Mentor

Assessment #2

Date: March 30, 2018

Topic: Electrical Engineering

Overview:
After looking over my product proposal, my mentor gave me a few suggestions on
how I can fix the tables and corrected my verbiage to accurately represent what an
electrical engineer would use. He then went over the different symbols that I had
included (the symbols are listed in the terminology section) and made sure I understood
why we would not use all the symbols that I had put in the original table. In addition to
going over my product proposal, we discussed the requirements and derived
requirements associated with my original work. By knowing these requirements (listed
below), you are able to get a clear picture of the project and make sure that it turns out
exactly how you had envisioned. Electrical engineers are expected to thoroughly
complete a list of the requirements, so my mentor made sure I understood the
importance of asking questions that clarify the project you are trying to complete.

Requirements and Derived Requirements for my Original Work:

1. Design a power supply

1.1) AC input: 120 Vac
1.2) DC output: 24 Vdc
1.3) Application: Chassis
1.4) Output Power: 24 W
2. Capture schematic design
2.1) Printable output
3. Make 3D model
4. Play-Doh LED circuit
Terminology:

The following terms indicate the purposes of commonly used components in electrical
engineering which I learned about during my mentor visit:

• Operational Amplifier (op. amp.): changes the level of a signal

o Ex= if its 0 ® 4, it could now make the signal 0 ® 3
• Resistor: slows down the flow of a current
• Capacitor: resists the change in voltage
o Voltage rating needs to be twice the output rating
o An electrolytic capacitor is positive on one end and negative on the other
• Transformer: changes the voltage level of power
o Ex: if start with 120 Vac and you want to go to 30 Vdc, you would use a
transformer with a turn ratio of 4:1
• Voltage Regulator: allows for multiple voltage outputs
• Inductor: resists change in the magnetic field
o Used to help reduce noise
o Not usually used in standard power supplies
• Zener Diode: creates the reference voltage
o Will not go above a certain voltage
• Derived Requirements: requirements that are not explicitly stated in the set of
project requirements yet need to be satisfied

Conclusion:

Based off the suggestions I received from my mentor, I will be revising my

product proposal with the suggestions he made and starting my sketch for my
schematic, as I now have a better idea of what symbols to use and how the schematic
actually works. In addition, I plan to refer to the website my mentor showed me which
goes into a step-by-step description of how to calculate the voltage and current at
different points on a schematic. I will use this website to guild me in the process of
developing my own schematic and calculating my own voltage and current. In the near
future, I also plan on creating a parts list. This will make it easier to create my 3D model,
as I have a specific component I can go off of when replicating it on my own “board”.