engin-2223 – Dr. P's Engineering Classes

Skipped toggles using ATmega328P timer/counter 1 in CTC mode

What the heck is double buffering, and why should you care? While developing a new activity for my microcontrollers class, I learned the value of double buffering the hard way.…

Dr. Pasquale April 29, 2025

Digital Systems Microcontrollers

Small bytes: Program counter

One of the current projects I'm tinkering with is an 8-bit computer. It's something I've wanted to build for several years, and now that I've finished so many other projects,…

Dr. Pasquale October 14, 2024

Circuit Analysis Microcontrollers

Analog computation: solving simultaneous linear equations

Prior to the digital revolution, analog electrical computers were used to solve complicated mathematical equations (missile guiding, aerodynamics, stability, etc.). Many systems that can be modeled as a set of…

Dr. Pasquale September 17, 2024

Digital Systems Microcontrollers

Implementing a Digital Design Project

In digital systems, I teach about a bunch of different hardware solutions that can be used to implement a project. I thought it would be fun (and not to mention,…

Dr. Pasquale December 16, 2020

Digital Systems Microcontrollers

Creating Hobby Project PCBs

The purpose of this post is to make the design process of creating printed circuit boards (PCBs) a little less scary. Please note that, as with most of the hobby…

Dr. Pasquale December 7, 2020

Microcontrollers

How to Get Started with a Big Project

Frequently, I will come up with an idea for a project I’d like to do. Some of the projects are small in scope, like designing a PCB for some DIP…

Dr. Pasquale November 21, 2020

Microcontrollers

Troubleshooting a Microcontroller Project

It can be very difficult to convey to students sometimes just how much effort can go into diagnosing a circuit that isn’t working, and how much tenacity it takes. There…

Dr. Pasquale September 21, 2020