Dave is here!

Dave

I'm Dave, one of the founders of the Recurse Center.

A New Project

March 22, 2009

So I need a project. I mean, I really don’t need a project. I have a lot on my plate including a mobile phone virtualization project on top of Android which I’m quite a bit behind on (more on that at a later date), but I still feel like I need a project. I want to learn board layout, which is something that isn’t really taught in school. It’s a shame that it isn’t because the more and more I think about it, I realize I didn’t become a Computer Engineer to learn how to design components, but to learn how to use them.

The Plan

What I’d really like to do is design an arm board and get Linux running on it. Unfortunately, I think if I tried this now, I would never get it done. I don’t even think I’d know where to start. What I need to do is start smaller. I’ve always wanted one of those lcd dot matrix scrolls that are used to advertise the lotto jackpot, but even that might be a bit too much for the first project. What I’d like to do is start with only one of the display segments - the kind that can fit one letter - and work my way up from there. Here are my requirements:

That’s really about it. If I can get one segment up and running, it shouldn’t be too hard to get a bunch running in tandem, and from there, its off to the races. I’m going to try to get a bill of materials up by next week, but these things have a habit of falling behind, especially when I’m not getting a grade.

The Questions

I really don’t know what to expect, so if you’ve had any experience with anything like this, drop me a line and tell me all the things that I’m going to screw up before I actually do it. Also, this project needs a kick ass name. Give me your suggestions.