Week 14 - Networking and Communications


Networking and Communications - lies at the heart of IT delivery which are technologies covering LANs, WANS, voice, wireless, mobile and broadband, and product groups such as routers, switches, Ethernet and IP networks. Good communications come with good networking.

Assignment :

1) design and build a wired and / or wireless network connecting at least two processors

 

This week assignment is going to be very interesting. Making the boards communicating to each other.

Firstly, we have to download the files given by Neil for the Networking and Communications assignment. Two sets of files to download, the bridge and node files. Using the eagle cad to draw out the schematic and board.

Below is a screen shot of the bridge schematic and board.

 

Click here to view bridge sch file

Click here to view bridge brd file

 

Below is a screen shot of the node schematic and board.

 

Click here to view node sch file

Click here to view node brd file

 

After then send the bridge and node files for the LPKF to mill out the boards.

Below is a photo of the bridge and node boards cut out by the LPKF milling machine (Far left is the bridge and the other two are nodes).

 

 

The tough part is to do programming, I actually faced a lot of problems doing programming. My course mates and Steven helped me out a lot. I tried a few times before I got the correct program. My program is working but something happen to my software which keep telling me something is missing. I want to tried my program at Roy's PC which came out fine.

I did quite a number of ammendments to the program before I run it without error.

For the node program, the program will need to redefine the node id to 1 in order for the program to work.

Below is a screen shot of the program that I ammended and run using two hello boards.

 

Click here to view program file

Click here to view make file

 

Below is a photo of testing the program on another PC (running with no errors).

Click on the picture to take a look of the video of the testing on program.

 

 

I went to ask Steven for help on the bridge and node that I fabricated and the boards are in good condition. Steven told me that the boards are working well. These proved that my boards and program are working fine. Well done...

Below is a photo of testing the bridge and node boards.

Click on the picture to take a look of the video of the testing on the boards.