20. Project development

Questions:

What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?
What's working? what's not?
What questions need to be resolved?
What will happen when?
What have you learned?

I created a northern circumpolar constellation reflector using a TFT LCD display and a GPS module. Throughout the developmentive process, alot has changed. Originally, I planned to fabricate a constellation reflector that showed any constellation in the user’s sky from their location using neopixels and an ESP8266 WiFi module. However, over the course of the program,I made many decisions which eventually led me to the final product that I have now. Read about my full project on my final project page.

June 23, 2020

As of now, at the end of June, I have started working on my design files for my box and also have started developing the final code. Firstly, I have been experiementing with the LCD to learn how it works. Following the instructions from the website, I have tested out the wiring with both with the 8-bit and SPI modes. I decided to use the 8-bit mode because, for me, it made more sense. From there, I have moved onto understanding the display’s grid, the easiest methods to draw shapes, etc. so that I can embed the coordinates of the stars for the constellations.

Now I can draw shapes onto the LCD, but here are some questions that I have now:

  • How will I get the screen to scroll?

  • How will I time the scrolling?

  • How do I display text on the LCD? Will I write the names of the constellations on the bottom as they go across?

July 7, 2020

Tonight, we stayed late at the lab, as tomorrow is a presenting day. I could have been done tonight, but the math for the rotations is not making any sense. Some parts do, but some parts, the more important parts - like the conversion from actual minutes and hours to pixels, does not.

~Around 2AM~ Eventually, I realized that my true issue was the fact that I did not put in the math into the code itself. Silly, I know. I had everything written out on paper and perfect, but I had not input the information into the correct parts of the code (under the offset portions). I made the executive decision that although I have figured out the problem, I can not present tomorrow because I still have to make my video and slide. There simply is not enough time.

July 14 - July 15, 2020 (Presentation Day)

The night before, I stayed up making my final touches on the project and gathering the necessary finishing components for the video and the slide. The main issue with the video was the recording the time lapse over multiple 3 hours periods on both the LCD and Stellarium to exhibit the procession of the stars. My phone kept running out of storage, so I had to switch to my iPad. Luckily, I screen recorded Stellarium on a computer that I did not use often, so there was enough space to record multiple 3 hour transitions. Although, I ended up just using one of each video (LCD and Stellarium) to fit the >1:00min time limit.

After presenting my project to Neil, I can now say that I have fully completed my final project. I was able to successfully get the northern cirumpolar constellations to complete full rotations on loop timed with the actual constellations. Also, my box design files turned out very well. I painted the outside black, flicked white paint on the outside to emulate stars, and stuck on an astronaut sticker that I vinyl cut.

Throughout the course of Fab Academy, I have learned the most about electronics and the specifications that come with it. Because my final project relies heavily on electronics and coding, I have had to research and practice the most with these. Although I have not yet gotten to the point of liking them, I have come to realize that I did not making my boards, programming them, and coding the LCD for my final project because it was necessary for my final project.

Throughout the course of my final project, I have learned a lot about constellations, specifically circumpolar and astrological. I had to decide between which set I would implement into my project towards the beginning of this process. Both would work because they each have a limited number, but I eventually decided to go with circumpolar because they are always over head. Astrological constellations rise and set which would require me to focus on the Earth’s rotation a bit more.