In this lesson, you'll build and automate your embedded system by assembling hardware, loading initial code, adding automation logic, testing subsystems, and refining for performance. This hands-on process turns your planned design into a functional prototype ready for full testing.

We'll guide you through gathering components, assembling hardware, running initial code, enhancing with automation, testing parts, optimising, and preparing for evaluation. By the end, your system should respond automatically to inputs.

Begin by collecting all the hardware parts outlined in your system plan from previous lessons. This ensures everything is ready for assembly and helps avoid delays during the building process. Organising your components methodically will make the assembly smoother and reduce the risk of errors.

Steps to Follow:

1. Review your design plan from earlier lessons to create a detailed list of required components (e.g., microcontroller like Arduino or Raspberry Pi Pico, sensors such as temperature or motion detectors, actuators like motors or LEDs, jumper wires, resistors, and a suitable power source like batteries or USB).
2. Gather each item from your available resources or school kit, and verify compatibility (e.g., check that voltage requirements match to prevent damage, such as ensuring sensors operate at 3.3V or 5V as needed by your microcontroller).
3. Inspect each component for any visible damage, such as bent pins or cracked casings, and organise them neatly on your workspace (e.g., group similar items together for easy access).
4. If any component is missing or damaged, note it down and consider alternatives from your plan or discuss with a teacher how to obtain replacements.

Physically connect your components to build the hardware foundation of your embedded system. This step is crucial for ensuring that all parts work together seamlessly.

Steps to Follow:

1. Review your design sketches from previous lessons and identify the specific pins and connections needed (e.g., connect a temperature sensor to an analogue input pin on the microcontroller and an LED to a digital output pin).
2. Use appropriate tools such as breadboards for prototyping, jumper wires for connections, or soldering for more permanent setups if required. Ensure all connections are secure to prevent intermittent faults.
3. Follow safety guidelines: Always power off devices before making or changing connections, avoid creating short circuits by insulating exposed wires, and handle components gently to prevent damage from static electricity or physical stress.
4. Double-check all connections against your plan, using a multimeter if available to verify continuity and correct wiring.

Upload the basic code from the previous lesson to your assembled hardware and observe its functionality. This step confirms that your hardware is communicating correctly with the software.

Steps to Follow:

1. Connect your microcontroller to your computer using the appropriate cable (e.g., USB) and open your development environment, such as the Arduino IDE or similar tool.
2. Load the initial code you developed earlier (e.g., a simple script for reading sensor input or controlling an output like blinking an LED).
3. Compile the code to check for errors, then upload and run it. Monitor the system for basic operations (e.g., does an LED blink as expected, or does the sensor display readings in the serial monitor?).
4. Note any immediate issues, such as no response, error messages during upload, or unexpected behaviour. If issues arise, double-check connections, ensure drivers are installed, and try resetting the microcontroller.

If necessary, enhance your code with logic to automate responses, using conditionals, loops, or timers. This step turns your basic code into a smart system that reacts automatically to inputs without constant manual intervention.

Steps to Follow:

1. Review your design plan to identify the automation rules (e.g., what should happen when a sensor detects a certain value?).
2. Open your initial code in the development environment.
3. Add conditional statements (if-else) to check thresholds and trigger actions (e.g., if temperature > 30, activate fan; else, turn it off).
4. Incorporate loops for continuous monitoring, such as a while loop to repeatedly read sensor data.
5. Use timers or delay functions to control timing (e.g., check sensors every 5 seconds to avoid overwhelming the system).
6. Include any necessary variables or functions to make the logic modular and reusable.
7. Save your changes and prepare to upload the code in the next steps.