refinement

Zak's Java GUI program was running but was still getting a Java heap error. Zak seeked help from Seth who sent a amended code which still struck the error, and we had to plead for rescue. taking around one hour twenty late at night (which we are soooo grateful for) to work out the flaw in the program. replacing a null with a this (in reference to which class it was affecting) although a simple modification the attempts to work out what was the matter introduced  refinements. most notably the ability for it to have a buffer for it to load the image as it becomes ready this stops incomplete loading and the requirement for an initial photo (otherwise the program previously crashed)

Today back to the solder with a upgrading for ruggedness of our circuit, the breadboard was swapped out for a simple rowed PCB this allows for more clean solid connections. now that we have lost the usb through the cat5 and opened up 4 lanes for re-use we added another earth pin for the flash to correct the issue we had with triggering the camera and the flash due to the circuit. we also added a 3.5mm stereo audio jack, unfortunately this managed to screw round with the analog read out into the Arduino so a skirmish was started to resole this issue with the ditching of the stereo jack being the only outcome. Zak managing to make something I'd touched with a soldering iron making it go haywire was one of the signatures of the sound building project I didn't suspect would follow us on our collaboration but hey it could be worse.

We also refined the arrangement of the gear, we walked along K road to find a canvas shop that sold industrial Velcro. instead of flimsy hooks, the hooks look like some sort of fireplace tool 2 directions of velocilraptor claws on each stem. I sheepishly thought we were getting industrial Velcro so we could suspend  the laptops under tables not for epic overkill for the circuit boards.

 

when the Arduino dosen't have anything plugged into the analog input it fluctuates between low and high voltage giving a readout including 0 and 1024 when the cellphone is put in the circuit it gives an input like this the text message received increases the voltage between the two probes since the cellphone still thinks it's powering the vibrate motor. the below is out serial out which is what is received by the laptop for debugging.

0
18
0
5
10
Message Recieved, Count is 2
Auto Focus Finished
Shutter Finished
flash start
flash end
336
0
16
8

The other methods of debugging are using a potentiometer, jumping points with pinned cables, listening to the circuit board to hear if the the the reed switches are going, and the old unplug it, plug it back in. after much refinement the most finicky part of our circuit is the cellphone and the join between the ecat5 wires. here's a time-lapse of the end part of this evenings decent thrash at testing and refining.

The project is nearing into its final stages the hardware and software are at a state which would be comfortable to show it off. we just need to go get permission to use a space  with the plethora of cafes and restaurants in Vulcan lane this should be easy. and the modification of a pelican case to add a glorious camera hole on the front. the only disappointment is the lack of me taking pictures of our progress mostly due to the majority of the time the cameras rigged up for testing. debugging, refinements or out of battery.