19. Project development¶
18-07-2023¶
Almost 2 full Fab Academy Cycles have concluded by now. It’s been a challenge but I think I finally have things under control and plan on having everything done in the next few weeks even if I have until November/December as a margin of error.
What tasks remain?¶
I mostly need to rework the mechanical aspect of the machine. I had some problems keeping the wire in place so I’ll be adding capstans along the system.
There’s also a matter of triggering a point save. Originally the plan was a wired remote but at this point a wireless remote maybe quicker to implement as it’d be a fully software solution with wi-fi or bluetooth.
What tasks have been completed?¶
Electronics are finally working. Even if they seem to break after around 8mins of I2C scans it should be enough to get some readings.
I’ll be re-using the metalic structure I made last year for Wildcard week. To replicate this project a metalic skeleton isn’t mandatory but the rigidity and weight help keep the machine in place when the probe wire is being tugged on.
What has worked? what hasn’t?¶
Printing the flat coil sprints was a fun exercise but probably took too much of my time. Some of which I could have used to further diagnose my issues with electronics last year. Although the biggest change was the use of a Logic Analyzer and I only bought mine after Final Presentations; long after I knew I couldn’t put more time into Fab Academy last year. I found some cheap measuring tapes on sale at IKEA that I have since taken appart to integrate into the wire winder.
What questions need to be resolved?¶
Currently my biggest doubt is the final code I wrote. I got all sensors to work at the same time and had basic code to translate sensor data into 360 degree equivalent. That said I needed both electronics and mechanical components assembled but I haven’t gotten that far yet. Once the actual machine is built and mechanically stable I can test the coordinate system conversion.
With the conversion working I’d then like to look a bit more at ways to exporting the point cloud data. Currently they’ll be just printed to the serial monitor as individual XYZ .asc compatible points.
Maybe implementing look up tables to make my code fly inside the MCU and open up resources for other features.
What will happen when?¶
These last couple of weeks I’ve been mostly looking at tidying up all my documentation and leaving it ready for review. I’ve been documenting a bit blindly without much feedback but I hope everything’s in order cause I really don’t want to have to re-write any of this… Once I push this page to GitLab I’ll move on to the Final Project again. Model the new parts with capstan, maybe get some test revisions printed this week already to see how they work. There are a few capstan’s in the system I want to try printing with both FDM and SLS to see how well they hold up. Also want to test a few iterations of FDM slicing/printing orientation.
What have you learned?¶
Quite a lot. At this point I think Fab Academy has fulfilled my expectations so I’m quite happy.
When I started I knew how to program in a few languages and had a decent knowledge of computer systems but now I finally understand how the physical world interacts with the digital world.
I’m not afraid of electronics anymore. I know enough to design and debug my own circuits; even if they’re quite basic for now I can keep exploring and testing more complex tools/components.
Programing micro-controlers also let me learn C/C++ that I had never really used. Building a windows app from scratch also let me understand a few more OS layers that are usually hidden to the end-users.
I already knew how to use parametric CAD tools but Prof. Neil turned me to FreeCAD and I really like it. Now I hope to practice more advanced features and plug-ins like curved surfaces and 3d sweeps. Maybe dip my toes into generative and simulation tools. Already have a few bookmarks ready for some time.
Getting more experience with fabrication machinery like 3d printers and router cnc’s was great. They’re easy to understand but experimenting with the CAM tools in a controlled environment was very important. Seeing how it affected the machine and output was great. Pushing machines and tools to their limits… Got me comfortable enough to buy my own desktop cnc so I could mill my own circuits and anything else I can fit it in. Next up is probably a 3d printer, or 2x.
Final Project Updates¶
Now that assignments are thoroughly documented I’ll post a couple more updates to my Final Project pages. And once everything’s working I’ll add a final update here