Help! I’m a student reverse engineering a waffle maker

Thread Starter

Emily.Elizabeth

Joined Nov 3, 2022
4
I need help to identify the parts of this waffle maker and what they do. I’m willing to do research but if you might know the names of the wires it would be very useful! Thanks!
 

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MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
Black circular device is a thermal cutout, the two circular (worm looking) plates carry each heat element , there also appears to be a thermal fuse, the small white with red in-line object.
Also appears to be two neon indicators.
.
 

LesJones

Joined Jan 8, 2017
4,174
The round black item with the blue wire connected to it is a thermal cut out switch. It is probably an auto resetting type as there is no reset button on it. The small silver coloured item in series with the red wire is a thermal fuse. The fusing temperature may be marked on it. If not you will have to find out from the part number. The tubular copper coloured thing is the heating element. The two small glass items are neon indicator lamps. They will probably have a high value current limiting resistors connected in series with them that will be hidden inside the sleeving.

Les.
 

Thread Starter

Emily.Elizabeth

Joined Nov 3, 2022
4
The

The thermal cutout is self resetting, i.e. on temp drop.
What is your purpose in dismantling it??
I am dismantling it for a VEX stem challenge. The challenge is to deconstruct an electrical device and label it’s parts and how they work.The winner gets money for their schools robotics team!
 

Thread Starter

Emily.Elizabeth

Joined Nov 3, 2022
4
Welcome to AAC!

Is this schoolwork?
Thank you and yes it is. My schools robotics team asked me to do a VEX stem challenge and I chose the reverse engineering challenge. The challenge entails deconstructing a electrical device and labeling its parts and how they work.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,846
Thank you and yes it is.
I thought that would be the case. For schoolwork, members aren't allowed to give answers. We can only give guidance (but there is a significant amount of guidance that could be considered answers).

You'll learn more by doing the work yourself, and you'll avoid accusations of cheating.

Unfortunately, you've already been given some answers that the moderator who moved your post to Homework Help has not seen fit to remove. That puts you on shaky ground.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
I thought that would be the case. For schoolwork, members aren't allowed to give answers. We can only give guidance (but there is a significant amount of guidance that could be considered answers).

You'll learn more by doing the work yourself, and you'll avoid accusations of cheating.

Unfortunately, you've already been given some answers that the moderator who moved your post to Homework Help has not seen fit to remove. That puts you on shaky ground.
UPDATE: My comments below are incorrect and may safely be ignored. WBahn provided the rules to the challenge (of which I was unaware) and my comments below are wrong.

i humbly disagree. The challenge is to identify the parts. There is no expectation of pre-knowledge of what the parts are. Hence, displaying good research skills is more a part of the problem than testing the students knowledge. After all, this is high school and not college.

The TS has exhibited good research skills in finding this site. I believe this is not a case of cheating.

Just my 2 cents.
 
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MrSalts

Joined Apr 2, 2020
2,767
I thought that would be the case. For schoolwork, members aren't allowed to give answers. We can only give guidance (but there is a significant amount of guidance that could be considered answers).

You'll learn more by doing the work yourself, and you'll avoid accusations of cheating.

Unfortunately, you've already been given some answers that the moderator who moved your post to Homework Help has not seen fit to remove. That puts you on shaky ground.
Do you expect her to first exhaust everything that her professor taught her in her 12th grade classroom about reverse engineering? I think we can assume she has exhausted the list of nothingness taught to her about reverse engineering.
 
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MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
From the objects descriptors you have been given, I would recommend you Google each descriptor in turn and it should give you a detailed explanation of what each is and does!
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,979
The rules for the challenge state the following:

"1. Entry is created and produced solely by student team members. It is acceptable for adults to assist with downloading any necessary resources or submitting the story where students may need permission."

I don't think that having people tell you what the components are is within the spirit of the challenge. But, if the team believes it is, then they are responsible for fully documenting their research, which would include referencing this thread and what they learned from it. The judges can then decide if they violated the expectations or not.
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
The rules for the challenge state the following:

"1. Entry is created and produced solely by student team members. It is acceptable for adults to assist with downloading any necessary resources or submitting the story where students may need permission."

I don't think that having people tell you what the components are is within the spirit of the challenge. But, if the team believes it is, then they are responsible for fully documenting their research, which would include referencing this thread and what they learned from it. The judges can then decide if they violated the expectations or not.
The rules for the challenge state the following:

"1. Entry is created and produced solely by student team members. It is acceptable for adults to assist with downloading any necessary resources or submitting the story where students may need permission."

I don't think that having people tell you what the components are is within the spirit of the challenge. But, if the team believes it is, then they are responsible for fully documenting their research, which would include referencing this thread and what they learned from it. The judges can then decide if they violated the expectations or not.
Nevermind. I wasn’t familiar with the rules of the challenge, hence my comments were way off base.
 

Thread Starter

Emily.Elizabeth

Joined Nov 3, 2022
4
Thank you,
Do you expect here to first exhaust everything that her professor taught her in her 12th grade classroom about reverse engineering? I think we can assume she has exhausted the list of nothingness taught to her about reverse engineering.
Thank you, I am actually only a 10th grader and have never been taught about reverse engineering.
From the objects descriptors you have been given, I would recommend you Google each descriptor in turn and it should give you a detailed explanation of what each is and does!
That is what I have been doing, I appreciate the advice!
 

MrSalts

Joined Apr 2, 2020
2,767
Thank you,

Thank you, I am actually only a 10th grader and have never been taught about reverse engineering.
That was my point, we need to help you rather than taunt you - your quest is not normal "home work". We are also greatly impressed that you took this on as a challenge. I think most of us are here to help as needed. Keep throwing the questions at us.

Also, try to draw out the circuit from one blade of the plug to the other, with all the wires and devices in between. Just make a box, post a photo of the device over the right spot in the black lines you use to represent the circuit. Just use the line drawing tool on
PowerPoint and post the photo in the right place.

keep going. We're behind you.
 
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