Keep your head down, there's two of us in here now

[ventrue]

Halo 1 version of the chip is much bigger vs Halo 2/3 version of the chip which is much smaller.

No, look at 1:03 in the second video. The chip is about as wide as chief's first two index finger bones are long. In my case, that would be 5 cm, but Chief's hands are probably larger.

(Although being smaller has certain advantages. We've already been over that.)

 

[thatdecade]

I like the serial number idea.

Yep, I agree, I came up with the same size and scaling myself. However, I did go slightly smaller than that due to design constraints. Fabrication house max drill size is 0.5 inches (center hole). Increasing board perimeter size increases price, etc. The raw printed circuit board unassembled costs under $5, there is some huge value there. The board looks fantastic even unassembled.

-----------
Updates:
Got my part order yesterday and started testing component footprints. Nothing major, just a few tweaks. I took the oportunity to completely re-do the wire traces and made the design a lot simpler in the process. Haven't finished the labeling yet.

Still on my todo list.

• (check) Finish routing traces.
• (check) Add a switch connect upon insertion (inserting cortana board can complete a circuit to turn on other lights in suit).
• (check) Add a battery power connection (alternative to usb)
• Construct a prototype version of the circuit
• Program some light animations
• (check) Order parts and do test fitting on 1:1 print out of the pcb
• Some design work on the outer shell. (something like this)

51984_top_lg by thatdecade, on Flickr

 

[thatdecade]

Circuit prototype has been built and tested.

Video Demo of the animation so far:

http://flic.kr/p/9hZQZL

No more updates for a while. Placing my order with the fabrication shop next week and expect to continue this project in a month or so when the PCB arrives.

 

[ventrue]

Looking good

 

[gakkengod]

seems like more circuts that wont fit into the origonal shell...

But great more than i could do...

 

[thatdecade]

Breadboard circuit uses different parts then the final one, the parts are bigger so I can prototype with my human hands. The final circuit will be constructed with tweezers. lol
DIP vs TTSOP

Source Code is up
http://pastebin.com/4ncTrM53

Animations are very simple to script. The only tricky part in the source code was doing the 5 channel fade effect without using a PWM timer.

 

[ventrue]

Source Code is up
http://pastebin.com/4ncTrM53

Ugh, advanced stuff. I guess this might be a good opportunity to learn "real" AVRs... later on

 

[thatdecade]

lol, yeah. I'm a bit old school and still use the avr-gcc compiler program that atmel provides. I have been meaning to learn about those new fangled arduino sketches. ha

I know you can do more advanced functions with simpler commands under arduino, but I just can't beat the flexibility of the avr-gcc. Can program any and all atmel avr chips.
I'll have to take a picture of the attint45's ttsop package. This thing is impossibly small, smaller than I can safely pick up with my finger nails.

To make understanding easier, I can update the source code with more comments too.

 

[jlhR2]

I love the animation sequence, so once it starts up it just fades in and out all the time?

~James

 

[ventrue]

I know you can do more advanced functions with simpler commands under arduino

Yeah, but you pay for it with less flexibility, a huge bootloader on your chip and probably a little less speed. Not exactly sure actually.

 

[thatdecade]

Yes, James. The fade does continue. The circles and blinking are part of the start up animations, then the fade in and out is the idle animation. Continues forever, until power is interrupted. Maybe put a reset pushbutton on the daughter board to trigger the animation without detaching the board? Yeah, I like that idea.

Ventrue, that sounds about right. ha As long as you don't plan on making a 1000 of your project, can afford a more expensive atmel chip with the speed and memory to hold the bootloader.

New source code is up, commented now.
http://pastebin.com/4MLZXJVr

 

[ventrue]

Ventrue, that sounds about right. ha As long as you don't plan on making a 1000 of your project, can afford a more expensive atmel chip with the speed and memory to hold the bootloader.

Make 1000 of a project. I'd like that. But my ideas are always so... non-comercially-exploitable :-(

Actually, this reminds me a lot of the PICs I used to tinker with a few years ago, particularly the PortA and PortB. I haven't seen that in any Arduino project so far. Only back then, it was assembler. C is a lot more user-friendly and readable

 

[thatdecade]

Arduino folks are more likely to use digitalout, but writing to the port directly also works. Just requires you to be familiar with your chip's pinout.

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/PortManipulation
Scroll down to "Why use port manipulation?"

 

[ventrue]

Arduino folks are more likely to use digitalout, but writing to the port directly also works. Just requires you to be familiar with your chip's pinout.

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/PortManipulation
Scroll down to "Why use port manipulation?"

So it does exist... interesting. Might be able to use that later on.

 

[thatdecade]

Final board designs. Sent the design off to the fab shop a few minutes ago. Now we wait 3-4 weeks.

Some of the text will look a little different due to the font change. Just assume everything will be centered and legible.


Cortana Board Final Prototype Top by thatdecade, on Flickr


Cortana Board Final Prototype Bottom by thatdecade, on Flickr

Also did another demo video. I turned down the voltage so the LEDs wouldn't be so bright and the camera could see them better.

Video Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwest2/5447280130/

 

[alix965]

top_5 by thatdecade, on Flickr

This is beyond the pale of anything I've seen in these forums. Maybe it's my layman's knowledge of electronics, or the amount of planning you're demonstrating with this Cortana chip that has me sitting here like a half-wit, mouth agape, but you sir are kicking my minds's ass. Your profile pic reminds me of Ian and Wyatt in Weird Science.

Mad Scientist indeed!!!

 

[thatdecade]

lol, that is Dennis from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In that particular episode they explored the mystery of "who pooped the bed". Still my favorite episode. Too funny!

Thanks for the compliment. I am working on a few more things with James (jlhR2), like the outer plastic shell. The shell will be large enough to add a lithium polymer battery. I have the liPoly charger circuit drawn up and will fit nicely with everything else. Still am using a microB USB cable for charging (standard cell phone charger).

 

[gakkengod]

thats good... im sorry if i havent been much help im in the middle of a move and starting a new job and working on a small side project i think you'd like..

 

[ventrue]

add a lithium polymer battery

Haha, I had already considered suggesting that, but I couldn't find one with the right size :-D

This is going to be epic when it's done!

 

[thatdecade]

100mAh is the size I like. Runtime is approx 30 minutes, charge time will also be set at approx 30 min.