USB Cell Phone Charger
Description:
In this module students will get to build their own portable USB cellphone charger. This project is based on a whole series of lessons which teach students about different electrical components, resistance networks etc. but it can also be a fun project for any hands on learner with no prior knowledge of circuity.
There are 3 levelled variations for this circuit design: Basic, Standard, and Advanced circuit options for easy differentiation of the assignment in a formal situation.
NOTE 1: This project takes about 3 hours of instructional time and costs about $1USD if you are buying materials in bulk.
NOTE 2: This circuit will not work on the newer iOS devices which require Apple certified accessories to be used.
Teaching Tips:
This project is a great summative project for students who have been learning about general circuitry, and more advanced students can attempt to customize the circuit board using what they have learnt in earlier learning modules should they like.
NOTE 3: If you want students to customize the circuit I would suggest only providing them with the standard project worksheet so they have the chance to think of as many ways to customize their circuit as possible.
Alternatively, I have also used this as an extra curricular project. In this situation have extra assignment sheets in your lab so that students can pop in just to build something for fun even though they are not taking your course.
Watch the Video to see how to build this project for yourself.