Project Development#
This section documents the development journey of my final project — the Smart Tool Cabinet with RFID tracking.
Overview#
The project development process includes the conceptualization, design iterations, prototyping, and implementation phases of building a smart tool tracking system for collaborative maker spaces.
Project Logs#
27th May 2026 – 2nd June 2026#
What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain?#
Done so far:
- Finished all the PCB designs
- Milled one of the XIAO sister PCBs
- CNC routed the plywood for the exterior structure
Still to do:
- Mill the 19 PCBs that use the CH32V003J4M6
- Mill the XIAO PCB
- Solder all the PCBs
- Sand and post-process the plywood, then assemble the structure
- Write the XIAO firmware for the project
What’s working? What’s not?#
Working:
- The CNC-routed plywood for the exterior structure came out well
- The milled sister PCB is working
Not working / what went wrong:
- My first version of the XIAO main board got scrapped right after milling. I’d forgotten to add the logic-level shifter circuit, the one that converts the XIAO’s 3.3V up to 5V logic for the CH32, and then back down to 3.3V for the XIAO. Without it the two chips couldn’t talk safely, so that board was a write-off and I had to redesign.
What questions need to be resolved?#
Planned what will happen when? (timeline)#
This is the plan I made at the start. It lists every task week by week with start and end dates. This is the schedule I’m following:
This is the live version from my Google Sheet. It updates as I go, so it always shows where I really am:
What have you learned?#
- Prototyping is an iterative process, and it’s important to expect setbacks and be ready to adapt designs as issues arise.
