The pilot year of Fab Academy graduated today,  August 19, 2010 at the Royal Academy in Amsterdam during the Fab6 conference on digital fabrication.  Fab Academy @ AS220 Labs is pictured above.

Participants from left to right are: Shawn Wallace (our instructor), Elliot Clapp (photo credit), Anna Kaziunas France (myself), Makeda Stephenson, Jenine Bressner and Noah Bedford. All participants at Fab Academy AS220 Labs received their diploma in digital fabrication.

Watch the First Fab Academy Graduation Ceremony at the Royal Academy in Amsterdam – as I Saw it –>  Via Video Conference

Watch Me watch (via split screen video):

I blink a lot while computing!

Graduation half screen (without my reactions):

Note: The shopbot project file that I will be posting shortly was not actually cut due to AS220 not having a shopbot and scheduling issues at the other shopbots in the area.

- See all my fab academy blog posts
- I am still frantically working on updating the final project page

Depicted below.

I have tried:

• changing the bit
• changing / tightening the set screws
• moving the position of the spindle (from high to low – low to high)
• scraping the bed with razorblades to ensure that the boards are level (we accumulate tape and glue on the bed sometimes).
• moving the position of the copper to be milled on the bed (sometimes this helps and but I can not replicate the same results in the same place twice.)
• I have tried using different batches of whatever copper stock we have left in the lab.
• I read the manual – no real help there – mostly Modela specific software tips.
• I tried booting into Windows (we usually run the machine using Ubuntu) to see if there was a “recalibration” or “troubleshooting” program or setting in the Modela software – I couldn’t find anything to run that was machine based.

When I first began using the Modela back in January – I often had these types of problems, but as I became better acquainted with the machine, the boards came out better overall, with an occasional hairy board. However, in the last few weeks I mill almost exclusively mangled boards with the occasional usable board being produced.

As I am completely out of time – I thought I would try to cut my remaining infrared prototype boards for my final project / networking on the vinyl cutter out of flexible copper sheets. The boards are very tiny – I am not sure I can get them off off the sticky background without destroying them. I cut many multiples to use as spare parts for when parts get torn. Hopefully this will work and I can finish my projects.

See the Very Basic Beginner Assembly Tutorial: How to Use Gavrasm to compile an .asm flie

If you have compiled your program (created a .hex file)

*Note: If you do not yet have avrdude installed or if you are a windows user and need avr studio – see Lady Ada’s tutorials for detailed information on how to download, setup, configure and use these programs. Lady Ada’s AVR software installation tutorial

Once your AVR software tools are installed:

Again – Lady Ada has excellent detailed tutorials on how to use avrdude check the out for details on what the all the commands are and what they do – I will just give the very basics here to help you program a chip.

1. Open your command line interface and navigate to the directory that contains the file you want to flash to the microcontroller.

2. Connect your AVR programmer to your computer – I prefer the usbtiny (also created by Lady Ada and available at a reasonable price from adafruit studios).

3. If your board has an resonator / external clock you will need to set the fuses first before attempting to program the microcontroller. You must do this first. However, once the fuses are set – you do not have to do it again. The fuses are set only once. You can reprogram the microcontroller as many times as you want after the fuses are set.

example to set fuses:

parts used in this example:
- 20 MHz clock
- bsd cable programmer
- microcontroller – attiny44

avrdude -p t44 -c bsd -U lfuse:w:0x7E:m

You need to change the parts in the code above to match the parts you are using in order for it to work. Ask you instructor if you are confused.

example to set fuses:

parts used in this example:

- 10 MHz clock
- usbtiny programmer
- microcontroller – attiny45

avrdude -p t45 -c usbtiny -U lfuse:w:0x7E:m

4. If you have set the fuses already or if your board does not have an external clock – here is how to flash / program the microcontroller.

generic example to flash microcontroller:

avrdude -p microcontroller -c programmer -U flash:w:program.hex

example with actual data:

parts used in this example:

- usbtiny programmer
- microcontroller – attiny44

avrdude -p t44 -c usbtiny -U flash:w:freqrx3.hex

1. Check to see if you have Gavrasm installed.

Open your command line interface and type:

gavrasm

If Gavrasm is installed you will see (your version number may vary):

+------------------------------------------------------------+
| gavrasm gerd's AVR assembler Version 2.5 (C)2010 by DG4FAC |
+------------------------------------------------------------+

2. If Gavrasm is not installed you will get an error.

You can download and install Gavrasm from here: [http://www.avr-asm-tutorial.net/gavrasm/index_en.html](http://www.avr-asm-tutorial.net/gavrasm/index_en.html).

*Note: if you are running a Mac OS (especially a pre-intel / PPC – Power PC Mac see my tutorial on where to get the compiled Gavrasm for PPC Macs or how to compile it yourself. *

3. If Gavrasm is installed — or once you get it installed:

A. navigate to the directory where the file that you want to compile is located.

- if you are unfamilar with unix commands:

To list the files in your current directory type:

ls

To change directory / navigate into a specific listed directory type (where directory name is the name of the directory you want to move to):

cd directoryname

To move upwards in the directory tree structure type”

cd ..

If you know the pathname of the directory that you want – type in the pathname of the directory preceded by “cd”

ex:

cd  /Desktop/mydirectory/mydirectory2

you can find more about general unix commands b doing a general internet search.

B. After navigating the correct directory – type:

gavrasm filename.asm

where “filename.asm” is the name of the assembly file you want to compile.

4. Gavrasm will compile the file for you and produce a .hex file of the same name as the .asm file.

Warnings:

Gavrasm will inform you if there are warnings. For the most part you can ignore the warnings. Ask your Fab Academy instructor if they are something you should be concerned about.

Errors:

If there are errors in compiling your file – Gavrasm will refuse to create a .hex file and will throw a bunch of error messages at you. Use these error messages to fix the problem.

If you don’t understand them – google the error or look at the datasheet for the microcontroller that you are using. See my tutorial on “Datasheet Tips”. Ask your instructor if you are confused – odds are they have encountered this many times.
You must fix the errors in the program before it will compile.

5. You can now use your AVR programmer and Avrdude to flash your microcontroller with the .hex file you just created

OS X 10.4.11 – Tiger (Power PC)

Download Anna Kaziunas France’s compiled version

OS X 10.5.x – Leopard

Download Kelly Snook’s compiled version

OS X 10.6.x – Snow Leopard

Download David Mellis’ compiled version

Windows & Linux

Pre-compiled binaries for Windows and Linux are available from the Gavrasm homepage.
http://www.avr-asm-tutorial.net/gavrasm/index_en.html

I am having some issues with the Modela this week. I milled this board last night, but it came out hairy / torn up. I will give it another go tonight.

Download Eagle file for the Board: hello_echo_button_07.26.2010.brd

Download the Eagle File for the Schematic: hello_echo_button_07.26.2010.sch

The Mantis responded to the following commands (see screenshots) and responded well. The next step is to figure out how to feed an .rml file into the software. (in progress). After that we need to mill a board on the Mantis and see how it turns out.

This version milled out a bit hairy. Some of the traces were broken, so I used jumpers to re-connect them.

There must have been a short somewhere – after stuffing it, setting the fuses and flashing it, I plugged it in to a 9v battery and received a puff of smoke for my efforts. The LED went on – then smoke came out.

In addition, I placed the button too close to the programming header, making it hard to press the button. I am not including the Eagle board or schematic here – see version 2 for a better board.

Back to Eagle!!! See version 2 for a (hopefully) improved and working board).

Shell 3D Scan Data

The Fab Academy Assignment
The assignment was to scan an object. I used the scanning attachment for the Modela milling machine and the Dr. Picza 3 software that comes with the Modela.  The Dr. Picza software works well enough, but unfortunately, it only runs on Windows.

The yellow Modela attachment (see pictures below) taps around the surface of an object using a touch sensor in order to scan a representation of it into the computer.

The objects I scanned were one of Shawn Wallace’s “laughing” dice and a shell we had laying around the lab. The output was saved as screenshots and as an .stl file that can be imported into meshlab and then cleaned up and (hopefully) printed with the Makerbot Cupcake CNC  printer.

Laughing Die Scanning Process

Laughing Die Scan Output

Shell Scanning Process

Shell Scan Output

The Fab Academy Assignment

Print an object

This was my first 3D printing attempt, I used a file called “Interlocked Rigs” by ssd available from Thingaverse.  I intend to scan and print my own files at a later date.

The Project: 3D Printing Linked Rings

Printing the interlocked rings with the MakerBot.

Printed Object

Cleaning Up the Printed Object

Final Printed Linked Rings

Skills Learned

Learned how to use the MakerBot

Tools Used

Makerbot Cupcake CNC

Putting together the MakerBot Plastruder spindle piece for the MakerBot 3D printer.  I would describe the full process, but the MakerBot staff has already provided an excellent tutorial. http://wiki.makerbot.com/plastruder-mk4-assembly

Puppetmaster Project Overview

My final project for Fab Academy is a universal remote I am calling PuppetMaster, due to its ability to control out of reach objects / devices using the fingers.  This post details the PuppetMaster boards v.1 – v.2 that use capacitive sensing.

Capacitive Sensing Board Versions

The first working version of the prototype uses capacitive sensing built on the Hello World Step response example, but converted for use with a attiny 44.

I fabbed the board(s) myself, using the standard fab inventory parts.

• Build lab and personal pages in the class archive with your Fall work
• Create “make anything’ home page / project page.  See other posts in this blog and http://as220.org/anna
• Contribute to tutorials in the class archive (see tutorials category and posts)
• Prepare a schedule for your final project (PuppetMaster).

My final project for Fab Academy is a universal remote I am calling PuppetMaster, due to its ability to control out of reach objects / devices using the fingers. This is the revised final project proposal – the first proposal was overly ambitious and encompassed too many sensor types in too short of a time period.

First Working Prototype: The first working prototype (illustrated in the PuppetMaster v.1-v.2 [capacitive sensing] post) uses thin copper sheets to create a capacitive sensor between the index finger and the thumb.

For Fab 6: By Fab Academy graduation I propose that PuppetMaster will consist of a fabbed board that reads gestural input from accelerometers.

Overall Project Goals / Design Considerations:

• Create a remote control that takes input from finger movements / gestures
• Remote is small and wearable (will likely look like a bracelet or a watch) with connections to the fingertips.
• Remote is comfortable enough for long-term wear, will help to relieve hand / joint fatigue

Project Plan

Short Term Project Stages (Completed by Fab 6)

All board(s) will be fabbed, using the standard fab inventory parts with a few exceptions, (the sensors used in the later stages).

The First Stage [capacitive sensing]

• Completed June 2nd – consists of using capacitive sensing as input data.

The Second Stage [ accelerometer input]

• Completion before Fab 6 in August, will include the addition of accelerometer on each finger to record control gestures.
• Simple gestures will be used for input controls.

Long Term Project Stages (Work in Progress – NOT for Fab 6)

• Additional stages (to follow in the in the Fall) will include one mode of control (IR) but other modes (radio, bluetooth) will be added as the project progresses. (See stages outlined in the table below.)
• Eventually, a dial or switching mechanism will be added to switch between the modes. Although the other modes of control mentioned above will be explored, the gestural input will be the primary focus.
• In the final version of this prototype, the user of PuppetMaster will be able to input information via gestures and remote control objects by using sensors embedded in the fingertips.
• These additional modes (combined with the necessary code) will allow the user to control almost any device with hand gestures. I also want to develop a complete gestural language (possibly based on sign language)in tandem with the addition of 6-axis sensors (3 axis gyro, 3 axis accelerometer) to the device.