2022 Retrospective
Summary: I started this year with vague ambitions, vaguer processes, and few skills. I’ve about 10x’d my engineering skills this year. Lots of low hanging fruit collected. I didn’t have a working 3D Printer, I didn’t know how it worked, and I didn’t know how to design things for it. I didn’t know how to solder correctly, let alone desolder, and I didn’t know how to design PCBs or simulate circuits, or even how to use a BJT or a MOSFET productively. I can do all these things now and my confidence is also 10x because of it. Extremely grindy but worth it.
I started the year by deciding I wanted to do projects that included a 3D printed housing and that had a PCB inside. So I started by disassembling and rebuilding my printer. Then learning AutoCAD. From there I moved on to KiCAD and LTSpice. I built the Analog Synthesizer to get used to all of those things and it really challenged me. From there, I pivoted into the Mechanical Keyboard, which is more or less the same type of thing (more firmware, less PCB design). Bought a second printer as well. Set up addressable RGBW strips for my desk, designed an enclosure for that and printed as well. Built an IoT Grow tent for a now-dead startup. Redid all the wiring for my electric guitar. Started prototyping a 3D Printed LED Neon Sign system in Fusion 360 until I had something good enough to sell, and started taking orders. People love them and it’s actually working. Made about $1500 in beta test orders from family and friends. Netted out to about zero from all the upfront materials and tools and equipment I bought for it, including a 3rd printer. Got some Christmas Smiles, and a bunch of new gear and books to study for the coming year.
Plan for next year is to keep pushing these Neon Signs, make an Etsy/TikTok/whatever. Turn it into a consistent secondary source of income for the lab. Might hire some high schoolers and teach them to solder at some point. Either way, my main objective for the lab is to finish Art of Electronics by the end of 2023 or die trying (among other things). Long term, I’m fixated on the rocket moonshot, and the crab mech. Aspiring Supervillain. Both these things require a lot of space, equipment, money, expertise, and planning.
Last Christmas I decided I wanted to get good enough at making printed/electronic doodads to have stuff to hand out at Christmas and this Christmas I had accomplished that. This year I am looking to read a textbook and create a system that brings more money and people and equipment into my lab. Eventually, I want to own a property so I can start getting real shop work done. Metalworking, Manufacturing, etc. A nice big backyard or a separated Garage sounds nice. The affairs of the lab at this point are still limited to my room/office, and just me. I can’t justify hiring anyone for these signs, except maybe an aspiring engineer high schooler who can solder for me on a per sign basis. Hoping that in the future the system grows into something that calls for more people, more expertise, and more cashflow. But for now, more grinding.
Below is a summary of each sprint throughout the year. Looking forward to wherever 2023 will take the Lab.
Thanks for reading!
A
Disassembling and reassembling virtually every part of my 3D printer except for the frame and the motors themselves. Started learning FreeCAD and 3D Modeling. Troubleshooting Marlin Firmware
B
Got the printer calibrated, tuned, and ready to just go and print. Lots of work on wiring, cable management, calibration. Snagged and tore the wire on the thermistor, killed the printer for a while. More firmware issues. Made Minimegadesk
C
Started on LTSpice and KiCAD. Replaced some parts on the printer. Learned the ropes on circuit sim, started building out Analog Synth. Got stuck simulating the JFET.
D
Built out all 9 modules of the synth on a KiCAD schematic. Flew to PHX for work. Synth makes the right noises on the breadboard. 555 Badge PCB arrived. Tried Fritzing, hated it. Started Mega Lights 2
E
Started trying to route synth PCB, realized I was out of my depth. Soldered 555 Badge together, realized I don’t know how to solder. Re-organizing synth PCB layout over and over
F
Rerouted five times, finished and fit into a 150x75mm frame. Got the 10m of SK6812 RGBWs for my desk. Bought a power supply and some dremel bits. Carefully planned out desk installation
G
Finally gave up on the notoriously unreliable printer and dropped the $$$ on the Prusa i3 MKS+. Read some AoE. Did cursory research on building an autonomous FPV drone with some GNC engineering. Synth PCB worked first try. Good design, careful soldering. Finished installing Mega Lights 2
H
Finished synth, got smaller speaker, set up a new file organization system for the project files and notes. Sprint Cleaning. Looked into youtube channels, didn’t like the idea, set up Breadnet (Pi, MQTT, Node-RED).
I
Learned about OOP, repaired the 3D Printer, again, again, again. Put together front panel for the synth. Set up the new Prusa Printer. Got blown away. Fixes all my problems
J
Fixed up Breadnet, got stuck in the weeds doing type conversions with ESP32 and MQTT. Realized the controller for mega lights was a fire hazard because I had 30W running through breadboard jumpers. Melted a breadboard.
K
Finished Synth, started a Mechanical Keyboard. Hand-wired the matrix of wires and switches. flashed the firmware, and it worked first try. Build another copy of the noise toaster. Made a new soldering station
L
Hiatus – Moving Reno -> Olympia
M
Hiatus – Moving Reno -> Olympia
N
Hiatus – Moving Reno -> Olympia
O
Arrived in WA, set lab back up, rebuild breadboard for Mega Lights on a protoboard with thicker wires and modified the code to let the lights be independent top/bottom. Also polished up a Standard Breadnet Module Code. Got stuck in the weeds with the Keyboard, but finished it and it worked just right.
P
Snapped microUSB port in the keyboard, had to replace the whole uC. sad. Designed and printed the lightsbox for mega lights. Cleaned up the website. Added some project posts/documentations. Set up Minecraft-MQTT connection, which was pretty sick.
Q
Hiatus – Grow Honest. Built an IoT Grow Tent. Dude lost his temper and I decided I want nothing to do with him or this deal. Backed out.
R
Disassembled and rebuilt the electric guitar. Cleaned it out and replaced all the components and soldering. Grinding through AoE. Gave up on split keyboard
S
Read AoE. Fiddled with the guitar. Very slow progress.
T
Grinding AoE. Very slow progress. Thought about making LED Neon Signs
U
Neon Sign Grind. Designing and Printing prototypes for the Channel Scheme. Explored a local makerspace. Switched off AutoCAD and Learned how to use Fusion 360.
V
Kept iterating, getting the hang of F360. Got ready to start taking orders. Catalogued most of my book annotations from this year into the Library.
W
Drilling the process, standardizing what I can, creating SOPs. Took orders from family and friends. About $1500!!. Ordered a larger printer to help push orders. Got the idea that I should set the long term goal of launching a one-man moonshot. Fiddled with the PCA9685. 1 Year Continuous Lab Anniversary
X
Had to completely redesign every aspect of the channel scheme to work with the RGB ramona flowers Nathan ordered. It wrecked me. The new printer showed up, I built it, and got to work. Reorganized my closet to turn it into a print farm with decent ventilation. Standardized more processes where I could. Made a TreeSheets for the orders
Y
Grinding away at signs, reading AoE. Ramona Flowers revealed two dead pixels which made me want to kms. Need checklists and better QC in design and post. Got a bunch of orders ready for xmas.
Z
Hiatus – Christmas. Delivered several signs to happy customers. Got the Feynman Lecture series, The Making of an Expert Engineer, a Wimhurst Generator, a stepper motor, a DC motor controller, a head lamp (!), a fancy breadboard, and lots more. Great Christmas.
