignments will not be provided via handouts. Quizzes and Tests will be provided as printouts.

Visual aides are simple visual helper objects that can be used by the instructor during lecture. These aides are formatted to be used as a slide in a slide presentation (such as MS powerpoint), on a transparency projector, or as a diagram reproduced on the chalk board.


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Template:Introduction to Robotics/Block

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 * Lecture (For Students) (For Teachers)
 * Lab (For Students) (For Teachers)
 * Assignment (For Students) (For Teachers)
 * Quiz (For Students) (For Teachers)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Template:Introduction to Robotics/Block


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Talk:Introduction to Robotics

Templates
These templates are being used in this course:

 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Block
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Nav
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Resistor
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Resistors
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Color value
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Page
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Page top
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Page bottom
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Visual
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Visual top
 * Template:Introduction to Robotics/Visual bottom

Discussion
Is there an interest in revitalizing this course? I have an interest in creating a new course on "modeling of mechanical robotics." Thank you. Admazzeo (discuss • contribs) 21:41, 3 January 2020 (UTC)

 * Be bold! -- Dave Braunschweig (discuss • contribs) 01:03, 4 January 2020 (UTC)

 * a new course on "modeling of mechanical robotics" would be great! Go for it! --Marshallsumter (discuss • contribs) 07:54, 5 January 2020 (UTC)

title: Talk:Introduction to Robotics


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Introduction to Robotics/Example Syllabus

This page is going to serve as an example of a syllabus. Instructors should fill in the details according to their own policies and timeframes.

Part 1 Fundamentals of Robotics
1. Introduction 2. Fundamentals of Robot Technology, Programming, and Applications

Part 2 Robot Technology: The Robot and its Peripherals
3. Control Systems and Components 4. Robot Motion Analysis and Control 5. Robot End Effectors 6. Sensors in Robotics 7. Machine Vision

Part 3 Robot Programming and Languages
8. Robot Programming 9. Robot Languages 10. Artificial Intelligence

Part 4 Applications Engineering for Manufacturing
11. Robot Cell Design and Control 12. Economic Analysis for Robotics

Part 5 Robot Applications in Manufacturing
13. Material Transfer and Machine Loading/Unloading 14. Processing Operations 15. Assembly and Inspection

Part 6 Implementation Principles and Issues
16. An Approach for Implementing Robotics 17. Safety, Training, Maintenance, And Quality

Part 7 Social Issues and the Future of Robotics
18. Social and Labor Issues 19. Robotics Technology of the Future 20. Future Applications


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Template:Introduction to Robotics/Nav

Introduction to Robotics

title: Template:Introduction to Robotics/Nav


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Introduction to Robotics/Robotics and BoeBots

In this block we are going to introduce the course, introduce BoeBots, and start laying the foundation for future work. The lab will focus on issues of safety and laboratory regulations. Once the ground-rules have been laid down, we can start to introduce the BoeBots.

We want to refresh things like SI units (especially for American students who do not use SI regularly), concepts about electricity, and safety concepts.


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Introduction to Robotics/Robotics and BoeBots/Lecture/Teachers

The "Name Game"
It is common for a teacher to go around the room and ask each student to say his or her name. Since this is the first class of the course, we may ask the students to say their names, but also to name an example of a real-world use for robotics. Students should give specific examples of actual robots, not vague examples. For instance a student should say "The Mars Rover" instead of "A robot that drives a car".

As an additional exercise, have the student say their name, an example of a robot, and then repeat the name and example from the previous 5 students.

Introduction to the Course
If you have a syllabus, you should give one copy to each student. You should tell in advance when all the quizzes and tests will be, and how the final grade for the course will be computed. You may choose to use the example Syllabus.

SI Units
This can be displayed to the students to try and refamiliarize themselves with some of the units. Students should be familar with the first 3 already, although many of them will not be familiar with Amps or Volts. We will discuss both in a later lecture. The students should have a more comprehensive list of units in a printed handout, but this is the most important list right now.

Most students should be familar with SI prefixes. This handout will help the students to refresh on them. Students should have a handout with the various prefixes on it. This visual aide will only have a small number of prefixes that are common in the lab and literature.


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Introduction to Robotics/Robotics and BoeBots/Lab

The most important thing to learn on the first day of lab are the necessary safety policies of the Lab. Students will be warned about the lab equipment, and will be asked to fill out a worksheet with all the necessary safety information.

Some teachers may also ask the students to sign a laboratory use contract. The contract will ask the students not to abuse or misuse the equipment, not to act in an unsafe manner, and to obey the lab instructor at all times. Students who break the contract later could be asked to leave the lab.

The first part of this lab will more closely resemble a lecture then any kind of hands-on learning activity. If the lab instructor is different from the lecture instructor, this may be a good time to get to know him or her.

The second part of this lab will introduce the students to the BoeBots. If possible, each student should receive a BoeBot, along with the necessary cables (power cable and serial programming cable) and a box to store the robot in. Because of the differences in calibration between robots, it is a good idea if an individual student or a group of students all use the same robot throughout the entire course.


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Introduction to Robotics/Robotics and BoeBots/Lab/Students

Examine the BoeBot

 * 1) Check both tires for tread. Ensure that all parts, including power and programming cables, are available.
 * 2) Check that your basic stamp is properly plugged into the circuit board, and that it is oriented the correct way.
 * 3) Determine which end of your robot is the "front" and which is the "back"
 * 4) Plug the two motors into the available plugs for ports 12 and 13. Record which wheel is "12" and which wheel is "13"
 * 5) Ensure that no wires or components, besides the motors, are plugged into the breadboard or any of the other ports.
 * 6) If the Robot has a slide-switch on the top, ensure that it is in the "0" position for programming.

Basic Moving
Open the Parallax programming environment. Enter the following code (capitalization is not important):

MyCount VAR Byte FOR MyCount = 0 TO 200 PULSOUT 12, 800 PULSOUT 13, 700 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program, and answer the following questions:
 * 1) Does the Boe-Bot move forward or backward?
 * 2) Reverse the "700" and "800" numbers in the code above and run it again. Does the robot move in the opposite direction?
 * 3) Does the robot move in a straight line, or does it curve to the left or right?

Orientation
We are going to define two constants for the port values. Write the following code into your program. Depending on which ports your motors are plugged into, you may need to change the values for "Left" and "Right": MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 FOR MyCount = 0 TO 200 PULSOUT Left, 800 PULSOUT Right, 700 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program.
 * 1) Does the robot do the same thing as the code above?

Record the values for "Left" and "Right" for later use.

Motors and Calibration
The motors operate according to the following PULSEOUT values:
 * 650:Full-speed counter-clockwise
 * 750:Stopped
 * 850:Full-speed clockwise

However, these values might be a little different for each robot, and so we need to calibrate them. Write the following code:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 FOR MyCount = 0 TO 200 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop PULSOUT Right, RightStop PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program. Follow this proceedure:
 * 1) Do the wheels move? If not, the wheels are calibrated.
 * 2) Adjust the values for "LeftStop" and "RightStop", depending on which direction the wheels are moving. For instance, if the left wheel is slowly moving counter-clockwise, you would want to increase the value for LeftStop. If the wheels get faster, you are changing the number in the wrong direction.
 * 3) Run the program again. Go to #1

Continue playing with the numbers until the wheels do not move. Record the values for "LeftStop" and "RightStop" for future use. Demonstrate to your instructor that the BoeBot is properly calibrated by running the code above.

Calibration Testing
Using your values for "Left", "Right", "LeftStop", and "RightStop" that you found above, write the following program. Remember to use your values for these constants, and not the values that are written here:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 FOR MyCount = 0 TO 200 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop + 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT FOR MyCount = 0 TO 200 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop - 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop + 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program. What does this code do?

Because the wheels are on opposite sides of the robot, we need to turn them in opposite directions if we want to move in a straight line. To move forward, we want to turn the wheel on the left clockwise, and the wheel on the right counter-clockwise. To move backward, we do the reverse. Demonstrate to your instructor that you can move the BoeBot forward and backward in a straight line. Sometimes a line won't be perfectly straight. This is normal.

Distances
We are going to define several new constants, so that we can make the boebot move certain distances. Write the following code:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 EndLoop1 CON 100 FOR MyCount = 0 TO EndLoop1 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop + 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program. You want to change the value of "EndLoop1" so that the BoeBot travels exactly 1 inch forward. Record the value of "EndLoop1" for future use. Modify the code to say:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 EndLoop6 CON 100 FOR MyCount = 0 TO EndLoop6 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop + 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program. Now, modify the value of "EndLoop6" so that the BoeBot travels exactly 6 inches forward. Record the value of "EndLoop6" for future use. Modify the code to say:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 EndLoop12 CON 100 FOR MyCount = 0 TO EndLoop12 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop + 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program. Now, modify the value of "EndLoop12" so that the BoeBot travels exactly 12 inches forward. Record the value of "EndLoop12" for future use.

Demonstrate to your instructor that your robot can move exactly 1 inch, 6 inches, and 12 inches.

Questions:
 * 1) Are your values for EndLoop1, EndLoop6, and EndLoop12 related? How do they compare to one another?
 * 2) If you reverse the directions of your PULSOUTs, will your robot move exactly 1 inch, 6 inches, and 12 inches in reverse?
 * 3) Using the code that you already have with Copy + Paste, can you write a program to make the robot move exactly 11 inches? 20 inches? 25 inches?

Turning
To make the robot move in a straight line, we need to turn the wheels at the same speed in opposite directions. To make the robot turn on an angle, we can do one of the following:
 * Stop one wheel, and turn the other wheel forward.
 * Turn one wheel forward, and the other wheel backward.

Write the following code:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 Turn CON 100 FOR MyCount = 0 TO Turn PULSOUT Left, LeftStop + 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop + 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program. Modify the value of "Turn" so that the robot turns exactly 90° Record the value of "Turn", and record the direction that the BoeBot turns for future use. Now, re-write the code to say the following:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 Turn CON 100 FOR MyCount = 0 TO Turn PULSOUT Left, LeftStop - 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the program. The BoeBot should turn in the opposite direction. Modify the value of "Turn" so that the robot turns exactly 90°. Record the value for "Turn" and the direction that it turned for future use.

Demonstrate to your professor that you can make your robot turn both left and right at 90° angles.

Questions:
 * 1) Are your two values for "Turn" the same to turn in both directions? If not, are they close?
 * 2) Using the code you have above, along with some Copy + Paste, can you make the robot move in a 180° turn?
 * 3) Using the code you have above, along with some Copy + Paste, can you make the robot move in a 360° (full revolution) turn?

Putting it All Together
Write the following code. See if you can figure out what it does before you run it:

MyCount VAR Byte Left CON 12 Right CON 13 LeftStop CON 750 RightStop CON 750 Turn CON 100 EndLoop12 CON 100 FOR MyCount = 0 TO EndLoop12 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop + 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT FOR MyCount = 0 TO Turn PULSOUT Left, LeftStop - 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT FOR MyCount = 0 TO EndLoop12 PULSOUT Left, LeftStop + 50 PULSOUT Right, RightStop - 50 PAUSE 20 NEXT

Run the Program. What does this do? Using this code above, and some Copy + Paste, can you make the robot travel in a perfect square? Demonstrate your square to your instructor.

Easy Problems

 * 1) Write a program to move the robot in a square forwards, and then to retrace that same square backwards.
 * 2) Write a program to move the robot in a figure-8 shape.
 * 3) Write a program to make the robot pace back and forth over a line (move forward, do a 180° turn, move in the other direction)
 * 4) Write a program to make your robot move forward, turn 180°, move backwards (which will be the same direction), turn 180° again, and then continue to move forward. The robot should move in one direction, but do part of the trip backwards.

Demonstrate each to your instructor.

Difficult Problems

 * 1) Figure out how to turn your robot on a 45° angle. Use this technique along with code you have already written, to move your robot in an octagon.
 * 2) Figure out how to turn your robot on a 60° angle. Use this technique along with code you have already written, to move your robot in an equilateral triangle.
 * 3) Using the 60° turn you figured out above, teach your robot how to make a 3-point turn, like in a regular car.

Questions

 * 1) Why do we use the FOR / NEXT loops? Do loops make the program harder or easier? Are loops important?
 * 2) What are the benefits to using constant (CON) values in your program? Are there any problems to using them?


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Introduction to Robotics/Robotics and BoeBots/Lab/Teachers

A laboratory setting, especially one with electrical equipment, can be dangerous. The instructor should not be afraid to be stern when talking about safety, and students who act unsafely should be removed from lab.

Pre-Lab Preparation
There should be an available BoeBot for each team of students, and a working computer loaded with the BasicStamp programming environment. Ensure that each BoeBot comes with a power cable, a serial cable, and possibly a full set of batteries.

Laboratory Rules
Discuss some of the important rules with your students. You may wish to talk about all the following:
 * No eating or drinking in lab
 * Turn off cell phones and other electronic devices
 * Remove all pieces of metal jewellery, fashion accessories that dangle from the hands or wrists. Long hair should be tied back. Students should not be wearing extremely loose-fitting clothing, or anything that would distract from mobility.
 * Do not play with buttons, knobs, or switches that the instructor has not specifically told you to use.
 * Do not use equipment that you have not been taught to use.
 * If you smell smoke, see fire or sparks, or see anything else that is out of the ordinary, get your instructor immediately.

As an instructor, you may wish to edit these rules as necessary to suit your own laboratory environment.

Safety Contract
It is important that students understand the rules of the lab, and that they also understand the consequences. Many lab instructors may use a laboratory contract, that the students must sign, to dictate these rules.

Lab Assignment
The students are going to be using a series of straight-line and angle techniques to cause the Boe-Bots to travel in various geometrical paths. Here is a checklist of things that each group should do. You may wish to print out a copy of this checklist for every group, to keep things separate.

Finishing Early
Invariably, several students will finish these exercises early. Here are some examples of exercises that you can ask the students to do to stay occupied:
 * 1) Ask your students, using the techniques and recorded values from the lab, to make the robots spell out the letters of their name.
 * 2) Develop a method to turn the robot in rounded edges (not straight edges). Use this technique to move the robot in a perfect circle and in a rounded figure-8.
 * 3) Increase the speeds of the PULSOUT functions from some of the previous examples to ± 100 instead of 50. This will move the robot at full speed. Ask the student to calculate the necessary constant values to move the robot in the same simple patterns (1 inch, 6 inches, 12 inches, 90° turns left and right) using the full-speed. Is it easier to make a precise maneuver at a slow speed or a fast speed? why?


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Introduction to Robotics/Robotics and BoeBots/Assignment/Students

Part 1
Computers require very precise and simple instructions to operate. As a programmer, you need to think about tasks in terms of these simple instructions. As an example, can you think about how to teach a computer to make a sandwich? Explain how to build a regular sandwich (ham sandwich or Peanut Butter & Jelly) in as simple steps as possible.

Part 2
On the first page of the wikibook Robotics, read the section Defining Robotics.

 * 1) Which of these studies would be considered robotics based on this definition?
 * 2) Studying the strength and flexibility of a titanium alloy used to make a robotic arm?
 * 3) Integrating sensor data from sonar, laser, and CCD cameras and  to build an accurate map of surroundings?
 * 4) The real-time software needed to drive two motors to make a robot go in a straight line?

 * 1) Classify each of these as a robot, a mechatronic device, a machine, or something else?
 * 2) A spam email filter.
 * 3) A garage door opener.
 * 4) A remote controlled boat.
 * 5) A 1970's automobile.
 * 6) A current model automobile which includes lane-following.
 * 7) An Apple IPod.
 * 8) An actor in in a silver suit.

Part 3
On the first page of the wikibook Robotics, read the section Defining Robots. Next, read the page Types of Robots. Name the various types of robots, and if possible name an example of each.


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Introduction to Robotics/Robotics and BoeBots/Assignment/Teachers

Part 1

 * How would would you teach a computer to make a sandwich?:Here is an example of a list of instructions:
 * Find Peanut Butter
 * Open Peanut Butter
 * Find Bread
 * Open Bread
 * Take two slices of bread out of bag
 * Lay 2 slices of bread on a plate
 * Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread
 * Find Jelly
 * Open Jelly
 * Spread Jelly on other slice of bread
 * Put slices of bread together so that the peanut butter and the jelly are pressed together
 * Cut sandwich in half

What's the Point?
Some students are bound to ask "What's the point of this assignment?"

Like many things in science and engineering, the best way to learn a topic is through thought exercises and metaphores. Students need to get in the habit of thinking of problems in terms of small bite-sized chunks. If a student cannot explain how to make a simple sandwich (which they have probably been doing for years) then how are they going to explain complicated actions to a robot?

Grading
Everybodies list will be different, and there is no single correct answer. Student's whose lists are short (fewer then 6 instructions) probably didn't put enough effort into the assignment.

Some students may come up with very long sets of instructions, or very detailed instructions as well.

The Answers
One of the best ways to present the answers to this question is to let the class figure it out together as a group. Start by asking "What do I do first?" and then "What do I do next?"

If a student gives you an answer that is too complicated, say "That's too big, break it down into smaller parts" or ask "How do I do that in simple steps?" By the time you get through the whole process, the class will understand the concept better. Try to call on all the students, or at least avoid calling on any one student too many times.

Part 2

 * 1) All three of these examples are considered to be parts of robotics.
 * 2) Some of these points can be argued, but in general, a robot must have autonomy or resourcefulness.
 * 3) A spam email filter. not a robot
 * 4) A garage door opener. not a robot
 * 5) A remote controlled boat. a robot
 * 6) A 1970's automobile. not a robot
 * 7) A current model automobile which includes lane-following. a robot
 * 8) An Apple IPod. not a robot
 * 9) An actor in in a silver suit. not a robot

Part 3
There are many types of robots. Here is a partial list:

 * Androids (looks like a human, currently used mostly for research)
 * Stationary/Industrial (for manufacturing)
 * Ground Robots (used for autonomous exploration or movement, such as the Mars Rover)
 * Underwater (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, can go places humans cannot)
 * Aerial (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, can go places humans cannot)
 * Microgravity (Robots designed to work in space, or in low-gravity places, such as the moon)
 * Machine Pet


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Introduction to Robotics/Electrical Components/Lecture

In this lecture we are going to introduce the flow of electricity as being analogous to the flow of water through tubes. We will introduce resistors, diodes, and buttons. We will discuss Ohm's law.


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Introduction to Robotics/Electrical Components/Lab/Teachers

Preparation
Each group of students is going to need the following components:

 * Breadboard
 * Voltage/current/Ohm meters, or a DMM
 * Power supply

Note: Soldering
Some instructors may wish to introduce the students to the concept of soldering. This is useful because it's a practical skill that future engineering students will make use of. However, because the BoeBots come with breadboards, soldering won't be a useful task unless the student wants to create a very complicated circuit for their final projects.

If the instructor does decide to teach soldering, the lab should begin with a lesson on techniques and safety. The instructor should ensure that students who are soldering be properly supervised.

An optional portion at the end of the student lab assignment about soldering has been added. The instructor should feel free to remove this section if soldering will not be covered, or modify it if different projects are going to be used.

Simulation Software
The instructor may choose to do some of the laboratory work using simulation software such as PSpice or Electronics Workbench. Simulation is a good idea, especially if a large number of examples need to be worked through in a limited amount of time, or if the prototyping hardware available to the students are of low quality.

Students should be exposed to some physical circuit construction using breadboards, because all circuits on the BoeBot will be constructed in this way.

Lecture Part
We want to introduce the electrical equipment, and demonstrate how to use the meters to measure voltage, current, and resistance.

Measuring Circuits
When measuring various circuit quantities, make sure to reiterate these points:
 * Measure voltage across an element.
 * Measure current at a break in the circuit, never across an element.
 * Take care not to short your circuit with your probes and wires.

In terms of safety, it is important to reiterate this point: 2 amps of current is enough to kill a person. 1 amp of current is enough to injure a person. When working with circuits, make sure students understand not to play with the power source, and to always use appropriate resistance to keep their current under control.

Current Meters
Some students will want to know why we must break a circuit to measure the current. Repeat the point that an Amp-meter has zero resistance. Point out that the power supply is at a constant value, such as 5 volts. Now, ask the student:

 * You have 5 volts and 0 Ohms resistance, what is the current?

Let the student think about it, and if they appear confused, repeat for them Ohm's law: V = I R. Let the student try to solve the equation on paper, if needed, but let the student come to the solution on their own: With zero resistance, the amount of current going through the ammeter will approach infinity, and infinity is bad.


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Introduction to Robotics/Electrical Components/Lecture/Teachers

Electricity Flowing in a Circuit
Electricity flows through circuits in the same way as water flows through pipes. Water only flows where the pipes are properly connected. Likewise, electricity will only flow where the components and wires are properly connected.

Notice also that electricity will only flow in a "complete circuit". Electricity must come from a source, and must go to a ground.

There are two quantities that we need to measure when dealing with electricity: Voltage and Current.

 * Voltage:Voltage is a measure of the "pressure" of the electricity. More voltage means more potential for the electricity to flow.

 * Current:Current is a measure of the "amount" of the electricity. More current means more electrons are flowing.

Resistors: Resisting current
Resistors are said to "resist current". At the same pressure (voltage), resistors cause less current to flow. Resistors are measured in units called "Ohms", and are labled with a Ω (greek capital omega).

For the same pressure, more ohms means less current, and fewer ohms means more current.

Ohm's Law
The relationship between current, voltage, and resistance is shown by Ohm's Law:

 * $$V = IR$$

Resistor Color Codes
Resistor values are shown using a special color code. A resistor will have 4 colored bands on it, one of the bands will be gold or silver. To read a resistor, put the gold/silver band on the right. The first two bands on the left are the digits, and the third band is an exponent.

To calculate the value of a resistor, we take the first two digits to form a 2-digit number, and we multiply it by 10 to the power of the third band. For instance, if our resistor was:

Then the value of the resistor would be:

 * $$25 \times 10^4 = 250000 = 250k\Omega$$

The fourth band is a "tolerance" band, or an error code. Silver means the resistor has a 10% error, and gold means the resistor has a 5% error.


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Introduction to Robotics/Electrical Components/Assignment/Students

Reading

 * Read Circuit Theory: Resistors
 * Read PBASIC Programming: Input and Output

Ohm's Law

 * 1) A computer serial port cable has a few requirements: the signal is 5 volts, and the total current flowing into the port can be up to 2 milliamps. If the current is too high, the circuit will be ruined. How much resistance must a serial cable have at 5 volts to keep the current below 2 milliamps?
 * 2) If we have a circuit with a set resistance R, we want to change the voltage and measure the current. Which of the following shapes is our graph likely to have:
 * 3) Parabola
 * 4) Hyperbola
 * 5) Line
 * 6) Sine Wave

Resistors
You have the following resistor color codes, what resistance do these correspond to?

Ports

 * 1) We have a sensor that outputs values between 0 and 116. How many parallel input ports do we need?
 * 2) If we have the statement "DIRS = %1100110101001110", what ports are inputs, and what ports are outputs?


text: Template:Introduction to Robotics/Resistor


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text: File:Screen Shot Follow Dave 8 min.png

title: File:Screen Shot Follow Dave 8 min.png


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Classical guitar

The Classical guitar

 * Classical guitar pedagogy
 * Classical guitar technique

Links

 * Classical guitar on Wikipedia
 * Classical guitar Workbook

title: Classical guitar


text:
Classical guitar pedagogy

Classical guitar Methods

 * Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710) - Instucción de música sobre la Guitarra Española
 * Federico Moretti - Principios para tocar la guitarra de seis òrdenes (Madrid, 1799)
 * Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841) (Italy) - Méthode complette, op.27 (Paris, 1810)
 * Fernando Sor (1778-1839) (Spain)

"Method for the Spanish Guitar"

First published in French under the name “Méthode pour la Guitare” (Paris, 1830) and then translated in English under the name “Method for the Spanish Guitar” in 1832. This Famous method for the guitar has justly been called "the most remarkable book ever published on the guitar".

"Guitar School" (Escuela de guitarra, Madrid, 1825).
 * Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849)

Nuevo Méthode para Guitarra (Madrid, 1843)

 * Matteo Carcassi (1792-1853) (Italy) - Méthode complète pour la guitare, op.59 (Paris, 1836)

 * Francisco Tárrega died before he was able to conclude his intention to publish a method of guitar at the request of the violinist Juan Manen.

 * Emilio Pujol (1886-1980) (Spain) - The Emilio Pujol guitar method, by Daniela Polcher. (French)

 * Abel Carlevaro (1918-2002) School of the Guitar

Published in seven volumes.
 * Suzuki method

By Luke Dunlea
 * Kodály Method

Additional incomplete information is available here: Classical guitar methods

Nineteenth century

 * Fernando Sor (1778-1839) (Spain)
 * Teachers:
 * Students: Napoléon Coste (1806-1883) (France)
 * Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849) (Spain)
 * Teachers:
 * Students:
 * Francisco Tárrega (1852—1909) (Spain)
 * Teachers: Julián Arcas
 * Students: Emilio Pujol (1886-1980) (Spain), Miguel Llobet (1878-1938)

Twentieth century

 * Miguel Llobet (1878-1938)
 * Teachers: Francisco Tárrega
 * Students:María Luisa Anido

 * Emilio Pujol (1886-1980) (Spain)
 * Teachers: Francisco Tárrega
 * Students: Alberto Ponce (*1935)

 * Regino Sainz de la Maza
 * Teachers:
 * Students: Alirio Diaz (*1923)

 * Andrés Segovia (1893-1987)
 * Teachers: Self-taught, but influenced by Miguel Llobet
 * Students: John Williams (*1941) (Australia), *Eliot Fisk (*1958), José Tomás

 * Aaron Shearer
 * Teachers:
 * Students: Manuel Barrueco

 * José Tomás (1934-2001)
 * Teachers: Andrés Segovia, Emilio Pujol
 * Students:

 * Alberto Ponce (*1935)
 * Teachers: Emilio Pujol
 * Students: Roland Dyens (*1955) (France)

 * Abel Carlevaro (1916-2001)
 * Teachers: Andrés Segovia
 * Students: Eduardo Fernandez, Marcelo Kayath

title: Classical guitar pedagogy


text:
Talk:Classical guitar pedagogy

I wrote first this article for Wikipedia.Greyclair 17:53, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Classical guitar pedagogy


text:
User talk:Grégory Leclair~enwikiversity

Hello Grégory Leclair, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. When leaving comments for others to read, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone keep track of who is writing messages. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To help you get started:
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Also, don't forget to experiment with the links to your left. Be bold, and see you around Wikiversity! --JWSchmidt 17:53, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Grégory Leclair. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Grégory Leclair~enwikiversity that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:33, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 06:10, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Grégory Leclair~enwikiversity


text: User:Grégory Leclair~enwikiversity

title: User:Grégory Leclair~enwikiversity


text:
Classical guitar technique

The classical guitar technique is a fingerstyle technique used by classical guitarists to play classical guitar music on a classical guitar.

General
Classical guitar technique can be organised broadly into subsections for the right hand, the left hand, and miscellaneous. In guitar performance elements such as musical dynamic and tonal variation are mostly determined by the hand that physically produces the sound. In other words, the hand that plucks the strings defines the musical expression. Historically this role has been assigned to the dominant hand which, for the majority of players, is the right hand. Similar reasoning is behind string players using the right hand for controlling the bow. In the following discussion the role of the hands should be reversed when considering left-handed players.

Posture
The classical guitar is generally held on the left leg which is supported by a foot stool or the guitar is raised by some other device to bring it to a position central to the player's body. Basic considerations in determining a chosen playing position include:

 * the physical stability of the instrument
 * ensuring the freedom of both hands such that they have thorough access to the instrument and can meet all technical demands without having to support the instrument
 * elimination of general muscular tension in the assumed body position

Right hand technique
The thumb and three largest fingers of the right hand pluck the strings. The normal position is for the hand to be shaped as if it were loosely holding an apple with the wrist slightly bent, the forearm resting on the upper large bout of the guitar, and the fingers near the strings. Plucking the strings usually involves making contact first with the fleshy part of the fingertip and then letting the string glide over the tip of the fingernail as the string is plucked. The two primary plucking techniques are:
 * Rest-stroke (apoyando), in which the finger that plucks the string rests on the next string afterwards; and
 * Free-stroke (tirando), in which the finger hits nothing after plucking the string.

Rest-stroke produces a more "deliberate" sound and is good for bringing the melody out in music where the harmony competes for attention. Free-stroke sounds "lighter" and makes it possible to play fast passages more easily.

One of the tenets of right hand technique in scale passages is alternation. That is, no right hand finger should be used to play two notes in a row (excluding the thumb, which is often called upon to play a sequence of bass notes). Typically, for scale-like passages the index and middle fingers alternate. When an arpeggiated harmony is being played with the thumb (p), index (i) and middle (m) fingers, the ring finger (a) may play a melody above the harmony. In the tremolo technique the thumb plays a bass note followed by the fingers which play the same treble note three times: pami, pami, pami etc (Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega is a famous example of this technique).

The position of the right hand can be used to influence the tone of the sound produced by a classical guitar. The wealth of sonic possibilities enables performers to add contrast and color to their performances well beyond the simple volume changes available to, say, pianists. When the strings are plucked close to the bridge the position is called sul ponticello and the notes sound "twangy" and "nasal". When the strings are plucked over the fingerboard of the guitar the position is termed sul tasto and the tone becomes fuller and "sweet" (termed dolce in Italian, see List of musical terminology page). The angle at which the fingers hit the strings can also affect the timbre of the sound.

The term pizzicato simply refers to plucking the strings in music for bowed instruments. In classical guitar however, it refers to placing the side of the hand below the little finger across all of the strings very close to the bridge and then plucking the strings with the fingers. This produces a muted sound and is referred to as palm-muting in electric guitar parlance. Tambour is the technique where many or all of the strings are played at once by hitting them (usually near the bridge) with the side of the (outstretched) thumb. Both tambor and pizzicato can be heard in Aconquija by Barrios.

The right hand fingers are used to stop notes from ringing past their duration as indicated by the music. This is more often an issue with open string bass notes which tend to ring on for some time. To stop the notes the right hand thumb (usually) rests on the ringing string to stop it. This can pose a significant challenge to the guitarist as he or she needs to attend to each bass note twice, once to start it and once to stop it. The same technique can be used to create a staccato effect.

Trills are usually played on one string using various combinations of left hand slurs, also known as legados or hammer-on and pull-offs. Cross-string trills utilising two or three strings are also possible. In this case the trill usually takes the form of low-high-low and can be executed thus: The left hand stops, say the D# on the fourth fret of the second string, the right hand middle finger plays that note then the index finger "strums" the first and second strings producing: D#-E-D#. The difference between a cross-string trill and an ordinary trill is that the cross-string trill allows both notes to sound against each other. This technique is often used in Baroque music although it is debatable as to whether it was the most common practice of the period.

Nails
Modern practice generally makes use of the nails of the right hand in combination with the flesh of the fingertips in order to pluck the strings. During the 19th century many players, including celebrated guitarists such as Fernando Sor, Francisco Tárrega and his pupil Emilio Pujol played using the flesh of the fingertip, in common with lute technique.

Strumming

 * Rasgueado See main article Rasgueado. Rasgueado or rasgueo is a technical strum in flamenco and classical guitar that includes the use of the back of the fingernails in sequence to give the impression of a very rapid strum. There are several types of rasgueado that employ differing combinations of fingers and thumb allowing for a variety of rhythmical accentuations and subdivisions of the beat.
 * Use the palm-side of the thumb joint to lightly strum strings, producing a soft, low sound.
 * Use the thumb nail to produce a bright sound.
 * A simple combination of both fingers and thumb, the thumb striking the lowest strings and fingers picking the upper notes of the chord from lowest to highest strings in rapid succession.

Left hand technique
The fingers of the left hand press on the strings to shorten their effective length and change the pitch of the notes that the right hand plays. In musical notation the fingers are referred to as 1-4 from index to little fingers, with 0 indicating an open string. The basic position for the left hand is much the same as that of the right, except upside down. Unlike many players of steel-string and electric guitars, which have narrower neck and fingerboards, the classical guitarist does not place her or his left hand thumb over the top of the neck, instead placing it directly behind the neck, usually opposite the second finger.

To play a note cleanly the fingertips of the left hand should be pressed against the string just behind (to the headstock side of) the appropriate fretwire. Often the left hand fingers are all required at once and many (sometimes awkward) hand positions are necessary. Chords requiring all six strings usually employ the barre technique. The guitarist places the first finger across all of the strings at a particular fret and uses the remaining three fingers to play other notes.

When playing notes on the treble strings above the twelfth fret (where the shoulders of the guitar meet the neck) the left shoulder is dropped down a little and the thumb is placed on the underside of the fingerboard to the left of the other fingers. For example if the middle finger is playing an F# at the fourteenth fret of the first string the thumb would be pressing upwards somewhere near the eleventh fret.

Slurs
Slurs, trills and other ornaments are often played entirely with the left hand. For example; in a simple case of an ascending semitone slur (Hammer-on), a note stopped by the first finger of the left hand at the fifth fret is first played in normal manner, then, without the right hand doing anything further, the second finger of the left-hand is placed straight down at the sixth fret on the same string, using its momentum to raise the tone of the still-ringing string by a semitone. A descending slur (Pull-off) is simply the opposite of the above, the slur begins on the higher note and it is common that the finger pressing the higher note actively plucks the string as it lifts, causing the string to vibrate from the fret that the lower finger is depressing. The lower finger is usually in position and pressing before the procedure begins.

If these procedures are repeated a few times the result is known as a trill. Because the note is being plucked repeatedly it is possible to continue a trill indefinitely. Often the upper note in such a trill is played by alternating fingers thus: 2-1-3-1-2-1-3-1...

Vibrato
Vibrato is possible with a classical guitar by pushing the left hand finger back and forth along the string axis (not across it as for a "bend" in rock or blues music) producing a subtle variation in pitch, both sharper and flatter than the starting note, without noticeably altering the fundamental tonal focus of the note being played. When vibrato is required at the first or second fret it is sometimes beneficial to push the string across its axis as it produces a more noticeable vibrato sound there. This second method will only vary the pitch by raising it sharper than the starting note and is the most common method of vibrato used by steel string and electric guitar players.

Harmonics
Natural harmonics can be played by touching a left hand finger upon specific points along an open string without pressing it down, then playing the note with the right hand. The positions of both the left and right hand are important. The left hand must be placed at a nodal point along the string. Nodal points are found at integral divisions of the string length. The simplest example would be when the left hand finger divides the string in two and is placed at the twelfth fret. The note then played is one octave higher than the open string. If the string is divided in three (left hand finger near the seventh fret) the note played is one octave and one fifth above the open string. The player must be careful not to pluck the string at another node (nearer the bridge) otherwise the harmonic will not sound. This can be easily demonstrated by resting a left hand finger on the fifth fret and trying to play the note by plucking the string at the twelfth fret with the right hand - no note will be produced. Ideally the right hand should pluck the string at an antinode.

Artificial harmonics are played by stopping the string as usual with the left hand then resting (not pressing) the index finger of the right hand on the string at a nodal position (commonly 5, 7, 9, or 12 frets above the left hand finger) and plucking the string with the ring finger or thumb of the right hand.

Left hand positions
In common with other classical stringed instruments, classical guitar playing and notation use formal positions of the left hand. The 'nth position' means that the hand is positioned with the first finger over the nth fret.

Fretboard Knowledge
A solid knowledge of the fretboard is essential to playing classical style guitar. The fretboard is set up starting with the lowest to the highest strings in this fashion;
 * EADGBE

Key of Cmajor up to the 5th fret. (No sharps or flats).

| E A  D  G  B  E | Open Position |--|         | F           C  F | 1st fret |--|         |    B  E  A       | 2nd fret |--|         | G  C  F     D  G | 3rd fret |--|          |          B       | 4th fret |--|         | A  D  G  C  E  A | 5th fret |--|

This pattern continues all the way up the fretboard. Sharps (#) are produced by going UP 1/2 step (1 fret), and flats(b) are are produced in like manner going down 1/2 step (1 fret).

Studies
There are many exercises that can be used to develop right and left hand technique on the classical guitar.

 * Leo Brouwer
 * Etudes Simples - Volumes 1-4
 * Matteo Carcassi
 * 25 Etudes Opus 60
 * Mauro Giuliani
 * Etudes Instructives Faciles Et Agreables, Opus 100
 * Xviii Lecons Progressives, Opus 51 (18 Progressive Lessons)
 * Studio Per La Chitarra, Opus 1 (The Study Of The Guitar)
 * Studi Dilettevoli, Opus 98 (Entertaining Studies)
 * Esercizio Per La Chitarra, Opus 48 (Training for the Guitar) 24 Studies
 * Primi Lezioni Progressive, Opus 139 (First Progressive Lessons)
 * 120 Studies for Right Hand Development
 * Fernando Sor
 * 12 Studies, Opus 6
 * Douze Etudes, Opus 29
 * Vingt Quatre Leçons, Opus 31
 * Vingt Quatre Exercises, Opus 35
 * Introduction a l' Etude de la Guitare, Opus 60
 * 20 Studies for Guitar, (a compilation by Andres Segovia)
 * Heitor Villa-Lobos
 * Douze Etudes (1929)

title: Classical guitar technique


text:
Talk:Classical guitar technique

I started this article on Wikipedia as Tommaso456 on June 24 2006 Greyclair 18:00, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Classical guitar technique


text:
User:Dionysios/Documents/Wikiversity on Wikibooks

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User talk:Rolobio~enwikiversity

Hello Rolobio, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. When leaving comments for others to read, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone keep track of who is writing messages. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To help you get started:
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Also, don't forget to experiment with the links to your left. Be bold, and see you around Wikiversity! --Cormaggio talk 00:37, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Rolobio. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Rolobio~enwikiversity that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:42, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 06:20, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Rolobio~enwikiversity


text:
User talk:SisterLuke

Hello SisterLuke, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. When leaving comments for others to read, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone keep track of who is writing messages. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To help you get started:
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Also, don't forget to experiment with the links to your left. Be bold, and see you around Wikiversity! --JWSchmidt 01:33, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:SisterLuke


text:
User:Scigirl543~enwikiversity

I am new to Wikiversity, but I am also on several other Wikis, including English Wikipedia, Slovak Wikipedia, English Wikiquote, and ForensicsWiki. My username is Scigirl543 on all of them. If anybody wants to contact me, I check my UserTalk page on English Wikipedia regularly. That is also where I have my full userprofile. Thanks!

title: User:Scigirl543~enwikiversity


text:
File:Mok TeX Screenplay.pdf

Used with the WikiU Film School Lesson on how to format a movie script

title: File:Mok TeX Screenplay.pdf


text:
Adobe Photoshop/Magic Wand Tool

The Magic Wand tool provides a means of selecting an area which contains a similar range of colors. For example, the tool can be used to select a shadowed area from an image since the region will generally contain a dark range of colors. Key to this process is the selection "threshold" which is used by the tool to determine the size of the color range used during the selection and thus how lenient the tool is in adding pixels to the selected area. A higher threshold indicates that more colors will meet the selection criteria and will generally result in a larger selected area.

Use
To use the Magic Wand tool first select it from the Tool Bar. Then move your cursor into the area containing the color range that you would like to select; the shadow in our aforementioned example. Set the threshold to a value which you consider reasonable and click the mouse. Note that your threshold level selection will be a skill gained through experience and that you can always make multiple attempts at selecting an area and eventually tune the threshold correctly.

Options
The following is a subset of options available when using the Magic Wand Tool;
 * 1) Anti-aliased: When enabled, the Anti-aliased forces the Magic Wand Tool to anti-alias the edges of the selection area.
 * 2) Contiguous: When enabled, the Contiguous option forces the Magic Wand Tool to select pixels that are directly connected together. So, if you wanted to select one shadow from a image enable the Contiguous option. But, if you want to select all shadows in the scene disable this option.

title: Adobe Photoshop/Magic Wand Tool


text:
Adobe Photoshop/Crop Tool

Crop tool is used to constrain an area within an image or image itself to a specified ratio. When we click the crop tool the width and height options for the selected marquee is displayed in the info palette, where you can specify your requirement.

title: Adobe Photoshop/Crop Tool


text:
Technical writing/Audience

back to Technical Writing Level 1

Audience Analysis Lesson Plan

 * 1) Identify the audience
 * 2) List research items about the audience
 * 3) Write a simple instruction set for a persona
 * 4) Create a persona based on this research
 * 5) Write an introduction to a product for your persona

You'll need:

 * A photo
 * A product
 * A wiki page

Student Wiki Pages
If you want feedback on your course work, then put it online and add a link to the discussion page. Your fellow students and instructors will assist you.

Learn more about Fred and see some sample exercises.

 * Telecommunications Operator Persona: Michal

Audience Analysis
Writing for the audience

Documentation is a form of support and product marketing for the audience it targets.

Good technical writers have the ability to transfer the knowledge of subject-matter experts to the end user through their documentation. It is important to research the product for which you are writing and communicate with the person for whom you are writing.

How can you research potential readers?
A good starting point in research is the observation of people. Observe your peers and determine common attributes. Writing for a skilled audience relies on technical accuracy; therefore, an understanding of the business environment, technology, and theory is essential.

Tools we can use to help us in our research include:

 * surveys and questionnaires
 * popular opinion and stereotypes
 * personal experience
 * brainstorming documentation efforts
 * audience feedback

Additional research tools are found in the business environment. For example, a marketing department usually has a clear idea of intended buyers of software. To best utilize their skill sets, determine if a designated resource is accessible and arrange a meeting with them. A good resource can provide marketing analysis, possible pitfalls of terminology usage, and demographics in detail. This information is a good first step in understanding audience analysis.

End user analysis:

 * Their level of experience with similar products
 * How they intend to use the software
 * The jargon they use in their work

Environment and Expectations
If your intended audience is completely new to the target technology, you may have to include quite elementary instructions in your materials; but most readers today have at least some familiarity with these topics, and there is no need to waste their time repeating it. By finding out how familiar the audience is with similar technology, you save your time and the reader's too.

Most people don't buy software because they are interested in the names of all the buttons. Instead, they buy the software so that they can achieve a goal through completing specific tasks. So your instructions must concentrate on the steps they need to reach their goal. I use a word processor so that I write and format text, not because I love hunting for menu items and building macros. Hence, I expect instructions to show me how to create, save, edit, and finally print a letter or some other document. Always focus on the task the user wants to complete, and describe it simply and directly.

So long as your software follows the conventions found in most similar products (i.e., a "file" isn't called a "rock") then you can use the same conventions. The Microsoft Manual of Styleis a good source for these software-naming conventions. Other terms that are specific to the software's intended purpose should come from the prospective users. If the end users of your software always refer to something as the "skryx", then so should you. A software manual is not the place to try to change their terminology, but a place to reflect it so that readers immediately feel comfortable and confident that you understand them and will help.

Your reader's environment affects what you write, and its format.

This leads to some basic questions:

 * What does your reader need to know?
 * Where does s/he need to know it?
 * When does s/he need to learn it?

Exercise 1
Use search engines and Wikipedia to research the background of wiki contributors. List what is known about these people. List what is unknown.

Wikipedia contributors, who are commonly called Wikipedians, are a group of diverse people all over the world who have made the conscious decision to come together and form a community that promotes knowledge acquisition. Wikipedians are bold internet extroverts who create and maintain the online encyclopedia Wikipedia with accessible and comprehensive knowledge about every field possible. They are time conscious and always reading to make sure articles are well edited.

It's fortunate that unregistered Wikipedians contribute massively to the site, because registered members often lack commitment. Only 1% of the registered editors are functional, with the likes of Steven Pruitt (American) topping the chart with highest number of edits made on English Wikipedia.

Wikipedians pose great skills in content generation, editing, and writing clear and concise articles for different audiences.

Personas
Even if you have a pretty good idea of the end users of the software, it's still not very effective to write for a generalized "they." You could solve the problem by always writing for your mom, but inevitably you'll find yourself writing for people so very unlike your mother that it simply won't work. Technical writers tend to document many different types of technology, and this means writing for very different audiences.

Alan Cooper has proposed a workable solution. He suggests creating fictional but complete personas for each project, and then writing for the personas.

While creating a fictional character may seem to be an odd start to the process of documenting technological products and processes, it usually works. Why? Because having a persona allows you to think deeply about your audience and cater the information to their needs. Then you can select the appropriate "natural" metaphors and data structures they will understand.

Personas are hypothetical archetypes, or "stand-ins" for actual users that drive the decision making for interface design projects.

 * Personas are not real people, but they represent real people throughout the design process
 * Personas are not "made up"; they are discovered as a by-product of the investigative process
 * Although personas are imaginary, they are defined with significant rigor and precision
 * Names and personal details for personas are made up to make them more realistic
 * Personas are defined by their goals
 * Interfaces that satisfy personas' needs and goals are built

Source: Alan Cooper, The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity Indianapolis: Sams, 1999, pp. 123-24. (Wording condensed and modified.)

Exercise 2
Create a detailed persona of a "typical" Wiki user, including

age = 23 years, family background : Average standard of livelihood, Catholics, education : University, study History experience with computers : No IT skills

 * Describe how they are using Wiki to achieve life goals; Research

 * Describe what tasks they will complete with Wiki; online courses daily

 * What terms, specific to Wiki, are new to them; RAM, HARD AND SOFTWARE, neologism

Identity
1) Who are they? Students 2) Where do they live? Africa, Cameroon 3) What language do they speak? English/French 4) How old are they? 20s 5) Do they have a family? Yes 6) How do they look for others? Mobile communications and vacations 7) What is their need? To learn IT

Needs
1) Why would they want to use your product? Wikipedia provides easy to read information on IT for all academic levels OR IQ 2) What do they wish to achieve? To learn IT skills in shortest time possible 3):What are their goals? Become IT expert 4) What do they want to read? every information on IT 5) Why do they want to read you? Wikipedia makes IT information available at little or not cost, all you need is dedication

Attitudes
Does your audience hate reading? NO Do they distrust technology? they are very innovative and technology friendly Do they love details and examples? Yes, its elaborate What is their previous experience with user documentation? No experience

Expectations
Based on their previous experience, what do they expect out of what you're writing? Overviews? Details?

If they want to use the product without any details, write something very compact to satisfy them; but if they are expecting detailed technical specifications, a general introduction will not meet their goals. You must know their expectations in advance of planning your documents. Sometimes, product marketing can help you find out what they expect, or you may look at competing products.

Personas are simply hypothetical types of real users. Describe your persona’s goals, experience, environment, and expectations. Then write and structure your information in such a way that it serves those goals.

 * 1) Identify key users: University history students
 * 2) Create users’ persona: they in their 20s, active mindsets, love reading and skill driven
 * 3) Identify users’ goals: Become IT experts
 * 4) Define tasks to accomplish these goals: 3 hours of online encyclopedia learning everyday

Essential Persona Details

 * A name: Dris
 * Age: 23 years
 * A photo
 * Personal information: Master student of University of Buea, department history, Volunteers in community building, plays football, comes from a family of 7 siblings, have strong will power
 * Work environment: can withstand adverse working conditions like angry boss, people person and team player
 * Computer proficiency and comfort level with using the Web: very low, intimidated with web languages
 * Pet peeves and technical frustrations:Can't use microsoft word to write final year project
 * Attitudes : eager to learn
 * Motivation or "trigger" for using a high-tech product : Have an IT understanding, help friends struggling with research writing and editing.
 * Information-seeking habits and favorite resources : Wikipedia,edu, org
 * Personal and professional goals : Become an IT expert and gain employment in a renowned company some day
 * Candid quotes: Consistency is key to success

Source: Alan Cooper, The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity, Indianapolis: Sams, 1999, Chapter Nine. (Wording condensed and modified.)

Creating a persona
After you have conducted as much audience analysis as is practical, you should have a good idea of the composite of people who will use the software. From this background data, you simply dream up a representative of those people. Give this person a name, say "John Smith", and appropriate details about their life. Where did they go to school? Do they have kids? What kind of car do they drive?

By formulating these details and writing them down, you begin to delve into the motivations and goals of this persona. The question, "what do they want from life?" gives you their goals. From these goals, you can fit in how the software helps them.

For example: John Smith, a thirty-four year old firefighter with a six year old daughter and a new pickup, wants to keep in contact with his family through a new voice over IP product. He's already familiar with telephones, and has used email and even IRC a few times. He has two years of college and sometimes reads Stephen King novels, but doesn't ever read "computer books".

From this, you would see that to help John make and receive telephone calls on his computer, you'd be wasting your time putting together a detailed technical description in printed form. Instead, you'd make the interface similar to email, and use the metaphor of standard telephones where practical. John wouldn't have to search for how to use something he's already familiar with, and could get right to the business of telling Grandma about his daughter's birthday party.

Exercise 3
Describe Wikipedia to your persona. Wikipedia is a community of people who go the extra miles to make sure information on every field is available online and made accessible and readable by any kind of audience (you).

Essential Reading

 * The Inmates are Running the Asylum
 * The Origins of Personas link is outdated
 * Using Personas to Create User Documentation link is outdated
 * Perfecting your Personas link is outdated
 * Technical Writing Course

title: Technical writing/Audience


text:
Technical writing/Research

How to edit Wiki

Wikiversity Main Page

back to Technical Writing Level 1

Generally speaking, there are a limited number of approaches to getting cooperation and information from specialists:

The B's of interacting with SMEs
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) have information. Your job as a technical writer is to transfer that information to other people. First you'll have to learn what they know. This is crucial to your success, so you have to know how to get along with these experts.

{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="margin:0em 0em 1em 0em; width:100%" The Six Bs of SME Interviews
 * style="width:100%; vertical-align:top; border:1px solid Gold; background-color:LightYellow;" |

Bullying
Bullying developers is unlikely to be effective. In relative terms, they have more organizational power than technical writers and can resist this bullying very easily. In practical terms they have the information, and we need it. So what can we threaten anyone with? Very little. Don't try to bully SMEs.

Begging
Begging might work, but it's undignified. "Please, please tell me!" won't get you very far.

Bothering
Bothering developers is probably the most common and most annoying technique. A barrage of emails and reminders will eventually work, but you'll get the minimum amount of cooperation just to get rid of your pestering.

Bribing
Bribing developers can be the first step on the road to a longlasting friendship. Bribing in this context is giving the developer something tangible in return for their intangible knowledge, whether that be some chocolate or something larger.

Backscratching
The phrase "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" is a very useful motto for getting information from a developer. Backscratching is one step up from bribery as there is reciprocation between the technical writer and the developer.

The developer can be convinced with the reasoning that the technical writer is helping the developer by taking away the laborious task of writing documentation.

Befriending
The best way to get information from a developer is to develop a friendship with them. It is far easier to get information from your friends than it is from just another colleague, also your friends are far more patient of your misunderstandings.
 * }

Why Research for an Interview?
While it is true that the purpose of an interview is to gather information about the product you are writing about, it is also important that you take time to prepare before meeting with the /SME/.

One of the most important reasons for being properly prepared for an interview is to maintain your credibility with the SME - credibility in the eyes of a developer is of vital importance because if they have little or no respect for you then you will get the minimum of co-operation.

It is important when dealing with an SME not to attempt to bluff them and appear more knowledgeable than you really are, again it is vital to remember that an expert can spot a fake from a mile away.

Tools to use
There are many places we can look to in order to prepare ourselves for the interview.

The first place we can go to in order to find information is any previous product documentation which is available. This is important to be aware of because we do not want to ask developers dumb questions which have already been answered elsewhere. It can also provide useful information in the situation where we are writing about an update or amendment to a product as we can simply ask if the situation is still the same.

One of the most valuable tools for background reading is of course the Internet, in particular sites such as Wikipedia and Google. These sites are a gateway to background information which often the developer will assume you already know. So, be prepared for the developers' expectations and meet them.

When you are preparing software-related documentation, one of the most useful preparation techniques is to use the software itself, assuming of course it is available to you. By experimenting it is possible to formulate a reasonable assumption about how something works.

Know your SME
The SMEs we are most likely to come across when writing our documentation can be described using Alan Cooper's term "Homo Logicus", the following are typical traits of such a person:

 * Intellectually competitive
 * Trade simplicity for control
 * Enjoy mastering complexity
 * Often contemptuous of “users”
 * Lose sight of big picture

Tips for collecting information from SMEs

 * Don’t send e-mails asking for technical explanations. Either call the SME or go over to his or her cube and ask a few questions.

 * Set up official meetings with SMEs to ask all the questions you have. People may be busy, but they can rarely escape an official meeting if you set it up.

 * If you can sit near an SME, one technique that works well is to wait until you see them entering a "dead" state (e.g., they’re waiting for something to install, or they can’t figure something out, or they’re finished with something). Timing is everything. Ask a question at that time, and then ask another. It might get them going on a bit longer than they had planned.

 * Ask to look over their shoulder and watch what they’re doing. I suspect that many SMEs relish their techie knowledge, and this is one way to ingratiate yourself by inundating their senses with indirect adulation.

 * To get an SME to review a document, set a due date and call a meeting at which the SME is required to deliver his or her review. If you just send the document and ask for a critique/review, it may never come.

 * Although you can always buy an SME lunch, it’s sometimes hard to keep the focus on work. If you carpool, you can ask the SME questions in the car, where he or she doesn't have access to a computer.

Taken from | I'd Rather be Writing by Tom Johnson, used with permission.

Conducting SME interviews
Remember this phrase when interviewing an SME: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Resources
As well as being prepared in terms of background reading for the interview, it is also vital to pay attention to what things you need with you in order to successfully complete the interview.

Most important is how you intend to record the information you receive from the SME. Will you be writing? If so, do you intend to type straight to your laptop, or use a notepad and pen? If you are using the latter, is it a suitable medium for the location of the interview? If you are using paper and pen, it is always a good idea to have different colour pens available for highlighting information or separating the text clearly.

If you are not planning to write in situ, then bring a recording device to keep a record of the information that the SME presents. If the SME uses a whiteboard for diagrams, then have a camera with you to take pictures of the diagrams.

Manner
The where, when and how of interviewing is also very important.

 * Where

One of the key considerations when interviewing an SME is where you intend to meet to collect the information you need. This will of course affect how you record the information you collect, especially if you are meeting within a server room where a Dictaphone would be useless. The best option is, of course, a meeting room where the SME can bring a laptop to show you the information. This will also eliminate potential disruptions that can take place in the SME's regular work location.

 * When

Developers are busy people, so it is important not to take up their time for hours on end. By preparing properly for the interview, the technical writer can minimize the amount of time taken out of the SME's schedule. Ideally, the maximum duration of an interview should be about an hour.

 * How

When interviewing an SME in a meeting room it is a very good idea to create an atmosphere that is conducive to your task, which is getting information. A developer's natural environment is not an office, it is the server room, so it is necessary to be relaxed, and it is always a good idea to have coffee and biscuits or chocolate available.

It is also important to consider how you plan to talk to the developer, "register" is vitally important as we neither want to be overly familiar or overly formal with the SME. Learn their language and speak to them in terms they understand.

Information Chunks
Everyone makes assumptions, and developers are no different - they will assume that you have some background knowledge on the product about which you are writing. So, it is important to not ask broad sweeping questions, but rather questions that require an individual "chunk" Technical_writing_structure of information.

Good technical writing presents information a chunk at a time, so your questions should reflect this reality and look only for chunks that are useful, rather than writing monologues. We are writing about how something works, not the Queen Mab speech from Romeo and Juliet.

Preparation
Remember the phrase: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

At this point the tracking procedure begins. It is important to keep the requirements specification of the project in mind so that the information you acquire is in line with that specification.

It is important to have clear and well-defined questions ready; always be focused and ask open questions rather than closed questions that expect a "yes" or "no" answer.

Make sure any equipment that you are using works.

Beginning

 * Always be prompt, there is nothing more annoying for a busy developer than someone being late.
 * Thank the SME for his or her time.
 * Inform the SME of the scope of the interview and why you need the information.

Conducting

 * Taking notes is important. Pay particular attention to concepts, numbers and relevant facts. There is no need, however, to copy the SME's answers verbatim.

 * Begin with the questions you already have so that you cover everything in the plan.

 * Ask follow-up questions in order to clarify the SME's replies or to get extra information that is useful for you.

 * Bring the SME back to the points you want covered, don't be afraid to lead the interview rather than simply letting the SME waffle all over the place.

Finishing
When finishing the interview it is important to check that all the questions you have prepared are answered. This is an important part of the tracking process.

 * Ask if there is anything you have overlooked.

 * Thank the SME again for his or her time.

After
Validate the information you have acquired.

Tracking a task
Keeping a track of your work is essential for the life cycle of a project. If you don't keep track, then how do you expect to know what has been done and what needs to be done?

Make a list of topics and concepts that correspond to the requirement specification of the system. By tracking these requirements to the actual system and documents delivered to the users, you can validate that you've covered everything.

What is Validation?
Once you have interviewed the SME and created your documentation based on the information chunks that you have gathered it is important to validate that information.

Validation is a process that ensures that the information you have written is accurate and, most importantly, that it works.

How to Validate
Providing accurate information is one of the most important tasks in technical writing.

The first line of validation is, naturally, self-validation. This is particularly true when you are writing documentation for software that you have access to and are able to test the information in the software environment first hand.

It is also a good idea to consult a fellow technical writer, remember that no one person knows everything there is to know about writing documentation. A second set of eyes may notice things that have slipped through undetected because of your familiarity with the text.

Having the SME validate your work is also a useful approach. This is especially true in our situation where the SME is practically the same as our target audience. However, in more general technical writing this approach can be detrimental to the process of writing for the target audience. The developer is a key resource for validating the veracity of what is written, but never for commenting on the style.

Learn More

 * Free online technical writing textbook
 * Subject matter interview techniques for technical writers
 * Conducting Successful SME Interviews
 * Conducting Successful SME Interviews PDF Form
 * Be Nice to Your SME!
 * Interviewing the SME

back to Technical Writing Level 1

title: Technical writing/Research


text:
Technical writing/Structure

back to Technical Writing Level 1

Levels of Detail
TWFred speaking on Levels of Detail (YouTube Video)

What is an information chunk?
An information "chunk" is a digestible unit of information.

When creating descriptions or instructions, a document structure will always be composed of a number of information chunks.

A telephone number, for example "555-3456", has two chunks, one of 3 digits and the other of 4 digits.

Chunks can also be known as "nodes" or "elements".

How do chunks work?
George Miller came up with the concept of the "magical number seven, plus or minus two". The idea that human brains can handle and store effectively around seven chunks of information at a time.

This means there are clear rules for presenting chunks of information. The rules apply to both printed and online information.

Structure and Function
Most things can be described in terms of structure and function – political systems, body organs, games, and systems.

Structure is Platonic in the sense that it approximates an ideal form. Function is Aristotelian in that it describes the uses we have for things. A Platonist might describe a horse as a beast with four legs, a tail, and a long back. An Aristotelian could describe the same horse as a beast for riding and even go a step further to give instructions for riding the beast.

Technical writers combine both philosophies in their everyday work. It’s just another thing that makes technical writing such an interesting profession.

Descriptions versus Instructions
Structures have Descriptions. Functions have Instructions.

For example, when describing a horse, list all the components that make up the horse. To identify the horse generically, define what a horse is in abstract terms. Give the audience enough required information to identify a horse.

When providing instructions for riding a horse, start with a description of the temperament of that horse, and how to use the saddle, reins, and stirrups the horse is wearing. Provide the audience with information required to take advantage of the horse's function...riding.

The Importance of Structure
Data without structure is not very useful. How do you find what you’re looking for? What’s important, and what is trivial? When you read about a subject, you expect some kind of organization that saves your time and effort in learning. If it is not organized, you will quickly give up.

Put the most important information first. What is most important? That depends on your audience analysis. Generally, warnings come first. Most introductions are a waste of time for the technical reader. They don’t read from start to finish, but rather search for a particular chunk of information.

So your index, table of contents, or other navigational aid should come first. Assume your reader is intelligent enough to find their way if your organization is clear and consistent.

Hierarchical Structures
Ideally, you know your audience so well you can rank the importance of your information. At any rate, you should make an intelligent guess at what should come first. This creates a natural hierarchy, where features are listed from most to least important.

If you follow the structure of the software or system you are documenting, you may choose to look at the user interface. For each unique screen simply go from the top left to the bottom right, listing each menu item, command button, or text box in order.

Hierarchies become obvious while analyzing the structure and function of your application, based on the primary uses of the system in the hands of your customers.

Horizontal Structures
More often, because of the nature of modern software and user interface design improvements, you’ll find that the application you write about has a horizontal or process oriented layout. This can be represented as a wheel just as well as a flat line.

Horizontal organization emphasizes the dependencies within the process. One thing follows another. At the same time, it shows that you may start the process at a variety of points. Anything can be first. There are many ways to achieve the users' goals.

Vertical Structures
Vertical structures, where there is only one path to follow, are rare. A single information chunk in the form of an instruction may be presented as a vertical structure.

Linear structures
A linear structure is familiar to everyone who reads books. There is a beginning, middle, and an end.

For something to happen, something must happen first. It depends, or has a “dependency” on the first action.

Non-linear structures
Online structures, as you quickly learn by surfing the internet, are non-linear. This means that there is no need for dependency. You can go direct from the middle to the end, and back to the beginning.

You can also provide navigation through graphical interfaces, as in this wiki example of an image map.

An image map allows you to identify an area in a graphic, so when the user clicks it a link opens. You can put many links in a single graphic.

Challenge to students
...look at the code under this illustration, it doesn't redirect because it's from media wiki instead of wikiversity...go to the instruction manual page to learn the details...go to the discussion and write why it doesn't work, or better, fix it and then describe the problem and the solution too...

There is an instruction manual page about image maps at this wiki.

(Thanks to JWSchmidt)

Structural clash
Most systems have a mix of dependent and non-dependent functions. Where there are dependencies, a numbered hierarchical structure for the user information is obvious.

Where the functions are non-dependent, a non-linear or horizontal structure makes more sense.

But on paper, you cannot effectively represent a non-linear structure so you must arbitrarily assign importance to various features.

In each case, the key is good navigation designed with your audience in mind, with both structure and function. Allow your readers to search for the information they want with an online search function. Printed documents can have a table of contents and index.

Exercise 1
Re-structure this description of making scrambled eggs. For this exercise the audience is Sandra Jones.

How to make scrambled eggs for 2 people.

Assemble the following ingredients :
 * 1) 4 eggs
 * 2) 1/2 cup of milk
 * 3) 3 tablespoons of canola oil
 * 4) salt and pepper

You will need the following utensils:
 * 1) Medium size nonstick surface frying pan
 * 2) A wide spatula
 * 3) Mixing bowl, and whisk

Directions:
 * 1) Break the eggs into the mixing bowl, add the milk, salt and pepper
 * 2) Whisk all ingredients together until uniformly mixed, and until the mixture has a slight froth.
 * 3) Pour the oil into the frying pan over a medium heat
 * 4) Tilt the frying pan to coat the cooking surface of the pan with oil.
 * 5) Let the oil heat up about 40 seconds to 1 minute and then pour the mixture into the pan.
 * 6) The eggs will begin to cook and take on a more solid texture.

Use the method of flipping the egg mixture with the spatula once as it cooks for a more firm texture. Alternatively use the spatula to lightly scrape the eggs gently as the mixture firms for a softer texture. Place the scrambled eggs on a warm plate and enjoy ! Tasty accompaniments include bacon, ham, tabasco on the eggs and toast with your favorite jam.

title: Technical writing/Structure