{"id":1141,"date":"2018-07-22T13:17:35","date_gmt":"2018-07-22T18:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/makecoolthings.com\/?p=1141"},"modified":"2018-08-23T09:41:51","modified_gmt":"2018-08-23T14:41:51","slug":"head-tracking-redux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/makecoolthings.com\/?p=1141","title":{"rendered":"Head Tracking Redux"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, it’s been three and a half years since I first made my head tracker<\/a> to aid me in my “Dangerously Elite Adventures in SPAAAAAACE!!!<\/a>” and for at least half that time I’ve intended to make a more permanent solution…\u00a0 Well, I finally got around to it!<\/p>\n

It started with me finally making an order at DirtyPCBs<\/a> (formerly ‘dirt cheap dirty boards’) like I’d been planning to do literally since they opened.\u00a0 I needed a PCB that would allow me to stack an MPU-9150 or 9250 on an Arduino Pro Micro, both common and inexpensive Amazon\/eBay jellybean parts<\/acronym>.<\/p>\n

\"Head<\/a>

Something like this…<\/p><\/div>\n

The turnaround would have been faster but, because I’m an idiot who can’t use a calendar, I missed the cutoff for getting them done before the Lunar New Year (or as I like to call it, ‘Moonpocalypse’ or ‘Lunageddon’ due to Shenzhen practically becoming a ghost town) as it is, once they\u00a0were<\/em> in progress, it was quick, and the extra $20 for express shipping was well-spent, taking only a couple days to reach me.\u00a0 The boards turned out quite nicely.<\/p>\n

\"Head<\/a>

Not bad for $31.95, considering $20 of that was express shipping.<\/p><\/div>\n

Clearly I had that done back in February… So for almost half a year I’ve had these PCBs kicking around on my workbench.\u00a0 I learned two things from the next part of this endeavor; I don’t like machined headers as much as I thought. And I’m never delegating soldering to someone else ever again.<\/p>\n

\"Old<\/a>

Old versus New<\/p><\/div>\n

I’m quite happy with the design of the housing…\u00a0 It required a little additional improvisation because the sensor I have is a 10-pin version, so it sticks out on one side.\u00a0 I printed it in eSUN ABS+ filament, and then sanded the absolute fuckery<\/em> out of it.\u00a0 There’s still a stray layer line here or there, but minute enough that the barest coat of primer would hide them…\u00a0 I want to hit it with a nice matte black finish.<\/p>\n