Gems of
Wisdom:
- Make sure you are clear on the specs right from
the start, so you don’t have to redesign when your
understanding of what the game is changes.
- If you are going to shoot for a more complicated
design, either software or hardware, make sure you set out clear deadlines
for when to scale back if the complicated version is taking too much time.
- Regulate all of your voltages, even the high
ones so that you don’t have to worry about discharge effects in your
batteries.
- Make two cutoff switches, 1 that can cut power
to everything, and another that cuts out everything except your
processor. That way you can load
code without worrying about what the floating voltages on your processor
pins are doing to your hardware while you are loading.
- Put a lot of time into getting your electronics
and hardware really solid before you worry too much about the code. That way, when you are testing, you have
a stable platform and you know any problems are probably from code and not
hardware.
- Stainless steel drive shafts are bad news! They are really difficult for set screws
to grip onto. Use something easier
to cut and mount.
- Motor mountings are crucial. Make sure you’re not loading your motor
in weird ways.
- Design mechanical components from the beginning
as if it were your final. You have
less time to prototype than you think.
- Spontaneous dance parties are essential for
staying motivated at the wee hours of the morning.
- Make a schedule early on and try to stick to
it.
- Continuously tune your sensors. They may not work as well as you had
initially thought.
- Start soldering early. There are lots of components to be
soldered!
- Don’t be afraid to fail. You learn more by making mistakes.
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