We’ve switched to using 5V batteries which we got in this week. I didn’t realize that the Arduino can run off of 5V through the 5V or through the USB input. This will also double our battery capacity. I tested them, they run at the required voltage. I’ve gotten the LEDs and the Arduino to run off of the battery power. I still have to test the STM, but it worked with the 12V, so this should be alright as well. Next up with power is to run the sensors off of the STM.
Jason and I tried to get various communications methods working between the STM and the Arduino. I’ll be helping with that more actively next week.
I’ve started modifying the CAD for the final version of the mount. We changed how the batteries are going to be positioned relative to the bike, so the mount overall will be smaller now and I won’t have to print it in two pieces. I’m also planning on printing circular clips to hold the turn and power switches on the bike.
I also got our light sensing to work on the Arduino. We use it to inform whether the tail lights need to be on, and I’m going to change it to set the overall brightness for the handlebar LEDs as well (so they aren’t so blindly bright at night).
I did some testing with Albany on the other sensor a couple days ago, and we are going to meet up on Sunday to do testing with the two sensors together on the mount. We are also going to use this to test the angular response of the sensors.
I emailed DFRobot about the sensors. We aren’t seeing the range that we expect and their documentation is very limited and unclear, so hopefully they will get back to us soon. We are continuing to move ahead, but it would be nice to get some kind of answer to what we are seeing.