Outline

Overview

The unit will be focused on a common electro-mechanical system that incorporates the basic components of electric and mechanical power systems, electronics and mechatronics. This will provide a context based introduction to basic electrical theory including Ohm’s law, Kirchoff’s voltage and current laws, passive component characteristics (resistors, capacitors & inductors) as well as a conceptual introduction to transistors, operational amplifiers and digital logic. Sensors for measuring physical phenomena such as temperature, pressure and force will be included together with an introduction to AC and poly phase systems, power factor, electromagnetism, DC motors, AC motors, Servo-motors, motor speed control, batteries and electric motor and speed controller selection. Integration and control of the system will provide an introduction to simplified mechatronics systems through the use of the Arduino system to interface sensors, computer code and actuators integrating and acquiring data from sensors. The unit of study will include a strong practical component where students will become familiar with the basics of electrical circuits, electrical motors, power supplies, assembling simple circuits and the use of measurement tools such as multimeters and oscilloscopes in the context of electro-mechanical systems. A laboratory where students write and upload code to an Arduino system that interfaces with sensors and actuators will be included.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	AMME1705
Academic unit	Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	AMME2700
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Stewart Worrall, stewart.worrall@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Stewart Worrall, stewart.worrall@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Skills-based evaluation	Lab 1 - Familiarisation Demonstration of circuits, plus report	16%	Week 03	Assessment in lab plus submitted report
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Electronics fundamentals This will be a short release canvas assessment with a 2 hour time limit.	10%	Week 06	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Lab 2 - Sensors Demonstration of circuits, plus report	20%	Week 07	Assessment in lab plus report
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Sensors and signals This will be a short release canvas assessment with a 2 hour time limit.	13%	Week 09	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Lab 3 - Controller circuit Demonstration of circuits, plus report	25%	Week 11	Assessment in lab plus report
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Putting it all together This will be a short release canvas assessment with a 2 hour time limit.	16%	Week 13	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Students are expected to attend their scheduled labs, or will require formal special consideration. The assessment in the labs will take place in the second and third week of each lab, and will require demonstration of the simulated circuits, and prototyped circuits to the tutor. The assessment will include the tutor asking you to effectively communicate your design and testing processes. A report will be submitted by the end of the week after the end of each three-week lab. More details will be provided in the lectures and through canvas.

Assessment criteria

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Demonstrates an outstanding understanding of the content, and is able to design, simulate, analyse and clearly communicate the process of building a circuit to solve a specific engineering problem.
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties will be based on the Assessment Procedures 2011.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	6 hours per week is expected to be spent reviewing lectures, preparing for tutorials and labs, working on assessment tasks and preparing for quizzes.	Independent study (78 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to the unit - what do we want to learn over the semester. Look at the electronics fundamentals that will be used as a theoretical base for each concept that will follow. Introduction to the hardware and software for the semester.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Online mini lectures - foundations of electronics, introductions to voltage, current, resistance and power.	Online class (1.5 hr)
	Lab 1 - Familiarisation with circuit design, simulators and prototyping. Week 1 of 3 (Theory)	Individual study (2 hr)
Week 02	Review of week 2 mini-lectures, live demonstration of circuit prototyping using breadboards and using simulation.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Online mini lectures - Prototyping electronic circuits using breadboards.	Online class (1.5 hr)
	Lab 1 - Familiarisation with circuit design, simulators and prototyping. Week 2 of 3 (Simulation)	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Review of week 3 mini-lectures. Live demonstration of analog sensor circuits with measurements.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Online mini lectures - Analog and digital signals, making measurements.	Online class (1.5 hr)
	Lab 1 - Familiarisation with circuit design, simulators and prototyping. Week 3 of 3 (Prototyping)	Science laboratory (3 hr)
Week 04	Review of week 4 mini-lectures. Live demonstration of op amp circuits, and how these can be used to change analog sensor information into a more usable form.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Online mini lectures - Introduction to op amps, applications in processing sensor signals.	Online class (1.5 hr)
Week 05	Review of week 5 mini-lectures. Live demonstration of capacitor circuits with measurements.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Online mini lectures - Introduction to capacitors and inductors.	Online class (1.5 hr)
	Lab 2 - Circuits to work with sensors. Week 1 of 3 (Theory)	Individual study (2 hr)
Week 06	Review of week 6 mini-lectures. Live demonstration of decision making using logic through either a microcontroller (such as the Arduino) or even just using some transistors.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Online mini lectures - Decision making using microcontrollers and transistors.	Online class (1.5 hr)
	Lab 2 - Circuits to work with sensors. Week 2 of 3 (Simulation)	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Review of week 7 mini-lectures. Live demonstration of a motor and servo circuit with measurements.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Online mini lectures - Fundamentals of motors and servos	Online class (1.5 hr)
	Lab 2 - Circuits to work with sensors. Week 3 of 3 (Prototyping)	Science laboratory (3 hr)
Week 08	Review of week 8 mini-lectures. Live demonstration of PWM and using it to control a higher powered device.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Online mini lectures - powering high-current circuits using PWM	Online class (1 hr)
Week 09	Review of week 9 mini-lectures. Live demonstration of using the Arduino to solve problems, including some coverage of the basics of programming.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
	Online mini lectures - Fundamentals of microcontrollers (basic code for interfacing to circuits)	Online class (1.5 hr)
	Lab 3 - Circuits to make things move. Week 1 of 3 (Theory)	Individual study (2 hr)
Week 10	In-depth analysis of several important circuits that are commonly used in electro-mechanical devices.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	Lab 3 - Circuits to make things move. Week 2 of 3 (Simulation)	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Discussion about power supplies, looking at examples of what can go wrong.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Lab 3 - Circuits to make things move. Week 3 of 3 (Prototyping)	Science laboratory (3 hr)
Week 12	Exploring the principles of modular system design for circuits and the importance of good documentation and testing.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Review of the unit of study, discussion about the final quiz (which is at the end of week 13)	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

All students are expected to attend their assigned lab sessions. There will be two groups A and B, with different starting weeks for the lab work. Additional information will be provided on canvas and during the live lectures.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Each lecture comes with a set of links to online resources relevant to the topic. These provide further reading and different perspectives on the topics being covered.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Understand the various theorems relevant to electrical engineering required for circuit design of electro-mechanical systems
LO2. Understand the role of electronics in solving mechanical and mechatronic engineering problems.
LO3. Analyse electronic circuits by making measurements, including finding and diagnosing faults.
LO4. Design, simulate and build circuits to solve engineering problems.
LO5. Function effectively in small groups to solve technical problems by applying theoretical concepts.
LO6. Demonstrate oral and written communication skills to convey understanding of circuits for assessment.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This is the first time this unit has been offered.

Additional information

Additional costs

Students are expected to bring a multimeter to the lab sessions. If you do not already have one, information on a suitable model will be provided in the week 1 lecture.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

AMME1705: Introduction to Electromechanical Systems

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect