yet-another-intercom-hack

Hi there :) !

Since the new year has been busy, it's been a "long time no update" on this thread, yet I have some neat stuff to share as well as, as usual, some more questions that awaits answers ;)

ps: I hope you did indeed have the well-deserved rest ;)

So, onto the good stuff:

• On the "hacked CNC project", I finally have some work done:
  -> after receiving a drill, a drill support, some drill heads, some M3 standoffs of different lengths & corresponding nuts ( still waiting to receive M2 & M2.5 stuff yet .. ), I was able to build the structure of the CNC as well as have 2 of the 3 axis mounted ( and a power source from a scavenged dvd reader that fits inside the bottom of the structure, with access to the button on the front side of the CNC ).
  
  

-> while the 3d pen is hacked to provide the bare minimum in terms of fcnality ( in other words, "extrude" & "release", from the 2 push buttons already present on the pen ), I still have to investigate the pins on which I've soldered some headers ( ^^ ) as well as think about possible ways to modify stuff like feed rate, ..

-> still on the 3d pen side of things, modifying G-Code files to handle preheat/|status & wiring some stuff to the pen indicator LEDs || having the color(s) detected seems like some ways to walk along for a better yet still easy use of such off the shelf device ( .. )

-> on the more general hardware side of thing, I posted the complete schematic of the project at the following address:https://123d.circuits.io/circuits/152807­3-yahc-yet-another-hacked-cnc-based-on-a­tmega328-grbl

-> I also had some thougths about the animated SVG: it could be quite nice to "simulate" the different layers of matter being added ( by splitting a drag&dropped 3d model into several SVGs, being animated in the way they're filled along with the movement of the different axis for ex ), as well as have the CNC SVG reflect the current position & status of the real one ( ex: to have a cam following the head is one [ nice ]thing, visualizing the movement & status at a glance in a cute* crude SVG is another .. )

-> also, while I did follow the link you provided on your GCode reader, I didn't took the time yet to digg into your code & see how I could add another axis & stuff ( .. ) :)

-> last but not least, I seriously plan to make the CNC wireless ( considering a WiFi serial bridge is easily done with our beloved ESP8266 ), but doing so I'd want to use this opportunity to add some simple yet useful features to the device:

• being able to either be driven using USB or WiFi ( probably an electron app / chrome app)
  
• control it & update the animated SVG in regards ( using websockets on the Espruino ? )
  
• updates the files on an attached SD card / list them ( for download or printing ) in the UI
  
• provide terminal-like interface to execute commands over serial / WiFi
  => the Espruino 'd "replace" the laptop ( streaming Grbl code to the ATmega328 ) as well as provide some control over Grbl remotely ( thx to Esp8266 ) & provide "SD file server" to list files, init prints, .. and a UI with said fcnality ;D
  
  

-> few pics of the current state of the CNC build & the 3d pen attached ;p

• On the "Resistor" project ( NodeJS module ), I plan to try applying what I could read on genetic algorithms ( the guy writing the tut used it to deduce the most compact ways to pack different shapes, or even where could fit the largest possible circle among other circles & how big 'd it be ) to find the possible solutions that'd most suit the needs ( be the closest possible value while keeping item count the lowest ) --> more on this soon ;p
  
  
  
  

*- Talking about cute, I have yet another project for which I have few questions, mainly focusing on power handling & battery charging ( I don't wanna mess with those .. ;p ):
You'll see in the attached pics a teddy bear I'm sewing ( name's Me4e ;p ), and that 'll be stuffed with a pico as well as a pienoze||speaker & a battery, as well as the sensors that are already built for the body & arms, the goal being to enter a pattern of squeezes on the arms & body which 'd trigger a sound playing ( & pausing the sensors while playing to resume them afterward ).

The schematic is already done for the most part, but I'm not entirely sure of the best way to power the Pico as well as recharge the battery safely without software to do so ( handled on the hardware side by an Adafruit LiPo backpack ): in other words, I don't know whether to build the powering part of the circuit as the version hosted on the 123d circuit link below:
https://123d.circuits.io/circuits/154523­0-i-me4e

or as: ( "LiPo" is the Adafruit LiPo backpack circuit ), without shorting the FET/B0 jumper
Pico 5V <---> LiPo 5V ( charge )
Pico Bat <---> LiPo Bat

From what I currently understand, it would be simpler than in the circuit hosted, which relies on a USB port line ( -> btw: relation to B0 ? )

Anyway, I need to provide a female USB port to the device, so the Pico 'll have its USB port plugged as well ( the USB part of the circuit let untouched, except for the part that checks if we have a voltage on the USB line), so it's more a question of knowing what to do than of trying not to touch the USB line(s) ;p
( although, the most simple/tiniest circuit are always welcome as usual ;p )

Lastly, I was wondering how to keep a uC powered up after some switching off had occured ( ex: to play a goodby sound & do some cleanup/halting routines before actually powering it off ). You'll see a quickie of the idea in the bottom-right corner of Me4e's schematic, from which I'm sure you'll think of a [ wayyy ? ] simpler version considering the Pico as the only hardware on which this 'd be tested ( by now, yet these sort of stuff could be indeed useful on the RPi & others as well, where I'mm pretty sure they're already been implemented .. anyway ;) )

And, "what needed to be done" [ and what 'll have some rework ]: as I couldn't import the Eagle files of the Pico on 123dCircuits ( need the .sch file it seems -->https://123d.circuits.io/eagle/import ) , I added it* ( https://123d.circuits.io/components/1544­978-espruino-pico ) to have clearer schematics ;P

• the PCB view pinouts are WRONG ( MY fault --> I didn't take the time to get the correct alignments, I just wanted the schematic view for now ;p )
  

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