Despite spring break and our exam schedules limiting what we could get done with the hardware, substantial progress was made toward our upcoming deliverables. The brunt of it was achieved through the team design report.
Key contributions included:
Most of this was done in an effort to get the Design Report ready for submission. It was more of an urgency than a scheduled completion.
- Design Report Writing: I contributed roughly half of the content for our team’s Design Report (
docs/Team_A4_Belmonte_Chen_design_report.pdf), focusing on polishing the Implementation, Testing, and Buy List sections. This included formalizing how our access control, lighting, and temperature subsystems interface through the backend and MQTT-based communication, as well as documenting architectural trade studies and our PID-based HVAC temperature regulation addition. - Comprehensive Buy List & Sourcing: Compiled a full parts buy list for the physical demo, including sensors, and actuators. I researched hefty amount for vendors for microcontrollers, lighting modules, and RFID readers, ensuring that we have procurement plans in place and concrete pricing for each item.
- Schedule Management: Created and updated our Gantt chart to reflect new phase breakdowns, hardware procurement milestones, and division of labor for both demo construction and final system integration.
- System Documentation: Ensured documentation of architectural decisions and trade-offs. This included sampling rates, communication architecture (transitioning to MQTT), and firmware structure. This was all integrated into both the GitHub repo and the report, providing clear technical references for future builds and troubleshooting.
- Parts Handling & Security: Helped secure newly acquired RFID modules and the RPI 5 by locking them in the designated Hamerschlag lab storage. This prevents loss or damage before integration and ensures responsible stewardship of valuable components.
Is your progress on schedule or behind?
We are still on schedule, though spring break and exam prep did slightly slow hands-on progress. Most deliverables are either completed or actively in progress. The next step is waiting on the arrival of the materials for the house model.
What deliverables do you hope to complete in the next week?
- Physical Demo Preparation: Finalize the physical house layout design, secure the remaining wood panels, and begin house frame construction. This will set us up for hardware component integration and system validation.
- CI/CD Pipeline Improvements: Aim for >50% code coverage on the GitHub repo, further establishing confidence in the reliability of our codebase.
- Raspberry Pi Familiarization: Dedicate time to hands-on testing with the Raspberry Pi 5, installing necessary software and verifying communication with the backend and nodes.
- Parts Integration: Begin wiring and integrating sensors and actuators, starting with the RFID modules and lighting system if structural progress allows.