This week, Rhea and I focused on setting up SSH access for the Raspberry Pi. We initially encountered some connection issues because we needed to complete a head setup before enabling headless access. This was necessary to retrieve the Pi’s MAC address and register the device properly. After troubleshooting, we successfully configured SSH on both Raspberry Pis.
Rhea and I concentrated on building the switch matrix. This required soldering each button in sequence for input connections, followed by soldering diodes and completing all wiring. Although we checked connectivity throughout the process, we found several broken connections at the end. Because each button’s circuit is dependent on the others, fixing the broken ones would have required significant rework. Additionally, the current buttons are difficult to press, and the solder joints aren’t very secure.
To address these issues, we ordered new buttons and asked May to design a new board that will allow for a cleaner and more stable wiring setup. While we’ll need to rebuild the switch matrix, this iteration provided valuable insight into the design and wiring process and helped us identify key improvements for the next version.
In parallel, I worked on assembling the dice plate using the pieces May designed and laser-cut. While May primarily handled the CAD and laser-cutting process, I helped troubleshoot issues with engraving and cutting. After assembling the dice plate (temporarily held together with hot glue for testing), we found that the angled wall version obstructed the view of the roads and houses on the board. We’ll move forward with a straight-walled design instead.
Because much of my time this week was spent soldering and waiting for laser-cutting jobs to finish, I wasn’t able to thoroughly test the dice algorithm with the new camera.
Once the new buttons arrive, I plan to finish assembling the revised switch matrix and fully test the dice algorithm with the camera in preparation for the interim demo.