Alpha Prototype Progress

First, we’ve got our prototyping done for most of our design changes.  And, we have some nice pictures so you can see for yourself how we are coming along.

The article picture shows our updated prototype setup on a breadboard using the new TRRS cable to connect the controller to the sensor and the new Cherry MX key switch for enabling Holoseat.  Using a network jack (look in the upper right corner) we connected it to the existing setup from one of our SyndCon demo units and I used it for a few hours.  Worked just as smooth as our assembled units, so we know these changes didn’t mess with a good thing.

Speaking of the key switch, did we happen to mention that we’re doing a custom keycap with the holoseat h?  Here’s what it looks like lit up on our couple of test key switches we were trying out:

That covers the main electronics review.  But what about the little bit of magic that pushed our accuracy up to the point where everything smoothed out?  The tone ring has gotten a bit of a makeover too.  We have split it into two pieces.

Tone ring parts, fresh off the 3D printer

Assembled tone ring

Why’d we split it?  We wanted  to have a cover over the magnets so they couldn’t come out.  It wasn’t an issue during the demos, but we felt that was a poor choice to have them pressure fitted like they were long term.  These are straight 3D prints from the drawings, so they’re still a little rough looking.  But you can get an idea for how the final tone ring will work.

Next Steps & Getting Involved in the Alpha

So that covers our progress so far.  But it still leaves quite a bit left to do.  And the majority of the remaining work is less about hardware development and more about getting ready to take on testers, getting our redesigned desktop software into shape, and sorting out a few things on the business side.

Moving forward what we need from those of you who follow this blog is some help.  Here’s a few spots where can make a difference for Holoseat:

• Do you have some ideas for questions we should be asking our Alpha testing users during the test program?  Post them here <link to google form for submitting questions>.
• Enjoy 3D modeling?  We could use your help porting our mechanical designs from Solidworks to  Autodesk Fusion 360.  Our volunteer mCAD modeler prefers Solidworks, but it is not an open platform, so we need to move our mCAD models.  If this sounds like something you would like to help out with, please fill out the volunteer form indicating you want to help with mCAD <form link>.
• Do you have a knack for python and enjoy development? Consider volunteering to help with the desktop application.  Again, the volunteer link is here.
• In the DC or Blacksburg, VA area and want to help with final assembly and shipping?  We’ll take volunteers for that too!  I’m guessing you know where this is going.

TL;DR

We’re behind (no Holoseats for Christmas), but we’re moving forward at a good pace.   We would rather be a couple of months late with a Holoseat you will love than ship something substandard on schedule.

Looking at the novel I’ve just written, it’s time to get back to work.

The post Alpha Status Update appeared first on Model B.

The year is flying by. Sprint 2 is done and suddenly it is time to get everything ready for SyndCon 2017. Our last sprint was a roller coaster ride, full of mission critical Product Backlog Items (PBIs). On numerous occasions we asked ourselves “are going to get enough done before this year’s SyndCon?”  Fortunately, we applied all of the lessons learned from previous sprints and delivered exactly what we needed to lock in the v0.4 design. And I am happy to report we are ready to share our progress with our fellow guild members in August.

How We Did Last Sprint

Review

As we shared in our last sprint kick off post, the number one priority for Sprint 2 was to implement the HID keyboard interface through an Arduino based board. We worked hard in planning to ensure we would be successful. One key to our planning was breaking this PBI down into smaller bites.  Thanks to the smaller PBIs we made slow, steady progress.  We also more quickly identified when and where things were not working. Thanks to this planning, we have fully demonstrated the architecture and implementation we will be using for the v0.4 HID keyboard.

It is worth noting another key to this success was our willingness to adapt our implementation to suit the technology stacks the rest of the CHIP Pro community is adopting. It turns out our initial implementation plan had some hits and misses. For example, we correctly identified Docker as a useful technology for the CHIP Pro, but it is lacking in key documentation. On the other hand, our initial decision to go with Node.js was not sustainable. There is just not enough community support for the combined CHIP/CHIP Pro platform for Node.js related projects. So, we have moved to the language of CHIP IoT development, Python, for the v0.4 firmware.

Retrospective

Overall we had a very good sprint. We accomplished what we needed and demonstrated an improved level of teamwork. That does not mean the sprint was without its challenges. Both Bryan and I had outside blocks at the same time due to work and family demands. This led to our missing several stand up meetings in a row mid-sprint. And, despite how well the sprint ended, the implementation details for the HID keyboard interface looked like they would not be completed as late as week 6 of 8.

Yet, as we noted in our retrospective meeting the theme of Sprint 2 was recovery. Unlike past sprints, we recognized the pattern of missed stand up meetings and immediately resumed meeting. Further, our improved teamwork helped us identify the sticking points around the HID keyboard research.  We were then able to select the proper path forward, leading to a surge in productivity the last two weeks and the successful completion of the sprint.

Bryan and I also identified a new lesson at the close of Sprint 2. The two of us have reached the limit on how much work we can take on in any given sprint. If we want (or need) to take on more work than we have been doing, we must bring in outside resources. These outside resources can include volunteers or contractors.

What We Are Doing This Sprint

The Sprint 3 plan can be summed up in one word, SyndCon. Every PBI is directly related to getting ready to demo and present our progress toward v0.4 at SyndCon. This includes:

• implementing the new sensors we have selected
• upgrading our demo hardware to showcase improved sensitivity and packaging
• creating a professional, scripted demo process (complete with signage and dedicated demonstration games)
• bringing Holoseat swag to give out at SyndCon
• creating our presentations for SyndCon

In case this looks like a lot of work for 7 weeks (yes we are running a truncated sprint), that is because it is. Based on our final lesson from Sprint 2, the Sprint 3 plan includes calling on outside resources to help us get the job done. And, the good news is they have all accepted.  You can see the full list of PBIs on our Sprint 3 plan (click the Sprint 3 tab) and our complete backlog (click the Backlog tab) in our 2017 planning document.

As always, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to keep up on all things Holoseat.  And you can follow the week to week details of this, and future sprints, on the Holoseat project News page (Atom feed).

The post 2017 Sprint 3 Kickoff – Prep for SyndCon 2017 appeared first on Model B.

The Big Picture

Sprint 1 of 2017 is off and running.  Each sprint builds upon the work of the last to move Holoseat closer to our annual goals.  For 2017, the goals are to finalize the v0.4 hardware and to set up Holoseat’s beta testing (see the last blog post for more details about the 2017 goals).  Our previous sprint was Sprint 6 of 2016.  Leading up to Sprint 6 we had some scheduling setbacks.  We decided to work on a more focused set of objectives for Sprint 6, with the goal of completing all unfinished documentation for v0.3 in order to have a strong foundation for the development of v0.4.  Our yard stick for completing our documentation was submitting v0.3 for certification as Open Source Hardware (OSHW).

How We Did Last Sprint

So, how did we do?  I am happy to report we completed all Product Backlog Items (PBIs) for Sprint 6.  In even better news, the Sprint 6 work also resulted in v0.3 receiving its certification as OSHW.  Not only does the work publicly demonstrate our commitment to open source hardware, it also taught us invaluable lessons about the state of the project.  We learned what features are ready to go (e.g our cadence calculation algorithm).  We also identified the features which need some tweaking (like the logic voltage bug with our sensors).  Finally, we discovered which features need significant development for v0.4 (the most critical of which is the controller hardware).

Fix for Logic Voltage Bug – SparkFun Logic Level Converter (CHIP Pro for Scale)

And what lessons did we learn during Sprint 6?  One of the major lessons was that we got a little lucky.  Life finally settled down for both of us after the insanity that was Sprint 5, which was a significant part of why we were able to complete all of our PBIs.  But, we also recognize we planned well and that going forward, solid planning would be key to successful sprints.  That is why we took our time in developing the road map for 2017 and preparing the Sprint 1 plan.

What We Are Doing This Sprint

Speaking of 2017’s first sprint, let’s take a look at what is on the plan.  Sprint 1 started on Feb 22 and runs through April 19.  The sprint covers administrative items necessary to keep Model B running, development items to address the highest priority questions about v0.4, and planning items for the beta testing crowd source campaign.  That sounds like a lot, but we measured twice before committing to the sprint plan and we feel confident this list is just the right size.  You can see the full list of PBIs on our Sprint 1 plan (click the Sprint 1 tab) and our complete backlog (click the Backlog tab) in our 2017 planning document.

As always, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to keep up on all things Holoseat.  And you can follow the week to week details of this, and future sprints, on the Holoseat project News page (Atom feed).

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