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Second Week

January 11, 2009 14:03

Well, I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to this week. Surprise.... surprise. However, I did accomplish SOME of the things I wanted to, so that's at least some small comfort.

I got the screamer working again. As I detailed earlier this week, that process was somewhat more complicated than I had been hoping, so it took more of my free time to implement. However, it's up and running now. I'm hoping over this week to migrate the storage from Nova to Amadeus and to move the firecracker over as well, along with the lampmaster interface. Once that's accomplished, Nova will no longer have any active functions and I can pull it from the cabinet and move Amadeus into its place. Nova will then be the test platform for the next computer.

I have found at least 2 HD's, one 40gb and another I think 80gb. I have no idea what's on them, likely nothing of particular interest. However they can be used as the base drives in at least 2 more servers. I'm going to want to set up one server as a test platform for my electronics projects. A system in the living room would be nice too. I have the room networked, and that's where I've been doing my system building, but I'd rather do all of that in the office. Less mess out there and all that.

I need to clean the office. Clearing all the clutter off the desks will take about an hour. No problem there. It's my workbenches that are the issue. I've made some headway with creation of the server cabinet. I have a lot more available workspace to actually WORK on, as opposed to before where the entire workbench was a multilayered horizontal storage system. I still have a lot of clutter to clear off of there and at least put on low shelves or something to get them off the tables so I have at least 6 ft on the one table and 3 ft on the other to work. Some table space will be needed for the scopes and a workstation for that location, but even those I might possibly move off onto shelves. We shall see.

To complicate that plan further, I need a long term organization plan for my electronics devices and components. Right now, at least for the larger stuff, I've resorted to stashing stuff into bins and stacking them in the closet... and other places. That works for bulk storage, but I have no idea what I have, and anytime I'm planning out a new project, I only can vaguely recall that I've purchased some components at some point in the past, but I wouldn't know where they are. I've got about 5 component storage systems available to me, I just need to organize them in a useful fashion as well as develop and maintain an inventory detailing my current quantity, location, and cost and resource to purchase more. I want something as useful as your average component shop for finding something, although I need to compress it to fit in the confines of the office and do so in a pleasing and non-cluttered way. I'll likely start a new project and documents to discuss this plan further.

As for the extra workstation in here, it won't need to be high powered, but at the moment, I'm a bit short on monitors. They don't seem to last as long as the rest of the components, but I should have a few working ones at my disposal SOMEWHERE that can at least handle a text screen, which is usually all I'll require. Marjorie has been spending more time in the office with us... usually co-opting my computer in the process to play Sims 2 or play with the website, and I'm certainly not going to discourage it. However, it's annoying because, as you would expect, people send lots of messages and ask lots of questions whenever there's a cute girl around, so I need to have another system available so I can quickly and easily respond.

I'm going to create a layout image that will show all the computers on this network, their location, their ip addresses, purposes, and other relevant information. Also how they're wired to the network. And I'll include all the other devices that are interfaced, such as the lamps and the tv-out interface for channel 90. Some people, including people that live here, have questions about it, so a nice diagram would be helpful.

I'm going to take a trip to Longview on Thursday or Friday, so that'll kill a day that I won't likely get much accomplished.

I didn't get anywhere with the critter and music control issues, so I'll plan to work on them this week. I also need to pick a schematic for a PIC programmer and plan to build one.

Yes, I've rambled a bit, so for this week, my plans are to accomplish the following:

  • Migrate data and purpose from Nova to Amadeus and swap out Nova
  • Check out mystery HDs and locate additional monitors.
  • Clean Office
  • Design an electronics component organization plan.
  • Design a network layout diagram
  • Add more administrative control to the Critter and Music control pages
  • Determine what components are needed to build a PIC programmer.

Updates will be forthcoming. Take care

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