Design Engineering Skill Sessions. To firm up your familiarity with the new design tools, you are asked to imagine, design, and test drive a creation that can be put to good use within RSGC's Senior and Junior ACES' program. Your device can be original or it can improve upon an existing component you have used but have found lacking in some manner (building a better mousetrap).

As previously mentioned, ViaCAD projects are to yield an acrylic mounting structure that can be used by Senior ACES' students (Grades 10 through 12) upon which ACES' and assemble components to assist and improve either their prototyping or knowledge development interests.

EAGLE students have a choice between the development of a new RGSC ACES' breakout board to facilitate prototyping with an existing component (ie. 7-segment display, bargraph, etc.) or an improved version of the Automatic Night Light PCB. The best of the latter will be outsourced immediately for production and given to the current Grade 6's at the end of February for the final electronics project.

Evaluation of your productivity will come in two stages.

1. You are asked to attach your Design files (.vc3 or .sch & .brd) to handin under the Subject Line: Design Engineering Skill 1 no later than midnight, Wednesday February 1.
2. Mr. Elia will review the ViaCAD files before having them laser-cut and returned to you for assembly and performance-testing. EAGLE students will arrange to have a mimimum quantity of boards outsourced for production and returned for assembly and performance-testing. Students will be present their devices to the class at some point for peer evaluation.
3. Fro the second round, please undertake the same stages as in 1 or 2, submitting your files under the Subject Line: Design Engineering Skill 2 no later than midnight, Thursday March 9.