Yesterday's project presentation was probably the next best thing i've ever accomplished after GACC. Why? well, i have to roll back to a week ago.

In short, for our project we had to program a microcontroller and fix it with hardware circuits to produce a basic memory game, where a random sequence of notes is played and player is required to repeat it in order to proceed to the next level, with longer sequences of notes. During that time, we were troubled, because the progress was not encouraging at all. We fixed the circuit and reconnect it multiple times, to no avail. even when it works at first, something would go wrong and our effort down the drain in less then 10 mins. We tried it on breadboard, and then on pcb board, which our lecturer later claim that he did not ask us to use, and lastly on project board. The grueling process involved poking in and plugging out wires while breaking a few of the components' legs/pins, soldering on and off board and scorching it black on the way and also tons of teeth gritting with intermittent cursing.

Things become even more gnawing when it was Sunday, a day before our presentation. Yes, to our dismay, the circuit connection on the project board done by kristine was still not working. There were no response, despite the annoying loud buzzing from the buzzer. Numerous checkings of the circuit were resulted with no apparent mistake found. I felt like being cheated as we had put in so much labour and time. Half giving up, we started to rebuilt another circuit back on the breadboard, hoping for a miracle to happen. All this while, Weiyong, our team leader was checking the project board again, though i was not giving much hope to it.

Anyhow, i kept an eye on her, praying that she could find out the problem. Several times she reconfirmed with Kristine about the connection. Suddenly, After checking with Kristine again, she found out an error! Seems like one of the connection was loose and thus not connected. Kristine resoldered the wire while we waited. And it's time for rechecking. All of us held our breath, and the battery was snapped on.

Silence.

We stared at each other. The buzzing was not emanated. It was a good sign. Still quiet, i cautiously press the initiation button. All LEDs lit up. And the game begins! Afraid that this might end up to be false alarm, i continued playing the game, and could hardly suppress my euphoric expression with every button i pressed as the game proceeds.

No errors.
No hanging of the programme.
Absolutely perfect.

YES! We have finally made it! IT'S ALIVE!! OMG i can't believe my eyes. i almost cried in that instant. Now i know what it feels like to have all your effort paid off in the end. The blissful happiness was more than i can describe. Overjoyed, i calmed myself down. Not so soon. We can't be totally relieved now, as we won't know wat would happen the day after, when the real test was to be conducted. I jz hope that everything will last at least till after the project presentation. We loaded in our latest amended program on the chip, and after some adjustment done for the cover, which was made using kristine's cardboard harddisk box, it was ready for D big day.

Our presentation whizzed thru smoothly, with me crapping alot while not forgetting the main points. The lecturer seem to be very interested with our presentation, which made me and Weiyong relax. He was being very supportive and i responded back to him quite willingly, as if we were having a friendly chatting instead of a presentation *bricked*. Anyway, he did not ask us all the technical questions, which all of us feared so much.

Thus, before long, the presentation ended and then started the project demo. I played the memory game, showing the features we added in. He was quite particular about our notes being harmonious, and we assure him that ours are, by showing him the 2nd mode of our program-- Simple Piano mode. I pressed the 8 buttons one at a time, making the buzzer go 'do' 're' 'mi' 'fa' 'so'.. till the higher octive 'Do'. then i fumbled and played part of 'jingle bell' and he was satisfied. Everyone heave a sigh of relief as he said well done, and indicating the end of the demo.

Well, it may not seem so earth-shakingly excellent, but it meant alot to us. I would not stop smiling the whole day, while wishing other groups goodluck and recounting about our own experience to them XD We were indeed proud of wat we have accomplished and the feeling will be etched in my head for a long time. This was the best day of my gamma 1st trimester. Victory is ours!! Muahahahahaha.... *bricked*

When we getback our project i'd sure will take a pic with our precious creation and post it up here. till then! XD