Automotive Software & Electronics Boot Camp(s) Hands-On Participant Projects
View the videos below to see some of the many immersive projects that are completed during FutureTech's Automotive Software & Electronics Fundamentals and Intermediate Boot Camps. These projects familiarize participants with hardware, software, and firmware in automotive service applications. Automotive engineers, managers, technicians, and more can find endless applications for the knowledge they learn in these boot camps!
Fundamentals Project #1 |
This is a sequential timing circuit that built by students in our Automotive Software & Electronics Fundamentals Boot Camp using one electronic chip to do the job. Although this circuit is only turning on LEDs, it could be used to trigger fuel injectors, ignition coils, position or cycle a solenoid or, anything that needs to be triggered in a sequential order and at any desired time. Several of these chips could be placed in series to do some serious counting.
This circuit could be used to count how many times an event has occurred such as an over or under voltage event, how many times a data request has been made, how many times a circuit has received a wake-up, monitor a significant number of circuits for a parasitic drain (unattended) for extended periods… the application in automotive service is almost endless. |
Fundamentals Project #2 |
Have you ever wanted to monitor one or more circuits for transient noise or overvoltage, and monitor the circuits for various voltage levels, and know when any of the circuits are malfunctioning? The students in our Automotive Software & Electronics Funamentals Boot camp built the circuit and coded the software to monitor a circuit. They could just as easily build the circuit to monitor 10 circuits simultaneously and monitored 10 different voltage levels. NO SCOPE NEEDED and NO TECHNICIAN TIME NECESSARY after making circuit connections.
These circuits could easily continually monitor circuits day or night, and can do this for long periods of time… and it will inform the technician to know which circuit caused the problem. How fast is the detection? High nanosecond to low/mid microsecond ranges, depending on how many inputs are being monitored and how an interface circuit (if necessary) is constructed. Quick, easy, programmable, and low cost. |
Fundamentals Project #3 |
The participants in the Automotive Software & Electronics Fundamentals Boot Camp had built a Pulse-Width-Modulated (PWM) circuit to control a motor. They had then coded it and are testing it in the video. This project shows them how the controller creates the PWM control, how it controls power by using a motor as an example output.
By knowing more about PWM and being able to build a test circuit to interface with a vehicle system, the technician can substitute a signal to see how the Scan Tool and vehicle responds to determine course of action for repair. Also, understanding PWM and being able to connect electronic devices/components or, build a specific circuit to them to force a circuit response, is critical for creating a quicker more analytical diagnostic analysis process. More electronics and software understanding and knowledge = more confident diagnostics and repair. |