1. Niall McAuley A513 GCSE Design & Technology Unit A513 Making Quality Products Niall McAuley Candidate 7079 Centre 71149 1

2. Niall McAuley A513 Problem Identification I have an example of a tenuous problem at home. I keep getting told off because I’m spending too much time on my Xbox 360. I always say to my dad I’m only going on to have a game quick FIFA but once I play one game I play another instantly without realising because its fun. Recently I got my Xbox taken off me. However, my dad has agreed to give me back my Xbox if I can figure out a way of limiting the amount of time I spend on it. Design Brief I am going to design and manufacture a games timer for the Xbox 360. It must warn the user when the agreed time has elapsed. It should be a safe product, and the design should be a sustainable one. I will try to target people who play the Xbox 360. I realise that is quite a specific group, but there are still over 50 million users worldwide and 3.9 million in the UK, so it is a pretty big market. The main target is parents of gamers who want to be able to monitor and restrict it’s usage. Target User Group Xbox LIVE members have spent more than 2.9 billion hours playing games on Xbox LIVE with their friends around the world. That is equal to 121 million days or more than 332,000 years of gaming. That is a lot of time spent sitting in front of a television screen. Experts are worried that this is now affecting children's health, as they are not exercising enough. Studies carried out in America and the UK have confirmed that areas where games consoles have sold well have the highest obesity rates amongst children. Trust for America's Health 2007 Annual Report September Over 45% of Americas 12 - 17 year olds spent more than two hours per day glued to a screen, more than 1 in 7 children are overweight. A survey conducted by the firm concluded that gamers over the age of 2 in the United States spent over 13 hours playing video games each week, up from 12.3 hours per week in 2009. The survey was in January 2010 on a online survey that garnered 18,872 responses. Facts on the Xbox 360 Background Investigation The Xbox 360 is one of the most popular games consoles on the planet. It is produced by Microsoft and as of March 2011 there have been over 53.6 million units sold worldwide. It was released in 2005 and immediately sold out everywhere except Japan. Some major features of the Xbox 360 are its integrated Xbox Live service that allows players to compete online, download arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, music and movies and its Windows Media Centre multimedia capabilities. The Xbox 360 also offers region specific access to third-party media streaming services such as Netflix and ESPN in the US or Sky Player in the UK. Source:Wikipedia 2 The original line-up above, and below the latest Xbox 360 S

3. Niall McAuley A513 3 Function: Must be capable of acting as a timer Must have a suitable output at the end of the timing period. Must be easy to set up. Must be easy to disable and reset. Materials and finishes: Materials and finishes must not be toxic or harmful to the environment or the user The material used to make the timer must fit in with the materials used on Xbox products The material must be strong, an insulator and easily cleaned. Sustainability: The materials used in the timer must be able to be recycled. The number of parts and different materials should be kept to a minimum. Where possible, materials should be sourced locally. It must be easy to dispose of when it reaches the end of it’s useful life. Product service and maintenance: The timer must not require regular maintenance. It must serve its intended purpose for as long as possible. The timer must be able to withstand every day bumps and scratches. The battery must be replaceable and accessible Costs: The product should cost no more that £5 to manufacture Should be marketed at under £10. Ergonomics: All buttons must be within easy reach to enhance the user experience. All buttons and LEDs should be large enough to ensure that people with disabilities and poor eyesight can still use it. No strain should be applied to the user. Size and Weight: The timer must be as light as possible to make it portable. It must have a heavy base to keep it stable. Aesthetics: The product must have an appearance that is in keeping with the Xbox 360 and it’s accessories Glossy White or Black Xbox logo Green The finish must be of a high standard as it will be placed along side expensive electrical equipment. User: The timer must be suitable for use by people of all ages (3yrs + for safety reasons) It must involve very little input on the users behalf. Quality and standards: Timer must meet British standards. Timer must be of good quality. Safety: Must have no sharp edges. Must not be a hazard or harmful to others. Finishes must be safe and non toxic. All wiring and circuitry must be concealed.

4. Niall McAuley A513 555 (On for a Period) The 555 timer is an idea that I might use as my final timer circuit. It is used for many timing applications whereby a led or buzzer (whichever you prefer) is turned on for a period of time. The period of time is set using a variable resistor. You can alter resistor and capacitor values initially to change the maximum timing period. Again this circuit could be used as my final timer circuit. Its voltage is set using R1 and R3 (potential divider). The capacitor is discharged using the PTM switch and then begins to charge. The speed at which this happens will depend on VR1. When the voltage across the capacitor reaches the reference voltage the output from the op amp switches on the LED. Timer (Op-amp) This is very simple circuit which makes use of 2 resistors and capacitor forming a potential divider. When the switch is pressed the capacitor discharges and then begins to charge, once the switch is released. How quickly the capacitor charges depends on the variable resistor and the size of the capacitor however these must be chosen within limits. On reaching 6V at pin 2 of the 555 chip pin 3 is turned on bringing on the LED. 555(Off for a Period) 4 Below are three simple timing circuits that could be used to create my Xbox timer. I have explained how each works.

5. Niall McAuley A513 5

6. 6

7. 7

8. 8 555(Off for a Period) I felt there was very little difference between any of the circuits, as they all met the function criteria set out in my specification. I chose the 555 off for a period circuit firstly because the component costs are less than the Op-Amp circuit and secondly because I think a user is more likely to notice the LED go on at the end of the timing period rather than off. I used Crocodile Clips to simulate the circuit and test it out before making the PCB. Once the circuit was imported into PCB wizard, I added a large copper area to the board. This means the board doesn’t have to be etched for as long and prevents the tracks from breaking down Chosen Design Size and Weight: The timer must be as light as possible to make it portable. It must have a heavy base to keep it stable. Sustainability: The materials used in the timer must be able to be recycled. The number of parts and different materials should be kept to a minimum. Aesthetics: The product must have an appearance that is in keeping with the Xbox 360 and it’s accessories Glossy Xbox logo Green Ergonomics: All buttons must be within easy reach to enhance the user experience I have evaluated all my ideas against my specification and have chosen the design below as I feel it is strongest in the areas above. It is a nice simple, user friendly design that will look good.

9. Niall McAuley A513 Description of tasks: 1.Print artwork for PCB to Laser printer and use to create PCB –Exposed in UV box, etched, developed, cleaned. 2.Drill out holes for components using 1.2mm drill fitted in pillar drill. Mount all components 3.Solder components using soldering iron, heat sink and stand with magnifying glass 4.Test circuit and fix 5.Glue up layers of 18mm MDF 6.Mark out and create hemisphere using band- facer, jig and sandpaper. Attach 9mm MDF base using double sided tape. 7.Create triangles from play-dough and fix to mould 8.Vacuum form mould in vacuum former using 2mm white rigid polystyrene 9.Cut out mould on mould cutter 10.Separate base from mould and drill thumb hole using forstner bit and pillar drill. 11.Mask off, prime and spray X using green acrylic spray. 12.Mark out and drill holes for LED and switches with 3mm drill and ream to correct size 13.Fit surface mounted components using LED holder and nuts supplied 14.Fit PCB, base, clean surface with polish and test. 9 Task\Week 1234567891011 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

10. Niall McAuley A513 10 ComponentNumber required Value Toggle switch SPST1 PTM switch1 Resistor R11470 ohm Resistor R2133k ohm Resistor R311K ohm Variable resistor VR11100k ohm Electrolytic Capacitor C11 2200  F 555 Timer IC11 Standard LED Red15mm LED holder15mm Red & Black multicore wire3100mm Battery snap19V

11. Niall McAuley A513 Me band facing the mould. I had to keep it moving to avoid flat spots. I used play dough to create the raised sections of the design. I rolled it out and cut out 4 triangles. Vacuum forming. It took about 2 mins for the rigid polystyrene to soften. It is important to keep off the hot surfaces. The vacuum formed mould. I allowed it to cool before removing it. Cutting out the vacuum formed mould using the mould cutter. It is important to keep hands and clothing away. Drilling a hole for my base using a forstner bit. Drilling a hole for the switch with 3mm on pillar drill. I had to remove the guard but wore goggles. Soldering my circuit. Soldering irons are very hot, caution needed 11

12. Niall McAuley A513 My Xbox timer has two switches – the push-to-make (PTM) to reset the timer, and the SPST toggle as a mains switch to turn the timer on and off. This will help preserve the battery life and the lifespan of the product, making it more sustainable. I used a red LED because of the famous red rings of death! As you can see my project looks like the Xbox logo and was vacuum formed in rigid polystyrene to keep it light. It has an MDF base which keeps it weighted on a desk, table or TV unit. This is my circuit in my Xbox project - you can see it fits in the project.. Also all the components are soldered carefully and the circuit is complete and functioning. 12 This is a photograph of my completed Xbox timer. As you can see it is vacuum formed in 2mm rigid polystyrene with a 9mm MDF base. The inputs are the toggle switch and the PTM switch. The 555 timer with the resistors and capacitor control what happens when the PTM is pressed. When the time period has ended the LED will come on until the circuit is reset or switched off. I am happy with the final outcome, I think it looks like a quality product and is instantly recognisable as an Xbox accessory. I used a green acrylic spray to create the X by masking it off, priming it and giving it two coats. I think the effect is very good. I believe it meets most of my targets.

13. Niall McAuley A513 13 Function: Must be capable of acting as a timer YES Must have a suitable output at the end of the timing period. YES, LED Must be easy to set up. YES Must be easy to disable and reset. YES Materials and finishes: Materials and finishes must not be toxic or harmful to the environment or the user SAFE FOR SCHOOL USE, SO YES The material used to make the timer must fit in with the materials used on Xbox products YES, PLASTIC HOUSING The material must be strong, an insulator and easily cleaned. YES, ALL 3. Sustainability: The materials used in the timer must be able to be recycled. YES The number of parts and different materials should be kept to a minimum. YES Where possible, materials should be sourced locally. NOT KNOWN It must be easy to dispose of when it reaches the end of it’s useful life. YES Product service and maintenance: The timer must not require regular maintenance. It must serve its intended purpose for as long as possible. YES The timer must be able to withstand every day bumps and scratches. YES The battery must be replaceable and accessible. YES Costs: The product should cost no more that £5 to manufacture YES, <£2.50 Should be marketed at under £10. YES Ergonomics: All buttons must be within easy reach to enhance the user experience. YES All buttons and LEDs should be large enough to ensure that people with disabilities and poor eyesight can still use it. LED COULD BE BIGGER No strain should be applied to the user. YES Size and Weight: The timer must be as light as possible to make it portable. YES It must have a heavy base to keep it stable. YES Aesthetics: The product must have an appearance that is in keeping with the Xbox 360 and it’s accessories Glossy YES White or Black YES Xbox logo YES Green YES The finish must be of a high standard as it will be placed along side expensive electrical equipment. YES User: The timer must be suitable for use by people of all ages (3yrs + for safety reasons) YES It must involve very little input on the users behalf. YES Quality and standards: Timer must meet British standards. WOULD HAVE TO BE TESTED Timer must be of good quality. YES Safety: Must have no sharp edges. YES Must not be a hazard or harmful to others. YES Finishes must be safe and non toxic. YES All wiring and circuitry must be concealed. YES

14. Niall McAuley A513 Evaluation Given the time that I had and the materials and equipment that was available to me I am happy with the outcome. I think it fulfils the need identified earlier and would be a useful tool for gamers and parents of gamers to regulate the amount of time spent on the Xbox. I realise that I have limited my market to Xbox users, but there are a lot of them. There is not reason why a similar product could not be created for the Sony Playstation 3 or the Nintendo Wii. Future Modifications There are some things that could be improved upon. Rather than use an LED I would have liked to have formed the X separately in a translucent green polystyrene that could be backlit with LEDS or bulbs to make it glow as in the Xbox logo. I could maybe then use two of the triangular panels as the switches instead of mounting them on the panels. The panel could be pressed in to activate the circuit. This would increase the button area making it more user friendly. I would also replace the variable with a potentiometer so that a dial could be fitted to one triangle to adjust the timing period without opening the case. 14 Use an opaque/translucent plastic which is backlit to make the X glow Create pressure pads instead of surface mounted switches