PlatformIO with Teensy 3.5 Cpp

This weekend, I am finishing up the MIT Rocket Team Data acquisition script for our balloon test next week. We are taking thermocouples and accelerometers in a weather balloon test to near the edge of space. More details coming soon after.

The image here is of my text editor, Atom, a hackable editor with lots of good features. I came across one called PlatformIO which allows me to directly upload and build from the editor onto a Teensy 3.5 dev. board.

JLCPCB Order on the Way

So my exploits in circuit design have been started in South China, my friend Shreeyam mentioned that they like to use JLCPCB because it is very cheap and fine quality for prototyping. As a first time user, I was able to get shipping costs waived. This was a great way to cheaply prototype my first board.Thanks Shreeyam for help in KiCAD.

Dorm Climate Data

For my 2.60 (Advanced Energy Conversions) class, a partner and I have to tackle an energy storage technology to analyze from a feasibility standpoint. We have chosen to look into borehole, thermal energy storage; a type of seasonal energy storage. In this method, a series of ~300m deep holes are drilled into the earth and used as a sort of ground heat exchanger which can hold excess waste heat for long periods of time. The goal is that a certain fraction of MIT's cogeneration plant's waste heat could be held underground in the summer to be used in the winter. This method is already being using at the University of Ontario. We are considering the placement and metrics of such a system at MIT. And hoping it lands on the positive side of the traditional abatement curve. The picture above shows a screengrab from MIT's Tableau data platform on megatons of CO2 emitted per building.

The following spreadsheet link compares dorm MTCO2e. Link

Branching out to KiCAD

I am learning how to use KiCAD. One of two major PCB layout software packages (the other being EAGLE). I appreciate the documentation I am able to find online for KiCAD and the open-source community is a good place to helpful tips.

Campus Preview Weekend 19'

 This past weekend was the MIT Campus Preview Weekend (CPW). This is a time of reflection as nearly one thousand 'prefrosh' run around on campus to figure out if they should accept their MIT admission. The yield for MIT is about 75% last time I checked, so just about 3 out of 4 students in this first photo who are prefrosh will end up coming here.

In this photo, I brought my prototype laser projector to the MIT Innovation fair to show it off.

My friend Hector practicing guitar

Me on my bike

Testing the laser projector in the EC courtyard

Lazar Projector First Tests!

Last weekend, I turned on ScALP for the first time. The acronym stands for "Scanning Art Laser Projector". It's great to see it working with the preset control board that came with the galvo mirrors.

Link to the test here 

The projector uses a single light source, the white laser, to draw images with the scanning galvo mirrors all mounted with 80/20 in an aluminum/MDF box.

Early stages were mostly planning how to set up the components. A projects page update to come soon.

Dynamism, Moving Things

 I had a great spring break. It was as much as I could have best expected. I was able to drive to Porter Square and get groceries. I was able to take a long bike ride around campus. On Saturday, I set up on my improved electric bike and drove to Pour House in the Back Bay. The restaurant has half off burgers on Saturdays. There's a Tesla dealership across the road from the place which was pretty interesting.

A linear actuator

Interesting Integrals