There are new sections throughout the book dealing with the “practical considerations” of mechatronic system design and implementation, including: circuit construction, electrical measurements, power supply options, general integrated circuit design, and PIC microcontroller circuit design.
The section dealing with LabVIEW data acquisition is expanded and now includes a complete music sampling example with web resources.
More website resources, including Internet links and online video demonstrations, have been added, and they are cited and described throughout the book.
The section dealing with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) has been expanded to include the basics of ladder logic with examples.
Interesting clipart images have been added next to each Class Discussion Item to help provoke thought and peak student interest, and to improve the visual look of the book.
More end-of-chapter questions have been added throughout the book to provide more homework and practice options for professors and students.
Corrections and many small improvements have been made throughout the entire book.