Hello world!

Here is the first prototype of the eMBee ONE. Hand soldered, self-contained, and running from 2 x AAA rechargeable batteries. More pictures:

A few things to note:

• The screen is not where I wanted it to be. The idea was to have it centrally in the top lid, but I accidentally cut the ribbon cable too short, so it wouldn't reach.
• Two switches to the right of the screen: 'PWR' connects the 'EN' and 'GND' of the Adafruit PowerBoost to act as a main power switch. 'BUZ' is to switch the buzzer off/on.
• Fitting all those separate modules and prototyping boards into the bottom case is a tight squeeze. Future versions will definitely have the modules all on one prototyping board to make it thinner. 
• The lid doesn't close. Partly because the screen is too far left and hits the CardKB GROVE connector, and partly because the modules are all separate and are too tall.
• When typing, the keyboard bends in certain places as it isn't supported underneath.
• The eagle-eyed among you will spot I forgot one connection - the VCC for the external EEPROM, so it currently can't access the 32KB of storage. However it's just a simple wire for that to work.

Demo program

Conclusion

Really pleased with this first prototype - it just about proves the concept works. And, as with all good prototypes, it shows me what needs to happen next:

• Use a custom-sized piece of prototyping board and attach the Nano, PowerBoost, EEPROM and buzzer to it. A single board will help with the space in the bottom half.
• Use a longer ribbon cable for the display so it can be placed centrally.
• The lid should close.
• Once the second prototype is working, my cousin can provide the 3D printed bezel for the top, and perhaps a 3D printed support structure to stop the keyboard bending while typing.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!