Debugging and maintaining of sensor-circuits for end-users

Abstract

In recent years, building electronic devices has become more accessible to end-users. There has been research towards tools and techniques that assist those end-users in the designing and fabrication process. Paper circuits form a more recent prototyping technique for electronic circuits that are relatively inexpensive and can be easy to use for end-users when combined with the right tools.

Tools that allow end-users to create paper circuits have been developed. However, as with all electronic circuits, paper circuits can become damaged or fabrication errors can occur. When faced with such issues, there are no tools or techniques available that assist an end-user in debugging and repairing the circuit.

In this thesis, we explore the debugging and repair tools and techniques. We focus on the usability, and lack thereof, of those tools and techniques for end-users. We also contribute both a debugging and a repair tool for paper circuits, speci'cally targeted towards end-users. The debugging tool consists of both a new measuring technique for paper circuits and a visualization of the measurements that is understandable for an end-user. The repair tool automatically generates custom repair parts for the users' damaged circuit.