Overview
This interdisciplinary course examines the analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation of mechatronic systems integrating computation, electronics, mechanics, sensing, and actuation. Students study system components and block diagrams, units and signal representation, sensor characteristics, calibration, accuracy, noise, filtering, signal conditioning, actuator technologies, drivers, power electronics, protection, and safe switching.
The course introduces kinematics, mechanical transmission, feedback and feedforward control, open-loop and closed-loop systems, transfer functions, state-space representations, stability, proportional-integral-derivative control, PID tuning, sampling, discrete-time control, timing, and real-time implementation. Nonideal effects including saturation, dead zones, hysteresis, friction, and integrator windup are addressed through practical control design and analysis.
Practical sessions use microcontrollers or robotics platforms for sensor data acquisition, actuator control, calibration, modeling, simulation, and performance measurement. Students develop the ability to select and integrate components, model signal and energy flow, implement and tune control algorithms against measurable specifications, diagnose instability and hardware faults, assess safety and reliability, and communicate engineering decisions through schematics, code, test plans, and technical reports.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze mechatronic system architectures using component diagrams and models of signal and energy flow.
- Select sensors and actuators for specified measurement, dynamic, environmental, power, and performance requirements.
- Calibrate sensors and evaluate accuracy, noise, filtering, signal conditioning, and measurement uncertainty.
- Implement safe driver and switching circuits for motors, solenoids, pneumatic devices, and other actuators.
- Model basic mechanical and control-system dynamics using transfer-function and state-space representations.
- Evaluate open-loop, closed-loop, feedback, and feedforward systems for stability and performance.
- Design and tune proportional, integral, derivative, and PID controllers against measurable response specifications.
- Implement sampled-data and discrete-time control algorithms with appropriate timing and real-time constraints.
- Diagnose instability, saturation, dead zones, hysteresis, friction, integrator windup, and hardware faults using experimental evidence.
- Synthesize an integrated mechatronic control system and communicate its design, testing, safety, and reliability through schematics, code, test plans, and technical reports.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Lab | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverable | Weekly laboratory exercises and technical records (10 × 2%) | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Control-system modeling and simulation assignment | 15.00% |
| Test | Practical sensor and actuator integration test | 15.00% |
| Test | Mid-semester control systems test | 15.00% |
| Capstone | Integrated mechatronic control project and technical report | 25.00% |
| Exam | Final examination | 10.00% |
Prerequisites
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.