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WEEK 15

SYSTEM INTEGRATION

Bringing the Smart Precision Goal from components to a cohesive system.

00. ASSIGNMENT ITEMS & THE PROCESS

Individual Assignment: Design and document the system integration for your final project.

For the Smart Precision Goal, system integration means bringing together the mechanical housing, the custom electronics, and the software interface. The goal is to ensure that the distance sensors, the central processing unit (XIAO RP2350), and the user interface all communicate flawlessly while being safely packaged to withstand the environment of a training session.

01. SCHEDULE

To complete the integration successfully, I divided the workload into three main tracks to avoid bottlenecks:

  • Mechanical Track: Finalize CAD dimensions -> 3D Print the main hub -> Test fit the PCB and sensor mounts.
  • Electronics Track: Mill the final PCB -> Solder the XIAO RP2350 and components -> Wire the distance sensors.
  • Software Track: Write the communication protocol -> Design the UI -> Test serial data reception.

02. THE DESIGN & COMPONENTS

The system is composed of three main modules that must interact with each other.

Main Hub Design

01 | THE MAIN HUB

The central brain of the goal, housed in a custom 3D printed case.

  • Custom PCB
  • XIAO RP2350
  • 3D Printed Case
Distance Sensor Design

02 | DISTANCE SENSORS

The sensory layer that detects the ball crossing the goal line.

  • Proximity / Distance Sensors
  • Wiring and Connectors
  • Mounting brackets
Interface Application

03 | INTERFACE APP

The digital dashboard that displays the training metrics.

  • Python Backend
  • Qt Designer UI
  • Serial Communication

03. ASSEMBLING PLAN WORKFLOW

Main Hub Assembly Update designing PCB -> Milling PCB -> Soldering the Microcontroller and components to PCB -> QC: testing for short circuits -> 3D Print Case -> Fitting components in the case.
Distance Sensor Assembly Solder header pins to sensors -> Mount sensors to the goal frame brackets -> Route wiring securely to the main hub -> QC: test distance readings and noise filtering.
Interface Integration Design UI layout -> Write Python Serial bridge -> Upload C Firmware to XIAO -> QC: Connect system and test threshold triggers.

04. ASSEMBLING & VIRTUAL INTEGRATION

Before committing to the final 3D print, the integration was validated through physical PCB assembly and virtual CAD clearance checks.

Soldering the PCB
01 | HARDWARE LAYER: The custom PCB milled and populated with the XIAO RP2350.
Virtual Assembly in CAD
02 | VIRTUAL INTEGRATION: Verifying internal component clearances and sensor cable routing in SolidWorks before final manufacturing.

05. BENCH TESTING THE SYSTEM

With the hardware assembled, the system underwent "Bench Testing" to validate the data flow from the distance sensors, through the microcontroller, and into the Python interface.

Bench Testing Setup
03 | BENCH TEST: Validating Serial Data transmission between the hardware hub and the UI.
Areas of testing Findings
Hardware Clearances: Does the CAD model properly accommodate the electronics? Virtual integration confirms the PCB fits perfectly. Minor adjustments were made to the cable management channels for the distance sensors.
Sensor Response: Do the distance sensors reliably detect objects crossing the threshold? Yes, they successfully detect objects breaking the threshold during bench testing. Code calibration is needed to filter out false positives.
Data Transmission: Does the Interface App receive the serial data without lag? The app successfully reads the Serial data at 115200 baud with no noticeable latency when a trigger event is registered.
Conclusion & Next Steps The bench testing confirms the system architecture is solid. The data flows correctly from the physical distance sensors to the digital interface.

Next Challenge: 3D printing the finalized housing and performing field tests mounted on the actual training goal frame.