Monday 19 December 2011

For last week's class (Thursday), we had a practical test for installation of the pendarfluor lamp and also the socket extensions. First of all, we were divided into a few groups and each group have two members. Umar and I were in the same group as the slide presentation group. So, we planned to divide the works first.

After we have done with the pendarfluor lamp and socket extension set up, Mr. Ridzuan came to check the pendarfluor lamp and the socket extension whether the lamp is functioning or not. Then, Mr. Ridzuan asked us to replace the ac choke with dc choke. .With that I thank you.


Wednesday 14 December 2011

-Circuit (Finale)-

Yesterday's class was great as always. It was the time for submitting the circuit that we have made last week. Although my circuit had functioned already in last week's class, but Mr. Ridzuan asked us to submit the circuit yesterday. Maybe Mr. Ridzuan wanted to give some other chances to those who cannot completed their circuit in the previous class.


After testing the circuit, we had to show the circuit one-by-one to Mr. Ridzuan wether it is functioning or not. Then, he gave 30 minutes rest because there were students still tried to complete their circuits.
Finally, after all the students submitted the circuits, Mr. Ridzuan taught us a new lesson that was the Electric System.


First of all, he explained to us what Electric System is all about. And not to forget, he also explained the system of electric used in Malaysia, from the hydroelectric turbines until electricity in the house.
To make us very understand about what he explained, he showed us some examples in the workshop room.


After that, we moved to the practical session where Mr. Ridzuan showed us how to assemble the pendarfluor lamp. But before that, he had explained to us about the wires that we were going to use in the practical.





This is a tutorial video for those who want to learn how to install the socket on the wall.



For the next class, we are going to set up the pendarfluor lamp by ourselves. Also, we have to install the wires into the socket like what Mr. Ridzuan did.
With that, I thank you.hehe

Monday 12 December 2011

-Completing the Board-

Hi, we meet again..
Still remember the circuit boards we made before? So, im going to continue the story about it. In the Thursday's class last week, we continued the circuit making but, with new board. Because there were too many students cannot completed the circuits and some of them faced many problems in making the circuits including me. I have a problem with the excess solders on my board. The solders then contact with each other.


Mr. Ridzuan added, if that happens, it will bring to a short circuit. In result, my LED lighted up but not blinking.  So, Mr. Ridzuan decided to give another board but still using the same components that he had given last time except to the students that succcesful made their circuits. As I considered my circuits weren't functioning, I had to do the same processes.like before. Means that I took the new board.


After we finished all the processes, we tested the circuit wether it is functioning or not. Finally, my new circuit blinking and I felt very grateful because there will be no more circuits to be completed.
Actually, the circuits making was very tiring because we had to give full of attention when doing the processes. So, thanks to Mr. Ridzuan for giving us another chances to prove that we are actually a very fast learner. Maybe because of the lackness of experience is the main reason why we are not success for the first circuit.

Ok.till we meet again..

Friday 9 December 2011

CANON OPTO-The Industrial Visit

On 6th December, our Tuesday's workshop class had been replaced with an Industrial Visit to the Canon Opto Sdn. Bhd. factory in Shah Alam, Selangor. We leaved from KSJ(Kolej Siswa Jaya) at 8 in the early morning. The planned actually was arranged one month before by Mr. Luqman, our classmate that had been given the responsibility for the proposal and report for this industrial visit. This industrial visit was also one of our syllabus that must be done in this first semester.


We,the students of SMJE, and not to forget the lecturers, (Mr. Ridzuan, Dr. Rasli and Dr. Kamal), also the bus driver finally reached our destination, The Canon Opto factory. The journey to the factory didn't take a long time to reach as Shah Alam is near to Kuala Lumpur (I guess one hour journey), but the most important thing was we slept almost along the journey. Back to the main story, Dr. Kamal distributed one piece of paper contained the schedule of programmes that will be done in this visit to each one of us. We had a picture taking session before we entered the Hall to listen to the briefing given by Canon Opto workers.


After that, we had our breakfast and continued for the visit to the line, which was the real working place for the workers. In overall, the Canon Opto factory was divided into two main parts which one of them was for the Lens Producing part while another one was the Camera itself. These two parts were very different definitely on their name, but also different in their operations and procedures.


We went to the Surface Mount Technology section and saw how they worked together with paying a full of attention. The environment there was very quiet, (means the workers were not talking each others). This section actually was for the making of small part (components) in the camera. Then, we moved to another and another section, and I conclude that these section weren't too attractive because they worked with so many machines.


Next, we visit to the main part for the producing of Camera. It was totally different compared to the components section where this part had so many workers there. They worked together but not doing the same things. I can say that they were very concentrated to their works as they worked like a robot. And most important thing was, they worked with a high level disciplines because each one of them worked hardly to reach the goal or the target assumed by the factory in a day. One of the workers there added, this place must always be in clean condition, because one dust or dirt can affect the quality of the camera being produced especially to the lens. Plus, they have to find person to replace them if they have such an emergency case. That means the goal or target became the most important thing that must be considered first when they are working.


The next stop was Lens section, where the lens were cut, processed, and polished. From what we have seen, this section also played with so many machines. The workers only had to watch the machines wether the machines working smoothly or not. And they also worked for putting the lens into the machines. For not saying this work was too easy, they actually responsible to the machine they used when they are working. The lens can be divided into many parts.(but I've already forgotten).


Finally, we ended our visit at almost 3 hours. The final section was the camera which was the completed processed for a camera. At the end of the visit, we were gathered back into the Hall and had a Q&A session with the workers. We (it wasn't me) gave a few questions that I think were very interesting to know what and why. For me, the visit was great and enjoyable, I felt that we should make another visits to another factory.Thank You.

Friday 2 December 2011

-Make Your Real Circuit-

In last week's classes, on Tuesday, Mr. Ridzuan gave a lesson on how to make the real circuit using the design we have made for Multisim and Ultiboard. Definitely, it was something new to us because we only have dealt with the components in computer, not the real one that we use to connect the components by ourselves. Means that, the next lesson will become tougher and harder than before.


In the beginning, Mr. Ridzuan introduced us to the PCB double layer board. Also, he showed us the artwork (he made before the class), that will be used in creating the copper tracks on the board. He also showed us the manual of the full process to make the circuit in the slide. The slide contained many videos of the manual process and made us understand deeply.

Then, Mr. Ridzuan started to cut the big size of PCB into smaller part to match with the artwork.
He placed the circuit into the UV light box to create a copper track on the board that was exactly the same with the artwork. This process only took 90 seconds (1 minute and half). Most importantly, the process must be done in a switched-off-light or in low light place. As Mr. Ridzuan said, the copper on the board will react with the light because all lights have UV rays. In result, the copper tracks cannot be created as the same with the artwork, because the board have been used to react with the UV.


After the process, Mr. Ridzuan dipped the board into the sodium solution. This process also known as 'Developing'. In this process, the board is dipped into the sodium until the green on the board disappear but at the same time, the board must be watched carefully, so that the copper tracks will not disappear together with the green layer on the board. The board was removed then from the solution.


                                           After developing....


After the board was removed from the basin that contained the sodium, Mr. Ridzuan washed it with tap water and place the board into a machine contain strong acid named Ferric Chloride acid. But other acids like, Ammonium Persulfate or Hydrochloric acid also can be used. This process also called as 'Etching'. This was a long process because it took times to removed all the copper layer on the board completely. The copper layer will effect the circuit made on the board if they were not removed completely. Sand paper was used after the process to removed the green layer that sticked with the copper tracks. Once done, the board will look like this..

                                        
Next process is 'Drilling'. Mr. Redzuan drilled a few holes on the board. The number of holes actually depends on how many TH components used in a project. By using special 'Penebuk', the drilling process became easier and faster. After Drilling, Mr. Ridzuan place the components in their specific places on the board. The places of the components actually the same like the design we made in the Ultiboard.




Once every components were on the right positions, it was the time for Soldering. Soldering was not too hard to deal with because we only just have to make sure the copper placed on the copper tracks and not connected to other tracks.


For the next class in the same week, we continued the lesson learned in the Tuesday's class. We did the same things like before, UV Lighting, Developing, Etching, Drilling, and Soldering , but we did all the processes by our own. Mr. Ridzuan firstly gave us some components that will be used in the mini project. Not to forget, also he gave us two boards for single sided board and double sided board.


All procedures and processes worked smoothly during the class. There were not too many problems happened. Alhamdulillah. Nevertheless, we must pay full of attention when doing the process, to make sure the circuit can be done in the time given, and most importantly, is to make sure nothing bad happen when dealing with the acid, driller, and solder.

At the end of the class, we cleaned all the things that we used together. Mr. Ridzuan said that we have to keep the cleanliness in the workshop so that we can use the place again. Otherwise, the keeper of the key to open the workshop wont give any permission to us to use the place. Hopefully, the 'Pekerja Indon' can complete the MJIIT buildings as soon as possible. Go 'Mat Indon' go.


I think that's all from me..Thanks for reading.

Thursday 24 November 2011

-It's The Time for Practical Test-

Today, we had the first practical test for the two softwares, Multisim and Ultiboard, that we used in the class before. After a couple of weeks of fun with the Multisim and Ultiboard,  the time has come to test and see wether we really understand how to use them, or not.


The tasks given in the test were not really hard actually. As Mr. Ridzuan said, the test was exactly the same with the practices we did in the class. So, he told us that he won't give any help and he forbid us from asking him how or what to do. Otherwise, one mark will be deducted for one question asked.


The first question involved the single sided board with through hole components. While for the second task, we were asked to make a circuit using two types of components, SMD components and TH components. To make it easier, TH components must be placed on top of the board while SMD were at the bottom. Then, the copper tracks must be half at bottom and half on the top side of the board.


I decided to begin with the first circuit because the task seemed easier than the second one. I think there were no problem to deal with it. Then, I moved to the next circuit which the part I got stucked for 1hour and half. After that, I transferred the two circuits into the Ultiboard. When the time was reaching the end, my computer hanged and all the software applications closed by itself. Plus, I have forgotten to save all my works. Alhamdulillah.


With the 10 minutes left, I transferred back all my circuits done in Multisim into Ultiboard. After I have done with very simple design of boards, I placed all the components to its places and correct the mistakes and finished (but not all).

Ultiboard and Multisim

The class continued from where we stopped last week,  the using of multisim and ultiboard.
For today's lesson, Mr. Ridzuan taught us many things about these two softwares, which are very important to know when designing a circuit. We learned how to edit the design become more interesting and arrange the components on the design in good order.

The important thing that we had to care about when placing the components on the design are wether the wires intercepting to another wires or twisting. Mr. Ridzuan taught us how to tackle to the problems by adjusting the wire's width and position.

In addition, such the problems can be avoided by using some tools in the Ultiboard software that are

-autoroot
-follow me
-shapes
-array
-jumper
-DRC and others.

All of these tools can be reached at the top of Ultiboard.
In order to correct the circuit, we have to know what is the actual problem of the circuit.
So, DRC here plays its important function as it will display the problems of the circuits together with the place where the problems occurs.


Overall, I had a good time and I enjoyed the session. It was interesting as always. This Thursday we will be have a practical test on what we have coved in the class, which is using Multisim and Ultiboard to design and analyse circuits.