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Week 4 (Sept. 19, 2018): Skimming through the Python Program


Today, after a visit from Colin, who was a tremendous wealth of knowledge as he was on the Small-Scale Controls team last year, I began sifting through the Python Programming in order to prepare for understanding how the Raspberry Pi operating the LCD touchscreen for user interface is programmed. I plan on taking the lead on the software aspect of the controls system, while David will be in charge of hardware for the most part. However, we will work together as much as we can as the two aspects are dependent on each other: the hardware cannot function properly with the software, while the software is useless if it has nothing to be implemented upon.

Last year’s Python code is found on the team’s Google document “Small Scale Controls ME 195B Term Paper” in Appendix 4 on page 55.

I was able to read and understand the first half of the program due to Python’s simple syntax as well as its similarity with Java, C, and Arduino. For example, the purpose of the first chunk of “if-elif” statements is as follows: if the XBee module has checked in a Station 1, display “01” on the LCD touchscreen. The XBee module is the wireless communication module used to communicate between the Arduino, located inside each podcar, and the Raspberry Pi, located inside the LCD touchscreen for the mobile application.
To make this happen, the RFID tag and receiver will determine if the pod car has arrived at that station; this signal will be sent to the Arduino in the pod car; the Arduino will communicate with the XBee module #1 attached to it; XBee module #1 will wirelessly communicate with XBee module #2 on the Raspberry Pi within the LCD touchscreen; lastly, XBee module #2 will tell the Raspberry Pi if the podcar is indeed at Station 1.

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