Hooray!!! We made (more) things work!!! :D

Hello! This is my first ever ever ever blog.
:) me happy.
okie dokie.

Soooooooooo TODAY (1/21/07) we actually did something useful...without Erin. *gasp* (Don't worry, Erin, we still love you.)

Trae came for the entire time today, and Eric got to come for like 20 minutes or something.

Mentors = great help. :)

We focused on setting up 2 other laptops with the correct versions of MPLAB IDE, the C18 Compiler, and IFI Loader. So now, anyone can phutz around with code, compile it, and download it onto the board on Francey, Annie, and Emily. And the desktop computer. :) (We've increased efficiency. :D) Eric also helped set the COM ports on Annie and Emily. So, just to remind you guys, Francey, Annie, and Emily are all COM 2, and the desktop computer is COM 3. (Don't worry, we also made labels, so you don't have to memorize that.) On Francey, Annie, and Emily, there should be a copy of the original default code, and another copy for phutzing around with, so in case we royally screw up, there's a backup code to save us. :)

We were also trying to figure out how to light up the LEDs, because both were turning a kind of orangey-yellow and they were getting very hot. (In other words...NOT GOOD.) We finally figured out that the LEDs we programmed to light up were the ones on the O/I (or was it the RC...? I forget) But the point is that the LEDs DID light up; we were just looking at the wrong LEDs. (Hopefully that made sense. But if it didn't, I can show you.) However, we don't really know what to do with the other two LEDs (the red one and the green one connected to DIG_OUT_08 and 09). We're not exactly sure how to actually connect them to the board. So right now, they're just sitting on the board doing nothing. But no worries...we'll fix them soon! :)

The backup battery also ran out...but we found the charger, so it'll be ok. :)

Trae also fixed (somewhat) the camera! So now it doesn't go into erratic spasms anymore. Which is a good thing.

Also, thanks to Mary's dad for getting some cool sandwiches for us... :] (even if Mary didn't especially like hers...) and also for making copies of code for each of us.

We also wrote down (on the whiteboard) all the stuff on the board and where it's connected to...just for reference and so we actually know what we're doing.

So we got a lot done today, thanks to Trae and Eric and Mary's dad!

Now that we've got everything set up...I suppose we can all start phutzing around...some more...and we should also study the default code and last year's code so we know what we're doing before we blow something up or ruin something (just kidding)...!

(By the way, Erin...it says on the whiteboard in the project room that you have to get the code running by Tuesday...)