Hello my friends. Another week another challenge!
This week the software team had to tackle a few challenges. These challenges consisted of connecting to a server, converting the code into a script that runs on boot, and looking into RAM issues from the Raspberry Pi running indefinitely. The software team was only able to tackle the challenge of connecting to a server only by connecting the Pi through Ethernet and was also able to use it for authentication. In other words, the User’s card is scanned, and is then asked for a PIN. If the user exists and the PIN is good, then the user is able to turn on power, otherwise, re-enter PIN.
Going deeper into the software:
When the python code for the Pi is compiled, the user has 3 seconds to place their card on the card scanner before the program terminates. Software team is working on having the card reader input stay alive until the user decides to take their card off of the card scanner and back on, at their leisure. Challenges keep being presented whenever the software team changes some of the code. For example: when code is compiled and user enters the database successfully, then power is turned on, but the power only turns on for 2 seconds until it shuts off and exits the program. This is one of the problems the team is working on fixing.
The hardware team also had a few challenges to tackle. These challenges consisted of drawing a housing design for the PCB, writing a first draft of poster for the upcoming ISAM event, and creating a Pi case. The team also talked about bill of materials. They discussed the pricing values of RFID Reader, Rasberry Pi 3, Power tail 2, power cord, SD Card, Tall Pi Header, RGB LEDs, and PCB was added to the list, but no pricing details because the team does not have final pricing of it.
Both the hardware and the software team are working together to get the software and the product up and running for ISAM. The teams are trying to get the bugs out and most of the minor and some of the major problems and challenges that the teams have encountered fixed before ISAM.
So far the teams doing a great job working together to get it all done!
That will be all for this week my friends. Hope to see you all back for next week’s blog.