Accomplished:
This week, my work focused on final-stage oscillator testing and PCB assembly preparation. During testing, the circuit was able to turn on the LEDs, which was an encouraging sign that the chip and external setup were producing meaningful output behavior. However, confirming actual oscillation remained difficult because the test setup required six delicate probe connections routed into a breadboard. Even very small movements of the wires or probe pins could disrupt the connections, which made it hard to reliably attach the oscilloscope or additional inspection circuitry. We also saw some unexpected test point voltages, but because of the instability of the probing setup, it was difficult to determine whether these came from the device, the circuit, or the measurement setup. On the PCB side, I began soldering and preparing the board for final integration, with the main remaining dependency being confirmation of the final off-chip capacitor values.
Progress/Schedule:
My portion of the project is still moving forward, but the final stage is now constrained mainly by testing and integration limitations rather than material readiness. All PCB materials and supporting components are available, and the board is being assembled while we wait on final capacitor selection. The V2 testing results are partially encouraging because the LED behavior suggests activity, but we still cannot confidently claim stable oscillation without reliable oscilloscope confirmation. The team is also moving into V3 fabrication, which should address the V2 wirebonding issue caused by aluminum adhesion problems. The schedule is tight, but the project is still in a workable position for demo week if V3 characterization and integration go smoothly.
Upcoming Deliverables:
For next week, my main focus will be finishing PCB integration, supporting V3 characterization, and helping prepare the final demo materials. Once V3 is fabricated and wirebonded, testing should become much easier because we will no longer need to rely on delicate manual probing across all six pads. Instead, we can first use our chip holder and breadboard adapter to connect the device into the external circuit more reliably, which should make oscilloscope testing and further voltage inspection much more practical. Once the off-chip capacitor values are confirmed, I will also finish the remaining soldering and PCB integration work. In parallel, I will contribute to the final handout/writeup, poster board, and video so the final demo clearly explains both the design progress and the practical testing limitations we encountered.