Cell Biology Electronics and Mechanical Department Core

We can design analog, digital and microprocessor-based circuits.  We use the Eagle CAD program to design printed circuit boards.  Eagle can handle multi-layer boards with ease.  Eagle designs are sent to a fabricator with a usual turnaround time of 10 working days, or 5 days for rush orders.  Very thin “flex” circuit boards can be specified when size and weight reduction are required.  One-off projects can also be prototyped in-house when design requirements may change before finalization. 

Labview is our preferred language for data acquisition, control and analysis.  High quality user interfaces are easy to create in Labview and its multitude of built in libraries reduces programming time.  C++ is used in the Arduino programming environment for embedded controllers, such as microscope stage controllers and animal movement detectors.  Arduino is a high-productivity environment with thousands of pre-written libraries.  The original Arduino UNO ATMega328 8-bit board is still active but many processor choices are now available, including 32-bit models running at up to 600MHz.\

Rate: $70/hour for software.

The core has multiple options for creating mechanical devices.  Our milling machine and flatbed router operate by subtractive milling, in which a solid block of plastic or metal is the starting point and material is removed to create the desired shape.  Our 3D printers operate by additive construction, in which only that material required in the final shape is deposited by filament or cured resin.  Subtractive machining is the only option for objects requiring the strength of metal or the larger sizes possible on the milling machine.  We use Solidworks for designing 3D models for the 3D printers.