Professor John Harries, Space and Atmospheric Physics group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London, UK 3 rd Year U/G Laboratory, Projects and Microprocessor Course 1

Agenda 1.3YL Introduction: John Harries 2.Projects: John Tisch: 3.The Lab Team: Geoff Green: 4.Microprocessors: Tim Sumner 5.Safety: Alasdair Campbell: 6.Any questions? 2

3 What is 3YL for ? Third year lab is designed to teach you how to work on difficult, less well structured problems, with limited guidance…….and to do this with an emphasis on safety, and good practice. The idea is that we are setting out to train you as professional physicists (just a year away from being let loose on a PhD!?), and so we try to instill the necessary qualities, of accuracy, recording your work, care, tidiness, attention to safety. For some of you, this will not come naturally! In return, we expect you to take a professional approach to your work. Professional researchers have to: Identify unsolved problem, obtain funding, invent new techniques, design, build and debug new experiments, analyse and interpret data, write up and defend against critique by referees. 3

Head of Lab: Prof John Harries Deputy Head of Lab:Dr Alasdair Campbell Head of Projects: Dr John Tisch Head of Microprocessor Course Prof Tim Sumner + Very skilled Lab team, to be introduced by Geoff Green later 4 The 3YL Team

Procedures: Lab Structure. -Standard Experiments (3 taken in one term for ½ course unit) - Many one-term Projects (½ course unit each), covering a broad range of physics. - A short course and experimental work on microprocessors {A half unit typically = 3 short experiments; a full unit = 3 short experiments + 1 long project} 5

Procedures: What Lab Options Must You Take ? - BSc Year 3 ½ unit of lab (term 1 or term 2) and a ½ unit project in the other term. - BSc Theory Year 3 1 term theory project administered through 3rd year lab. - MSci Year 3 and MSci Year in Europe Year 4 ½ unit of lab, in either term 1 or term 2. No project - MSci Theory Year 3 – no lab, no project. - BSc Physics with Music Year 3. 1 term project (term 1 or 2: but there are none this year) - Occasional Students. Projects or short experiments as required by your home institute. You may do 1 term or 2 term projects as required. Plenty of flexibility. 6

- Lab hours: Monday Monday 2-4 Thursday 2-5 Friday Students can work out of these periods, but ONLY during normal college hours (9-5), and ONLY if there is a demonstrator or technician present in the lab at the same time, who is made aware. - Reports: full details on the web pages. 1 st and 2 nd marking. Forms and cover sheets available on web. 7 Procedures: Lab Hours and Reports

8 Reports No joint reports. - Aim for words. - Maximum length 3000 words (6000 for projects). - Over-length reports will be penalised. - Any plagiarism will be dealt with severely. - Make sure you have treated errors properly – there will be a talk on errors later on this term. - Fill in cover sheet and hand report in at the lab office - There are extensive guidelines on report writing, plagiarism etc on line. Failing to read them will lose you marks. - Lecture on this to follow - Markers have been asked to return reports within two weeks. They must give you feedback. - If you don’t have your last report back at the end of the next experiment, go and visit the demonstrator to get some feedback before staring to write. 8

9 What are 3 rd year lab experiments like ? - It may need a lot of time to make things work before taking some “good” data. - Manuscript may be patchy and may need improvements (you should make suggestions to fix this) - You need to go beyond the manuscript to get a very good mark. -Time management is your responsibility, not ours! -Finish one experiment, and sign on immediately for the next: then two weeks to write the report. -No need for more time than the timetabled lab hours to complete the experiment and report. 9

- No food or drink, INCLUDING WATER, to be brought into or consumed in 3YL. - Risk Assessments for each experiment are provided at the experiment. Demonstrators are responsible for ensuring students read and understand. You must read and understand, and if necessary improve the RA. - Talk on Errors by Prof Richard Thompson, Thursday 23 October at 5pm. - Talk on Report Writing by Dr Alasdair Campbell, Thursday 30 October at 5pm. 10 Things to note: Basic practice and forthcoming events

11 Things to note: Demonstrators -They are there to help – do make use of them if you have a problem. -The technicians also know the experiments very well. -Try to solve problems for yourself. -Contact details on the web and on the notice board. - You may try to contact demonstrators outside lab hours. - All reports are 2 nd marked by Academic Staff 11

12 Things to note: Occasional students 12 -You can do a mix of projects and short experiments as required by your home institute. -You are encouraged to get your IC tutor to read through a draft of your first report before handing it in. -If you have special requirements see Prof Harries ASAP. 12

13 What to do this week. - Be aware of what Lab option you need to take. - Make sure you are doing Lab in the best term for your timetable (limits possible). - Find a Lab partner: projects and short experiments are done in pairs. - Choose the experiments or projects you want to start with. - Starting Experiments. Sign up in 3rd year lab, level 4 Blackett (outside lifts) 9-10 am tomorrow. First come, first served. - Starting a Project. List of projects on web. Approach prospective supervisors. Complete the relevant paperwork within 2 weeks. - Starting the Microprocessor course: sign up TODAY! 13

14 Lab Projects A chance to find out what real research is like. Dr John Tisch

15 Lab Projects Compulsory for BSc & BSc-Theory students. MSci and MSci-Year-in-Europe students do not do 3rd year projects. You have the opportunity to do extended projects in the 4th year. Assessment by progress report (10%) viva (10%) report (30+30%) & demonstrator feedback (20%) Students work in pairs for projects for one full term.

16 Types of Project Available. 3rd Year Lab based Projects Projects in the research groups Experimental Computational Theoretical (priority given to BSc Theory students). Projects Proposed by students 2 Term Projects : only allowed for Occasional or Erasmus students

17 Lab Projects – What to do now? If doing a project this term find a partner and start looking at website for available projects asap. Web-site will be continuously updated. To book a project you must have agreement of supervisor and return a completed & signed registration form to level 4 office.

18 The Lab Team: Some Comments Geoff Green 18

19 The Team Geoff Green – Chief Technician Lee Parker – Senior Technician Graham Axtell – Administration Rob Whisker – Website Manager

20 The Laboratory Two Main Laboratories – Room 410 Blackett & Room 403Huxley Several small annex rooms Micro Course in First Year Lab Serving Hatch 4 th Floor Blackett Lobby

21 Procedures Time Management –Changing experiments –Lateness Penalties – none for relinquishing Apparatus Keep the workplace TIDY – Bags & Coats – Tidying up at the end of experiment Safety – Your own responsibility first.

22 Facilities Undergraduate Workshop Storeroom Dark rooms Computers and Data-Stations Working outside timetabled hours

23 04/Oct/07 Professor Tim Sumner, Imperial College, Rm: 505, x47552 Microprocessor Lab Mondays 10:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00 Thursdays 14:00-17:00 Fridays 9:00-12:00

24 04/Oct/07Tim Sumner, Imperial College, Rm: 505, x47552 The Course Goals are: To explain the inner workings of a computer at a fundamental programming level (assembler) with hardware interfacing. To teach you how to work independently and find yourself all you need for your project. Hence, no book. Everything you need is on the Web To teach you to design, construct and document a commercial product To give you insight into a use of microprocessors which has a wide range of applications in automobiles, appliances and other industrial applications To give you useful career skills

25 04/Oct/07Tim Sumner, Imperial College, Rm: 505, x47552 At the end you will: Be able to design basic electronic circuits and interfaces Be completely familiar with the detailed user information of the ATMEL ATmega103/128 microprocessor Be able to program in AVR assembler including –the basic commands –writing a structured program, with top-down modular design using subroutines –using tools to compile and download your programs to the ATmega103/128 chip

26 04/Oct/07Tim Sumner, Imperial College, Rm: 505 x47552 At the end you will have: Used a microprocessor to create an application and construct something useful : –Some electronics will be needed –Interfacing the microprocessor with various devices –Had novel ideas and been motivated Written a good and clear report on a product you have done

27 04/Oct/07Tim Sumner, Imperial College, Rm: 505, x47552 Course Duration and Milestones 4 weeks of lectures/training followed by 2 weeks for project completion and writing your report. The course ends on 21 st November and amounts to 2.0 units. This term it is possible to extend the work to a full-term project worth 3 units. FOR MORE INFO...

28 04/Oct/07Tim Sumner, Imperial College, Rm: 505, x47552 Course Sign-Up and Start We start tomorrow at 9am!!!!!! Sign-up now for this term. Decide on 2 or 3 units. Sign-up sheet for next term – not possible to extend the work to a full-term project. FOR MORE INFO...

29 Safety Dr Alasdair Campbell

30 Safety in the Lab -Health & Safety is a major issue in the workplace -As Imperial graduates you will end up as leaders in your chosen field -You as Line Manager will be legally responsible for the Health & Safety of your workers -You should consider Risk Assessment and the Best Working Practice rules in Y3 Lab as part of your professional training 30

31 Safety in the Lab -Each Y3 Lab experiment has a Risk Assessment analysis form (a legal requirement in UK workplace) -This details the risks (high voltage, high temperature, UV light source, laser, X-rays, cryogen, etc) associated with that experiment -Before starting the experiment you must: (i) Read and discuss the contents of the Risk Assessment form with your Demonstrator (ii) Sign a copy of the Risk Assessment form 31

32 Safety in the Lab Have “Best Working Practice” rules in Y3 Lab -NO eating or drinking in Lab (take a coffee break) -Never work alone: (i) Work with Lab partner (ii) Must be Demonstrator/Technician in Lab -Only work in normal College hours (9-5*, Mon-Fri) -Outside normal Lab hours must sign-in / sign-out & inform Technician of your presence -Emergency (*medical only 9-5) - ext

33 Safety in the Lab 33 Also: -Act sensibly at all times. - Report any chemical spills. - Report any electrical faults. -Report any accidents, even if minor. -Turn off unused equipment. -NEVER look directly into a laser beam. -Understand the dangers associated with both your own and other peoples work. -Note: If you are carrying out a full Project in the Lab, you must do a Risk Assessment analysis

34 Safety in the Lab Remember: -Ultimately, you are responsible for your experiment and your actions -You have lots more things to do in your life -Protect yourself and your friends - work safely 34

35 Questions? 35

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37 End