- Invest in extra batteries and charger so that you can ensure you always have a spare set of charged batteries.
- Be wary of print statements, they can break working communication code.
- Use preprocessor conditional directives like #ifdef around print statements to quickly disable/enable subsets of print statements.
- Remember that I2C and SPI can only work with short wires.
- Order parts early. Shipping takes time, which can throw a monkey wrench in your project schedule.
- In the event of an emergency, look for local distributors for Pololu, Sparkfun, or ServoCity. They may have a showroom or same day pick up (thank you Bay Area Robotics and Hobbies).
- Reuse parts from your 218B project. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
- START EARLY!!!!! It will save you some late nights and stress later in the project.
- A top layer on your LOBBYIST can go a long way to making your project look nicer.
- Be careful about weight distribution. If the hovercraft is off balanced, it may not move straight (if at all).
- Don't be afraid to get advice from other teams. Found a bug? Chances are that some other team already figured out how to solve it.
- Book PRL slots as soon as they open up (especially for the laser cutter). They can fill up fast.
- Better yet, try to do all laser cutting early in the quarter when other students are less likely to be using them.
- If you have audio, make it REALLY loud. The public showcase will have a lot of background noise. Your classmates will hate you, but at least it will be heard during the presentation.
- GoogleDocs/GoogleSheets. Enough said.