1 MECH AT R ON ICS
Online Certificate Program
OVERVIEW
In this certificate program, you will prototype your own device, applying best practices
at every step in the process from design to pitching, assembly, and reporting.
Leading experts from Cornell’s College of Engineering will guide you through both
the theoretical basis for the concepts and the technical skills, including circuit
construction, microcontroller programming, the application of sensors and actuators,
and the use of professional-grade test equipment. Equipped with a kit of electrical
components, you will dive into the building blocks of various mechatronic systems.
You will discover how to program a microcontroller in C then program and control
sensors and actuators to build circuits that interact with the physical world. By the
final course, you will have gained a strong foundation for your capstone project:
prototyping a design from start to finish.
COURSES COURSE LENGTH FORMAT
6 2 weeks 100% online
COURSES
• Building and Analyzing a Basic Circuit
• Building and Measuring a Time-Varying
Circuit
• Programming a Microcontroller
• Using and Controlling Motors
• Collecting Data with Sensors
• Designing and Building Your Own
Mechatronic Device
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7 COURSES
2
INSIDE the PROGRAM
100% ONLINE
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Design, build, measure, and analyze a • Integrate sensors into a circuit,
simple circuit collecting data from the sensors and
• Assemble time-varying circuits, using programming the circuit to act based on
formulas and tools to predict their sensor input
behavior • Complete a prototype from start to
• Build an Arduino circuit with inputs and finish, including design, pitch, assembly,
outputs and reporting
• Build and program circuits to control
three common types of motors
WHO SHOULD ENROLL
• Engineers (mechanical, software, civil,
systems, chemical, biomedical)
• Robotics and automation technicians
• Programmers and computer scientists
• Technology researchers
• High school teachers
• Hobbyists
WHAT YOU’LL EARN
• Mechatronics Certificate from Cornell University’s
College of Engineering
• 96 Professional Development Hours (9.6 CEUs)
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7 COURSES
3
COURSE
DESCRIPTIONS
100% ONLINE
BUILDING AND ANALYZING A BASIC CIRCUIT
In this course, you will receive a blend of introductory information and practical
hands-on experience to orient you to the world of mechatronics. You will design,
assemble, and analyze your own simple circuits. You will also learn to set up a
microcontroller, which will provide you with tools to use for the rest of the courses.
This introduction to circuits and their basic functionality will provide a solid base for
you to grow, both throughout this certificate program and beyond.
In order to complete the activities in this course, you must be able to download and
install the Arduino IDE on your computer. The kit purchased as part of this certificate
program will provide you with the physical materials you will need to complete your
assignments. You will need to provide your own computer.
This program requires the purchase of a kit of electronic components and
microcontrollers at a cost.
BUILDING AND MEASURING A TIME-VARYING CIRCUIT
variety of useful applications, and you will learn about both their theoretical design
using mathematical circuit analysis and practical circuit assembly. You will also be
introduced to a new and incredibly useful tool for analyzing circuits, the oscilloscope.
By the end of the course, you will build a practical circuit to complete a specific
task without requiring use of a microcontroller. This course will give you a wealth
of experience that will be useful as you move toward doing your own open-ended
projects.
This program requires the purchase of a kit of electronic components and
microcontrollers at a cost.
PROGRAMMING A MICROCONTROLLER
Motors are a key part of most mechatronic systems. They surround us in the devices
we use every day, ranging from the tiny vibration motors in cell phones to the large
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7 COURSES
4
COURSE
DESCRIPTIONS
100% ONLINE
motors in household appliances. Learning about different types of motors, and how
to interface them with a microcontroller to control them, is an important skill that
will allow you to build a variety of devices. In this course you will learn how to use and
control three different types of motors commonly used in electronic devices. This will
prepare you for using these motors in your own projects and other applications outside
the classroom.
This program requires the purchase of a kit of electronic components and
microcontrollers at a cost.
COLLECTING DATA WITH SENSORS
In this course, you will learn to use a variety of sensors that can measure quantities
or variables from the surrounding physical environment – such as the movement
of a person or animal, the distance to a nearby object, or the amount of ambient
light. Accomplishing this requires learning how to get relevant information from a
sensor’s datasheet and write appropriate microcontroller programs to get data from
the sensor in a usable form. Learning to use sensors will allow you to build devices
that are interactive and react to the physical world – a valuable skill when designing
mechatronic systems.
This program requires the purchase of a kit of electronic components and
microcontrollers at a cost.
DESIGNING AND BUILDING YOUR OWN MECHATRONIC DEVICE
n this course, you will synthesize everything you have learned so far to design and
build a mechatronic system of your choice. You will need to apply what you have
learned about circuits, microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators to build a device
that reacts to the user or its physical environment somehow. You will need to apply
your design, problem solving, and debugging skills to iterate and improve upon
your project. Finally, you will document your project – you will provide technical
documentation including commented code, circuit diagrams, and assembly
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7 COURSES
5
COURSE
DESCRIPTIONS
100% ONLINE
instructions, and a video that shows off your final design. You are welcome and
encouraged to add these materials to your professional portfolio or show them off
outside of this course.
This program requires the purchase of a kit of electronic components and
microcontrollers at a cost.
Visit [Link]