User:Qballm1a1/enes100/project2

This is my page for my work on Project 2, the Voltmeter Hack.

Summary of actual work over third weekend
I disassembled the multi-meter, and I photographed the various parts and the overall dis-assembly process.

Week3 Narrative
Tell a detailed story describing what you did for your team over the weekend.

My Fourth task
Record what you are planning on doing for the team during the final weekend of project work.

I plan on learning how to make a connection from the LCD Screen to a source of current, and learning what type of connector is used with this screen.

Summary of actual work over fourth weekend
I disassembled the multi-meter, and I photographed the various parts and the overall dis-assembly process. I the tested the LCD Screen outputs, and learned about the LCD connectors.

Week4 Narrative
I stared this week by photographing the exterior of the voltmeter, so that I had references as to how to put the voltmeter back together once i dis-assembled it. I did this in class, and I did not dis-assemble the voltmeter in fear of losing the 2 small ball bearings inside of the casing. I waited until I could find a box to use for the dis-assembly to hold all of the parts from getting lost. Then, I started the dis-assembly. I removed the two screws that held on the case, and ran a screwdriver under the seam to lift the stuck case off. I photographed the inside of the voltmeter. I then removed the 9 volt battery and the 4 screws that held the circuit board down from the case. I tried to lift out the circuit board but it was held in by a small plastic tab, that when moved snapped off. I learned that it was not a vital part to the voltmeter however. I lifted the circuit out and photographed the interior again. I then removed the dial from the voltmeter, and placed the two small ball bearings on a magnet so as to avoid losing them. I photographed again. I then removed the on/off switch from the case, and photographed. I was finally down to the LCD screen and the foam connector. It was held in by another small plastic tab, which broke when moved to lift out the screen. This may cause problems in the future. I lifted out the screen and took photos of it, and the connector. At this time I am unsure as to what type of connector this is, or how to make an electrical contact to it. This is the main obstacle at this point in time.

I then researched and found that the connector to the LCD screen is known as an elastomeric, or zebra strip. It is manufactured with alternating layers of a conductor and an insulator, with a silicon barrier on both sides.

In order to know which of the circuit board contacts lit up each part on the LCD screen, i first had to test to fin all of the possible outputs bars on the screen. I tested through each setting on the multimeter and documented each display. I tested both an open and closed circuit, resulting in 40 tests. The result was a diagram of all outputs of the screen. This will be useful to further groups as it shows all of the outputs and this can be used to find the respective input tabs on the multimeter circuit board. This will be necessary when attaching the arduino, so that it can be connected to the right inputs to utilize the LCD screen.

Complete Team Page
Fill out the Team Form (should have already copied the form, created the team page, linked to it and started filling it out).