Re: Meet?

[Tim Vanderhoek <vanderh@ecf.utoronto.ca>]

On Sun, Nov 28, 1999 at 01:07:57AM -0500, Cindy Wong wrote:
>
> Shall we meet before Christmas?  Actually, that was a rhetorical question.
> Let's meet before Christmas.  When do you guys want to meet?

:)

And what things do we need to remember to discuss?

Actually, I think we should try to stick two meetings in before
Christmas.  One meeting sooner and a little more serious, and then another
later and less serious (and probably near the end of exams).

These things I think we should try to discuss sometime this week while
the they're still fresh in our minds...

	1) We need a speed feedback mechanism.  The more I think about
	   it the more obvious it becomes to me that an accurate
	   speed feedback mechanism is very important.  We should
	   agree on one (or at least agree on a proposed one, with
	   fallbacks as required).  Several possibilities are a) steal a
	   computer mouse and retrofit it, b) attach LEDs (we might
	   need two per wheel so that we can determine the direction
	   of the wheel) such that speed + direction can be
	   determined, c) attach a small motor to each wheel; the
	   small motor can act as a tach, d) assume it's not a
	   problem and assume that if the computer says "go 2 ft/s",
	   then the 'bot really does go 2 ft/s.  All of these
	   solutions seem highly unsatisfactory at the moment.  We
	   should discuss them and others.

	2) We have an unfinished "Reflected Signal Problem" thread
	   that I think we need to discuss (at least Joyce and I,
	   although I'd really prefer that all of us were present at
	   all meetings, at least up until we start design specifics.

	3) Any other left-over questions.

I think we should try to discuss these three things sometime before
this week is over (ie. before exams!).

Then, sometime later, when exams are over/almost-over, we should
probably meet again just to briefly list "wish-list" ideas and what,
if any, research/planning needs to be done during the rather short
Christmas break (I intend to design my computer program as well as do
some other research during the break, but I'll be __completely__
understanding if someone else doesn't want to _touch_ the project
during the break!  :)  Never-the-less, we do need to meet so that we
can write a list of "wish-list" items, since these will affect the
computer design significantly).

Incidentally, I found a C compiler for the 6502.  Supposedly it's
descended from the Small C compiler for the 6502 that Malone has
available.  It apparently improves considerably on the Small C
compiler that Malone has available....  :)  Do you think I should
mention it to the rest of the class...  ;-)  :)

FWIW, most likely I will use C + asm + a-set-of-macros-of-my-own-
making-or-perhaps-a-simple-compiler-of-my-own-making.

[The purpose of such macros or compiler would simply be to minimize
 repetivity and possible errors in asm code].


-- 
Signature withheld by request of author.