Week of March 25

Spring break is over, and we are in the next-to-last week of this six weeks.  That means that all work needs to be finished by next week (first week of April).  Make sure that you are on top of your grades in the gradebook so that you know where you stand.  We have morning duty this week but will be available after school for tutorials and make-up work.  Next week, we will be available before and after school as usual.  You may take advantage of WOW this week to complete assignments, if you need the computer lab.  There is now WOW next week.  This is your chance before the end of the grading period. 

Don't forget that this Friday is a school holiday.  Enjoy your long weekend with family and friends.  Also, Wednesday is WOW, but Thursday is NOT a late start. 

As I mentioned in class, you will have 3 days (last Friday, Tuesday, and Thursday) to complete the 2 activities over the synchronous counters, 74LS163 and 74LS193.  You will have to breadboard the last circuit design in both activities.  After the long weekend, we will have the assessment for this unit, building a "Now Serving" display such as one you might see at the tax office where you get your auto license plates.  The last major unit for this year will cover state machines, and it kind of puts together all of the other work we have done this year.  Those are important for the EOC that you will take during final exam week. 

The only video that you need to worry about this week is the one over the '193 chip. 

Week of March 18

Welcome back from Spring Break!  I hope that you had a good one.  It is hard to believe that we only have 11 more weeks of school left.  It will soon be time to start talking about EOC exams.  Remember that we will give the required EOC exam during final exam week for DE, so you will not be able to exempt this spring final.

On Monday, you will finish the Sixty Second Timer project, which you (were supposed to have) started before the break.  This is the last day for it.  If you watched the video for Synchronous counters, you are ahead.  We will start them on Wednesday, and the video is available.  Make sure that you have watched it before class on Wednesday.  I have posted a second video for class on Friday as well, which will introduce one of two MSI synchronous counters with which we will build circuits.

If you are able to help with another demonstration on Saturday (March 23), let me know. I need some students for the RRISD Celebration of Families.  We will present to upper elementary age students and parents regarding the engineering programs that we offer and demonstrate some of the projects that we do in our classes.  Presentations are from 11:00 until 2:00.

This week, we will have WOW on Wednesday and Late Start on Thursday, so the schedules will be different on those days.  If you need a WOW pass to finish the Sixty Second Timer, be sure that you get one from me.  Other than that, this is the last week before progress report grades are due.  Be sure that you are caught up on everything by Friday so that  your grade is a good reflection of your work this six weeks.

You can get the Youtube channel RSS feed on your phone or tablet.
I created an app that will help you monitor updates to the Youtube channel where I post the videos.  It is only for an Android device.  Apple wants me to pay money in order to be able to do the same thing for iPhones, which is why I am not an Apple fan.  They charge you more $$ for things that you can do cheaper (if not free) other places.  Bottom line ... don't look for an iPhone app any time soon.  Click on this link and download the app on your phone.  You can find it in downloads and install from there.  It may require some modification of your security setting in order to complete.  Let me know how it works or doesn't work.

Week of March 4

We will finish up the unit on asynchronous counters this week.  Make sure that you complete the activities for 3.2.1, 3.2.2 and 3.3.2 and have Mr. Peterson or myself see them working.  Make it a goal to get caught up before spring break, so that you can come back afterwards without that burden hanging over your head.  We will design counter circuits using medium scale integration, which means that someone has already put the flip flops together as you did in the last activity in a single chip - integrating more gates in to the same sized package.  MSI chips are easier to wire up but come at some costs.  The last project on the topic of asynchronous counters is to build a sixty second timer before spring break.  The prep for both activities is covered in one video, so once you watch it, you should be through with videos until after spring break.  Make sure that you watch it before class because there is a pre-class assignment you will need to complete afterward.

I did not complete the journal checks last week, so be sure to leave them in class this week.  This is the third week of the six weeks, so grades will be due for IPRs (Interim Progress Reports) shortly after we return from spring break

Also, be sure to watch the $cholar$hip List tab on this page.  I post information that I get up there that colleges and companies send to me, who are looking for good engineering students.  It includes both scholarships and internships (money tied to a chance to do engineering work over the summer). This is the only paragraph on this post without any mention of spring break.


Next week (March 11 - 15) is spring break. In case you were planning to come to school all week, don't.  Enjoy your week off.

My watch is in the shop. It has a spring inside of it.  If I wind it too tightly, I think the spring breaks.