Click Thumbnails To View New Equipment Pictures
Visual Physics Lab Equipment Upgrade
The Visual Physics Lab Equipment Upgrade consists of a total revision of all the Visual Physics (VP) documentation and potentially new equipment integration. The documentation to be revised includes all the Lab Manuals, Technical Memo (TM) templates, and Training Manuals. The current lab procedures have been written for equipment and software no longer in use in the lab, so the new procedures will reflect all the recent hardware and software modifications. Another goal is to develop some streamlined, easy to use training documentation for the students and Teaching Assistants (TA). There is also a potential purchase of new state-of-the-art digital cameras and new faster computers with much higher memory capacity. The existing cameras are very susceptible to firewire cable connector damage and hence, experience a high failure rate, so the goal is to replace these cameras with cameras unaffected by cabling issues. This will reduce the camera failure rate down to near zero.In addition, the existing computers in the VP lab experience a high amount of crashes from the large amounts of video data that must be processed in order to analyze a video. We hope to replace these older, slower computers with modern computers capable of handling the data processing requirements.
This work has begun in Summer 2008, with all work performed by James Maxin, who will maintain this website.
Please direct any comments/questions to: jmaxin@physics.tamu.edu
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Here is a list of the tasks to be performed:
1. Generate a new 'VP Lab Manual' containing seven different labs that incorporate the new digital color cameras and LoggerPro 3.6 data aquisition software. The current seven VP labs are in significant need of revision since they are written for hardware and software no longer implemented, so they will need to be significantly rewritten, with new color photographs of the lab equipment set-up.
2. Generate a new 'Visual Physics TA Training Manual' that would include a hardware troubleshooting guide. This manual would be used by new VP TAs to learn the operation of the digital camera and LoggerPro 3.6. This manual could also be utilized as a reference for troubleshooting camera hardware failures. In addition, the document could include specifics on the VP teaching, grading, and recitation philosophy and policies. No document of this nature currently exists.
3. Generate a 'Hardware & Software Reference Guide' for students to learn the operation of the hardware and software at the beginning of each semester. This guide would be more condensed than the TA manual, and would provide a quick set of steps the students can execute to set up the camera, capture video, obtain data points, & export the data to a spreadsheet. No document of this nature currently exists.
4. Generate a standard 'VP Lab & Recitation Information Sheet' for the students, outlining their recitation and lab grade structure, as well as instructions on writing a professional looking Tech Memo (lab report). No standard document of this nature currently exists with the exception of a TM template.
5. Build a recitation quiz bank containing 30+ quizzes and solutions.
All of these documents could be saved on a cd and given to new VP TAs for familiarization, training, and reference.
Task |
View Old Document
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Started
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Completed |
View New Document |
Lab Manual 0 |
5/27/2008 |
6/5/2008 |
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Lab Manual 1 |
6/06/2008 |
6/13/2008 |
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Lab Manual 2 |
6/16/2008 |
6/19/2008 |
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Lab Manual 3 |
6/20/2008 |
6/27/2008 |
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Lab Manual 4 |
6/30/2008 |
7/14/2008 |
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Lab Manual 5 |
7/16/2008 |
7/22/2008 |
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Lab Manual 6 |
8/4/2008 |
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TA Training Manual |
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Hardware & Software Reference Guide |
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Lab & Recitation Information Sheet |
8/17/2008 |
8/17/2008 |
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Quiz Bank |
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VP Lab Equipment Information Sheet |
7/29/2008 |
7/29/2008 |
Confidential Document |
Download Sample Aiptek HD Camera Movie |
1440x1080P Demo Movie (8.5MB) |
1280x720P Demo Movie (6MB) |
Note: You must have Quicktime 7.0 or greater to view the Demo movies (only Quicktime 7.0 or greater has the H.264 codec required for these HD movies). Click the link above for a free download of "Quicktime 7.5 for Windows XP or Vista" . If you do not have a new fast computer capable of displaying high-definition video, then the movies will have some jitter to them when you play them on an older computer, but they are still viewable.
Click Thumbnails To View New Equipment Pictures |
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Date |
elog entry |
5/12/08 |
Access to 'visphys' directory on physics department servers authorized by Chris Barnes. Website created. |
5/13/08 |
Built website with text entry, tables, and links. Uploaded new website and documents to 'visphys' directory. |
5/27/08 |
Started revising Lab 0, which is a familiarization lab and needs the new software and hardware integrated into the procedures. |
5/27/08 |
Encountered problems while attempting to create a testing environment on my pc. Installed LoggerPro 3.6 which uses Quicktime to play videos/movies, however, discovered the current Samsung camera's use an archaic video CODEC called SEDG. SEDG does not work with Quicktime, and I discovered that this problem has been known by Samsung for a long time. This problem has no solution and is a problem with all Samsung camera's. It is a problem only when playing videos off the memory card. Video streaming via firewire cable works fine. Problem is that I don't have a firewire capable of connecting to my computer. In the VP lab, we use firewire to stream video, but those cables will not work with my computer since neither end of the lab cables have a mini-firewire connector. The solution is that I will have to use the older and slower VP lab computers to stream and capture video over firewire for testing, and hopefully then copy the LoggerPro file, which contains the video embedded within the file. The lab computers are frequently prone to crashes though when streaming high-speed video, so this will make testing the labs a little more time-consuming. Taking jpeg pictures with the camera's of the lab apparatus set-up will not be affected by this limitation. |
5/27/08 |
Received confirmation that the VP parts upgrade was approved for the HD configuration. |
5/28/08 |
Posted itemized list of parts to be purchased on webpage. Confirmed current prices and part numbers. Added four extra Memory Cards onto the list to account for wear-and-tear of the original Memory Cards since the students will be inserting and removing the cards each lab. |
5/29/08 |
Discovered that Quicktime has compatibility issues with most high-def formats exported by camcorders which use a hard-disk drive, though Apple is working to resolve these issues which the latest version of Quicktime introduced. Unfortunately, LoggerPro uses Quicktime. There are conversion programs that will convert the camcorder formats into a format compatible with Quicktime, though I would rather avoid this step for the students. Need to investigate this further to see if this would be an issue with the new Sony HD camcorders, as opposed to an SD camcorder, or whether there is another camcorder vendor that is naturally compatible with Quicktime. |
5/31/08 |
Changed Home Depot Little Giant Ladder to Little Jumbo Step Ladder since it has four large steps and a safety bar. I tested a similar version of the ladder at Home Depot and found the ladder to be exceptionally stable and very difficult to tip. The wide base on the ladder will provide exceptional stability for the students as they secure and adjust the camera positions on the rails in the lab. This ladder is $27 less than the original ladder on the list, which was $199. |
6/3/08 |
Investigated the possibility of switching to a DVD HD camera. Sony has an HD camera that can burn videos to a mini-DVD as opposed to having a hard drive. The DVD can then be inserted directly into the computer for playback. The question is, again, will the DVD video be compatible with Quicktime. The specifications state that the video burned to the DVD is encoded with the H264 codec standard, and the latest version of Quicktime uses this H264 codec, so it looks promising. I will have to do a direct test at Best Buy by having them burn a video onto a DVD using the demo camera and then inserting that DVD into my computer in the store to test its playback capability in Quicktime/LoggerPro. If successful, then this camera will be our purchase. The Sony HD DVD camera is $699, which is $300 less than the Sony HD Hard Drive camera. The students will have to be supplied with the DVD-RW discs, which hold 45 minutes of HD video. I estimate that the students will only need to burn about 5 minutes of video onto the DVD for the entire semester. This means that one DVD can be used from one semester to the next, taking 9 semesters to fill, or about 4 years. The DVD can be re-recorded about 3 times before picture quality loss. Thus, one DVD will be sufficient for 4+ years. The most logistically simple method of distribution to the students is to give one DVD to each lab group for the semester. If 150 DVD-RW's are purchased, this would cover all the lab groups for a semester. Each DVD-RW is about $12, so 150 would cost $1800. Since we would be saving $2400 on the 8 camera's by procuring the $699 camera's instead of the $999 camera's, we would still be saving money over hard drive camera. The DVD camera also has a memory stick slot as well, so that is still an option for transferring the video to the computer, assuming the video is compatible with Quicktime. The specs for the Sony HD hard drive camera also state the video uses the H264 codec, so I will test both of the camera's for compatibility with Quicktime. Until a final decision is made, the camera model number will be removed from the parts list. |
6/4/08 |
Updated parts list to include Sony DVD camcorder which I now favor as the best solution. This is only a tentative parts list. I still need to perform a test at Best Buy by creating a sample video with the in-store demo model and burning it to a mini-DVD and inserting the DVD into my computer and try to import the video into LoggerPro/Quicktime. Also need to test out the memory card to see if the video will import into LoggerPro as well. The video format on the DVD and the video format on the memory card will be different, which is why I need to test both methods out. The memory card format is identical to the video format downloaded via a USB cable. Hence, this camera has three alternative methods of transferring the video to the computer that do NOT involve filming videos with a firewire cable attached. These three methods are: DVD, Memory Card, and USB. Recall that the firewire cable connection is the reason for all the camera failures the last seven years in the lab, so this new Sony camera has three alternative methods of downloading files to the computer that allow the camera to be used in the lab without cables by the students. This camera is also $344 less expensive than the hard drive camera. In addition, added the DVDs to the parts list. This is enough DVDs for 18 Visual Physics lab sections in a semester with 8 lab groups per section. As stated in the previous entry, each group will burn approximately 5 minutes of video onto the DVD per semester, so one DVD will last for more than four years before it is filled. Then it can be rewritten for another two more times, added more years to its life cycle. Additionally, adjusted some prices that have changed at Best Buy and added in the Sales tax and 15% discount to get a true total cost. |
6/5/08 |
Posted completed Lab 0 document. This document will need a slight revision once the new camera is purchased since the procedures will have to be tailored to the specific hardware. Most of the procedures will remain intact though. In some respects, this is the most important lab since many students still don't know how to plot a chart correctly in Excel by the end of the semester. Many students never learn how to operate the camera and use the software properly either, so providing clear instructions on these aspects of the lab is very important to the overall success of the students in Visual Physics. |
6/5/08 |
Finding more difficulties with Quicktime and widescreen movies. There are some issues that still need to be worked out before any camera purchases can be made. All high-def movies have a 16:9 aspect ratio, but I have yet to get LoggerPro, i.e. Quicktime, to display these movies in a widescreen format. This is critical since any deformation of the aspect ratio will give inaccurate data. Still need to perform the test at Best Buy. If it is successful with the DVD, then all problems will be answered. |
6/10/08 |
Went to Best Buy to test out DVD model of camera. However, they had no DVD High-def models since it appears they are phasing the DVD models out for high-def. They have standard-def DVD models, but I didn't have the Quicktime add-on necessary to play MPEG-2 DVD's. It's a free download. Will download that add-on soon just in case I want to test the standard-def DVD camera. The high-def is in MPEG-4, which Quicktime should play directly. They also contradicted what I was told last time I was there. They said the memory cards are for images only and videos cannot be saved to the memory cards in the high-def hybrid models, which is all they carry. They verified that with a digital camera expert. This rules out using the memory card. In order to download the videos from a hard drive camera to a computer you would have to use the USB or firewire. Problem is I don't trust those connections on the camera during very frequent use. The connectors pushed into the plastic body on the Samsung cameras, and I could see the same happening again on the Sony with very frequent use. The memory card method may work for the standard-def camera since it's a more established design. In order to test the high-def model out using a USB download, I would need to download the Sony CODECS off the internet. At this point, I'm leaning towards the standard-def DVD model. It's apparent there are still issues to be worked out with the high-def models that should be worked out in a few years. This will allow the 4th generation purchase of camera's in maybe four years or less to transition to high-def when all the issues between these high-def consumer electronics and software have been worked out. |
6/13/08 |
Posted new Lab 1 on website. Definitely much improved over old Lab 1. |
6/16/08 |
Performed Lab 2 in lab and saved videos and pictures of equipment. |
6/19/08 |
Posted new Lab 2 on website. Old Lab 2 was very confusing and vague to students, particularly the Tech Memo questions. The Pre-Flight and Post-Flight questions were always confusing to students as to where to answer them. I've made all this perfectly clear in the new labs. |
6/30/08 |
Going to try to get into Best Buy this week to test out a DVD burned in a DVD camera to finalize the camera purchase once and for all. If it means just getting a standard definition camera with a DVD burner inside, then so be it. |
7/7/08 |
Downloaded the MPEG-2 Quicktime add-on to test out Sony camcorders. Video plays directly in Quicktime from the memory card with the add-on, however, any motion in the video causes horizontal artifacts in the video which could make it difficult for the students to collect data points. This was a standard definition video. The Canon sample videos off the memory card had the same problem in Quicktime. The high definition videos couldn't be opened directly at all. I took many sample videos from the cameras in Best Buy last week. There is a Quicktime release planned for next year called QuicktimeX which is supposed to correct for all the incompatibilities between Quicktime and different video formats. For true high definition video, it is best to wait for another year or two until QuicktimeX is released. However, I did discover a high definition camcorder from Aiptek that records the movies directly in Quicktime format, albeit at a little less resolution of 1280x720p. I downloaded a sample video over the internet and it looks beautiful in LoggerPro and loads fine in 16x9 aspect ratio. It is a flash drive camera that uses a standard memory card or USB to transfer videos to computer. The final step is to take one of our memory cards into Best Buy and record a few sample videos using the Aiptek and then test them in LoggerPro. Since the videos are supposed to be recorded directly in .mov Quicktime format, I expect the videos to play fine in LoggerPro. If they do, then this camera would be a good transition camera for the next 2-3 years until all the bugs and compatibility issues with true high definition video and camcorders are worked out over the next two years. I shall do this test tomorrow with the Aiptek camera. If successful, then all the parts will be ordered this week. |
7/9/08 |
Tested out the Aiptek A-HD+ camera yesterday. Recorded a few sample videos in-store onto a memory card and then inserted the memory card into my computer and inserted the movies into LoggerPro. Everything worked fine since the camera records the files in Quicktime format, so they automatically are compatible with Quicktime & LoggerPro. The decision is that this is our camera. In addition, it costs less than the Samsung we currently have in the lab, which is only standard definition that uses an incompatible file format on the memory cards. The Samsungs in the lab now have a $200 replacement cost. The Aiptek is $170 retail. The Aiptek is also high definition, albeit at 1280x720P (16:9) or 1440x1080P (4:3). However, the Aiptek is missing many features that the more expensive high definition camera have, but most of those features are not necessary in the lab. The Aiptek has no image stabilization, but we always have the camera secured to a mounting bracket, so we don't need that feature. It records only onto a memory card, but that's fine since our videos are very short. I will be ordering enough memory cards so that each lab group will have their own card for the semester. Each card can hold 30 minutes of high definition video, which is more than enough. The Aiptek doesn't perform well in low light, but the lab is always well lit. The one point of worry is that it is powered through the USB port and the battery may have to be charged daily. Will know more about this as we go along. For the price though, this seems to be a minor point. They can be charged overnight and should hold enough charge for at least a day, possibly much more. There are replacement batteries available for a low price. All in all, this looks to be a good solution to eliminate the troublesome firewire cable on the current Samsung camera's, and a good transition camera for at least the next couple of years until all the compatibility issues with full-featured high definition camcorders are worked out. Plus, it is high definition, not 1920x1080P, but 1280x720P and 1440x1080P are more than sufficient for the lab experiments. In addition, you can't beat the price. Gentle handling will have to be emphasized to the students since any camcorder at this price will not be as rugged as a $1000 camera. Who knows, this camcorder may also be an excellent long-term solution as well, especially at the low price. Hence, I will be proceeding with the complete parts purchase this week. |
7/10/08 |
With assistance from Chris Barnes, selected options for Dell computers today and printed off the quote and gave the quote to Mary Ann Batson. The computer and price is listed in the parts list below. Also gave Mary Ann the list of mechanical parts listed in the parts list. The parts listed below from Best Buy, which are the camera's and memory cards, will be ordered using the TAMU contact for Best Buy. I will call/email him tomorrow and give him the P/N for these parts. May Ann gave me a PO number for the Best Buy purchase. All parts will then be ordered. Also decided to lower the number of memory cards such that only one card will be used per camera, for all students using that camera. Ordering extra to cover for lost or damaged memory cards over the next couple of years. |
7/11/08 |
Ordered Aiptek camera's and PNY memory cards from Best Buy today using TAMU Best Buy POC David Castilla. Also wrote Sole Source form comments for Mary Ann Batson for the Daedalon frictionless air tracks. All the parts listed in the Parts List have now been ordered. |
7/14/08 |
Posted Lab 4 on web page today. Progress was slow on this lab due to all the research necessary for the new camera's. |
7/15/08 |
Revised Lab 0, Lab 1, Lab 2, and Lab 3 to reflect the new Aiptek camera and memory card procedure. Uploaded new lab manuals. |
7/18/08 |
Uploaded sample movies filmed with new Aiptek A-HD+ camcorders. The camera's were delivered this week. The sample movies are available using the link table above. I filmed these myself with one of our new camera's. The camera records in both 1440x1080P and 1280x720P. Both movies look very sharp. My thanks to all the crew at Best Buy in College Station, Texas and Plano, Texas for help with all the camera's I tested, and I tested many models. They were all very helpful and instrumental in selecting the best model for the VP lab. |
7/21/08 |
Transported four new Home Depot step ladders from the Physics Bldg. to Heldenfelds today using the Physics Dept. truck. The ladders are very stable and much safer for the students to position the camera mounts. This was even confirmed by Mr. Ramirez after he tested out the new ladder. In addition, received an estimated delivery date of July 28th for delivery of the new Dell computers. Also performed a few test videos of the air track and a cart in motion with a new Aiptek high definition camera. The videos were very sharp and easy to collect data points off in LoggerPro. A huge improvement over the standard definition Samsung camera's. The slot to remove the memory card on the Aiptek camera is on the bottom, right next to the tripod threads. This means the camera will have to be removed from the mount to remove and install the memory card. I was aware of this complication before I purchased the camera and considered it a minor issue. Discussed with Mr. Ramirez different possibilities for building an extended threaded bolt that could raise the camera off the mount, yet still solidly secure the camera to the mount. This could enable access to the memory card slot without the camera being taken off the mount. If time permits, I may discuss this with the machine shop to see what kind of extended bolt assembly they may be able to easily build. |
7/22/08 |
Completed and posted Lab 5 today. Also, I was notified today that the Dell computers have arrived and are in the Machine Shop. I shall move the computers to Heldenfelds this week and begin assembly. |
7/23/08 |
Moved computers from Machine Shop to VP Lab in Heldenfelds today. Whew!! Hottest day of the year. Assembled one computer and it works fine. Images on 24" display look remarkable. Still need to install LoggerPro software. Once I have LoggerPro installed and can test out the Aiptek camera and memory card, then I will assemble all the rest of the computers. Requested Chris Barnes to burn 3 cds for me that have a Physics Dept. license: Vista Enterprise, MS Office, Symantic Anti-virus. Took photos of new equipment with Aiptek camera and viewed the photos on the new Dells using the memory card. The photos look very sharp. Posted some photos on this webpage of the new equipment. Once computers are assembled, will have to contact CIS to get the new IP addresses so the internet will be functional. |
7/25/08 |
Completed setting up one new Dell computer. Picked up the three cds from Chris Barnes for Vista Enterprise, Symantic Anti-Virus, and MS Office. Installed Vista Enterprise on computer, which then entailed reinstalling all the drivers. Transferred IP address and internet now works fine. Installed LoggerPro & Quicktime and tested LoggerPro by downloading and inserting the sample Aiptek movies off this webpage into a new LoggerPro sheet. Movie played fine and looked remarkable. The video window could be resized to almost the entire size of the 24" display with no degradation in the movie resolution. Also made a couple of test movies in the lab and then inserted the memory card to insert the movie into a LoggerPro sheet. Everything worked perfect and the process couldn't be more straightforward. The test movies in the lab looked great with incredible resolution.The memory card slot is on the side of the monitor for very easy access. Also retrieved and wrote down the IP address for the other seven computers in the lab. Moved the computer boxes to their respective lab benches for assembly next week. Recorded the serial numbers of the old computers in the lab. Spoke with Cheryl about the tagging procedure for the new equipment and surplus procedure for the old equipment. All the new computers will be inventoried to Tony Ramirez's list of parts. Discussed with Tony the plan for surplus of the old computers and the old Sony camera's which are still present in the lab. The Sony camera's were taken out of service in the lab two years ago. The Samsung camera's were never inventoried due to their cost below $500, so their disposition is still yet to be decided. At least three of the eight Samsung camera's should remain in the lab as a backup. The new Aiptek camera's will not have to be inventoried either since they cost less than $500. Discussed with Cheryl how to label the new camera's in such a way as to discourage theft due to the small size of the camera. Will complete the installation of the remaining seven computers next week. |
7/28/08 |
Assembled remaining seven computers and powered up to test equipment. Set Administrator passwords and initial settings. All worked fine. Still need to install Vista Enterprise, Office, Symantic Anit-Virus, and Loggerpro on these seven computers. Noted down serial numbers for all new computers as well as Express Service Codes. Will give packing list and serial numbers of new computers to Mary Ann. Picked up Pasco Air Supply package from Machine Shop and brought it over to Heldenfelds. Noted serial number down and will give packing slip to Veronica. Removed Samsung camera's from mounts and stored them away. Noted down the serial numbers and associated the serial number with particular failure in that camera. Will give list of serial numbers of the Samsung camera's to Cheryl to see if she has any inventory data on them. Vacuumed out the computer case trays under the lab benches before I installed the new computers in them. Also vacuumed off the top of the lab benches, which were filthy. Posted pictures of new computers in the lab, new Aiptek camera's, as well as old computers, on this webpage. Removed air tracks off of lab bench and set them aside to make room for new air tracks. |
7/29/08 |
Dropped off packing list, shipping receipt, and computer box labels to Mary Ann. Emailed list of serial numbers of new Dell computers and monitors to Mary Ann. Generated list of all serial numbers of new Dell computers, new Dell monitors, and new Aiptek camera's for our records. Also generated list of serial numbers of old Dell computers for our records and future surplus. Dropped off packing list of Pasco Air Supply with Veronica and it's serial number. In addition, generated a list of serial numbers of all old Samsung camera's for our records so the location of those camera's can be tracked since they will not be surplused. Also generated the document "VP Lab Equipment Info Sheet" that contains all the computer/camera info for each lab bench station in the VP lab. There are eight stations (A thru H) in the lab. Info includes serial number of computer, monitor, & camera at that station, Express Service Code of computer at that station, IP Address, DNS Server addresses, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway for each lab bench station. This document is for our records, and I will place this on one of the computers in the lab under the 'VP Administrator' documents, as well as forward a copy to T. Ramirez and T. Kamon so these important records can be kept. No document of this nature has ever existed. |
8/1/08 |
Finished installing Vista Enterprise, MS Office, Symantic Anti-Virus, and LoggerPro/Quicktime on remaining seven computers. Reinstalled all the drivers on the seven computers after installing the new operating system and entered in all IP addresses, DNS server addresses, Default Gateway, and Subnet Mask. Internet works fine on all computers. Downloaded and installed 56 windows security updates on all computers. Downloaded and installed Quicktime 7.5, the newest version. Removed the VGA cables from the monitors and installed the DVI cables. To do this, the mode on the monitor must be changed from VGA to DVI1 using the far left front panel button. Set up desktop of computers so they are ready for students. Hence, all eight computers should be ready for students. Still need to create a "Student" login without password, but I want to wait a while since the lab will be unattended during August and I would rather it not be possible for anyone to gain access to the computers. Removed the remaining three ladders from their boxes and placed them in their anticipated locations in the lab. Replaced the defective Air Supply with the new Pasco Air Supply. Retrieved all the serial numbers on the old monitors. Organized all the old computer equipment and monitors into a group so that they are ready for surplus. Placed all the empty boxes in a pile, though need to find out how to dispose of all the empty boxes. Once the old equipment and boxes are removed, the lab should be ready for students. Still need to receive the new air tracks and still need to windex off the table tops so they are clean. Other than that, the lab is almost ready for action. May order some more parts. Going to look at a docking station for the camera's available from Aiptek that can recharge the camera's anytime the camera is seated in the dock. This could work well in the lab overnight and in between classes to recharge the batteries. Also considering purchasing a couple of extra camera's for back-up in the event of an unexpected failure of one of the existing eight camera's. |
8/6/08 |
Set up login for students on two of the computers in the lab. Decided the best method was to use the 'Guest' login for the students since the students are prone to making too many changes on the computer and downloading software off the internet. Using the 'Guest' login, the students can't make any of these type of changes, but can use the software and do everything they need to do. Creating a 'Student' login, which would be a standard login, would give them too much control over making significant changes to the computer, including creating a password for the "Student' login and locking out other students. My experience tells me that there will always be students who would want to make changes like this. Set up "218Labs" folder and individual section folders on those two computers. This is where all the data files will be saved by the students. Still need to complete all this on the other six computers. Also moved all the old computers off the floor and placed them on a table in the back corner of the lab. Don't know how quickly the computers can be surplused since T. Ramirez is on vacation and the computers are inventoried to him. Thus, the old computers are most likely still going to be in the lab at the start of the semester, so I needed to get them out of the way. Also stored the old cables and keyboards in the drawers. Still need to get rid of all the large stacked boxes which will represent a safety hazard with students moving around in the lab, so I asked Cheyl what the University procedure was for removal of such a large number of boxes. Her reply was that there is none. Also need to create three kickoff videos for a football game for Lab 2 using the new camera's. Contemplating how best to accomplish this. |
8/11/08 |
Held training session today in lab for all Visual Physics TAs. Instructed them on Visual Physics procedures and trained them on the new equipment. Had them perform Lab 0 to familiarize themselves with the new equipment and software and prepare them for the students completing Lab 0 in first week of semester. Also completed creating the data folder structure on the remaining six computers. Set up the 'Guest' login on those six computers. Downloaded Adobe PDF Reader on all eight computers. Turned off 'Guest' login on all computers but one. Will turn 'Guest' login back on before semester starts. Leaving one camera in lab for training for TAs if they need to get back in lab before semester starts to work more on learning how to use camera's. TAs said today that Lab 0 was very instructive and descriptive and flowed very well with no problems. Received email from Mary Ann that the order for new Air Tracks has been completed but delivery time is three weeks. They are going to try to speed up delivery so that they are present in the lab by the start of the semester. |
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Parts Purchased for VP Parts Upgrade |
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Description |
P/N |
Vendor/Mfr |
SKU |
Price |
Quantity |
Total Price |
|
| Intermediate 2.0 m Air Track | EA-70 |
Daedalon Corp. |
675.00 |
8 |
5400.00 |
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| Air Supply | SF-9216 |
Pasco |
458.00 |
1 |
458.00 |
Received |
|
| Little Jumbo Step Ladder w/Safety Bar | 10410BA |
Home Depot |
172.00 |
4 |
688.00 |
Received |
|
| Aiptek - 5.0MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder w/2.4" Color LCD Monitor - Silver | A-HD+ |
Best Buy |
8775943
|
169.99 |
8 |
1359.92 |
Received |
| Dell Optiplex 755 Minitower Quad Core Computer w/Monitor | Dell |
1945.32 |
8 |
15,562.56 |
Received |
||
| PNY - 4GB Secure High Capacity Digital Memory Card (2-Pack) | P-SDHC4G4X2-MF |
Best Buy |
8774178
|
49.99 |
8 |
399.92 |
Received |
| QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback - Windows | D2189Z/A |
Apple |
19.99 |
1 |
19.99 |
Received |
|
| Shipping Costs | Best Buy |
24.67 |
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| |
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Total Cost |
23,913.06 |
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