Over the past two weeks, my focus has primarily been on developing a hall effect sensor matrix. After finalizing its dimensions, I completed the PCB design and have spent the past two weeks assembling it. The soldering process has proved more time-consuming than anticipated, particularly due to the challenge of soldering the small hall effect sensor components onto the PCB. Shuailin and I aim to complete most of the assembly by the end of today. Additionally, I’ve dedicated time to coding the interface between the hall effect sensor matrix and multiplexer, rather than addressing individual sensors separately.
In terms of our schedule, we find ourselves slightly behind, having entered the slack weeks. Nonetheless, we’ve made significant progress, having completed all individual components of the project, with assembly scheduled for tomorrow. The primary concern at this stage is integration.
By tomorrow’s end, I anticipate having a functional prototype ready for demonstration at the final presentation next week. Subsequently, we’ll focus on refining the entire system to ensure seamless operation ahead of the final demo during the following week.
As you’ve designed, implemented and debugged your project, what new tools or new knowledge did you find it necessary to learn to be able to accomplish these tasks? What learning strategies did you use to acquire this new knowledge?
Throughout the process, I’ve discovered that PCB design proves crucial for customized projects. A well-executed PCB not only reduces complexity but also enhances overall aesthetics. Additionally, documentation and adept project management plays an important role.
I mainly relied on online videos for source of new knowledge and I have found learning by doing is immensely helpful. Purely learning by listening or watching simply wont do the trick as one can quickly forget afterward. However, practical experience and making mistakes help us grow faster.