This week, I focused on finalizing the hardware design for our design presentation and preparing for prototyping. After identifying the components we wanted to use last week, I researched manufacturer and distributor pages to compare availability, shipping times, and specifications. I prioritized parts that could arrive quickly so we can hopefully prototype before the design report is due. This would let us collect preliminary IMU data for our posture calculations while also testing factors such as communication latency and power consumption. I also found breakout-board versions of our components to make initial prototyping easier.
I also researched how these components would translate to our eventual custom PCB. Since we will likely use SMD versions of components such as the IMUs, I checked their availability to avoid potential lead-time issues and found PCB fabrication options as well along the way. Reading through the component documentation also helped me understand their wiring and interface requirements. For example, while considering I2C versus SPI, I realized that I can include jumper or solder pads on the PCB to keep configuration options open rather than committing to one design immediately.
I believe my progress is currently on schedule. Next week, I hope to meet with my team to verify that the complete hardware design works together and begin testing the breakout boards once our components arrive. My main goal is to use what we learn from prototyping to begin the custom PCB schematic, including component connections, power distribution, and configurable interface options, while my team can work in parallel with the breakout board components to begin firmware development.
Below is what our parts list looks like right now. I hope to keep maintaining it like this, maybe adding more columns if necessary, to keep track of our components and budget.
