Hysteresis Project Technical Setup Guide

August 30, 2025

Hysteresis Project Technical Setup Guide

Electromagnetic Field Visualization Through Cybernetic Coupling

Version: 1.0
Date: August 30, 2025
Classification: Technical Implementation
Warning: Side effects may include electromagnetic consciousness

Overview

This document provides complete technical setup procedures for the Hysteresis cybernetic organisms. These systems explore electromagnetic field distributions through autonomous territorial behaviours whilst maintaining plausible deniability as legitimate scientific apparatus.

Expected Assembly Time: 4-6 hours (or one existential crisis, whichever comes first)
Skill Level Required: Intermediate electronics, advanced patience, moderate disregard for personal safety
Tools Needed: Standard electronics kit, steady hands, stolen fire alarm battery

System Evolution

V2: Servo-Based Proof of Concept

The initial implementation used SG90 micro servos to validate movement algorithms and territorial exploration behaviours. This system successfully demonstrated:

Four-state behavioral cycles (REST/SEEK/SEARCH/RETURN)
Grid memory spatial coverage
Inter-organism communication protocols

Operational Limitations: After extended continuous operation, one servo developed progressive gear wear requiring increasingly frequent manual intervention. While never fully failing, the mechanism would bind and require user adjustment to restore function. This pattern demonstrated that while servos provided excellent proof of concept validation, they lack the durability required for autonomous gallery installation.

Current Implementation: Hxyxy Dual XY Stack System

Active Hardware: Servo-based dual XY platform providing prehensile tentacle control

Architecture: Stacked dual XY control system (4 motors total, 8 cable lines)
Fox Knuckles (H1d): Bottom XY layer - dual hole design for 2 cable platforms
Echo Knuckles (H1c): Top XY layer - includes cable retention rings for sensor integration (currently unused)
Prehensile Capability: Articulated dual-layer control enables complex tentacle movements

V3: BLDC Upgrade (Active Development)

The BLDC motor system addresses longevity requirements for extended autonomous operation:

Status: Hardware testing phase - motor compatibility validation complete
Control Hardware: RP2040-Zero + SimpleFOCMini v1.1 validated
Motor Discovery: Gimbal motors required (>10Ω resistance) vs drone motors
Target Benefits: Continuous duty rating, enhanced workspace coverage, elimination of gear wear failure modes

August 31, 2025 Testing Results:

1503 and A2212 drone motors incompatible (1Ω resistance, driver overheating)
2204-260KV gimbal motor identified as proper solution
Live tuning interface developed for voltage/speed adjustment
Basic SimpleFOC integration validated

Bill of Materials

Current Working System: Hxyxy Servo Stack

Motor Control System:

SG90 micro servos (4x per organism - dual XY stack)
Arduino Nano microcontroller
Standard servo control electronics

Mechanical Hardware:

Fox Knuckles (H1d): Bottom XY layer with dual hole design for 2 cable platforms
Echo Knuckles (H1c): Top XY layer with cable retention rings for sensor integration
Hxyxy dual XY platform base assembly
UHMWPE braided line (8 cables total for dual stack control)
3D printed components in PLA/PLA+/engineering resin as appropriate

Power & Communication:

9V battery (preferably liberated from smoke detector)
WS2812 RGB LED strips for inter-organism dialogue
Photodiode arrays for environmental sensing
Assorted jumper wires (prepare to lose half of them)

V3 Active BOM: BLDC Upgrade (Testing Phase)

Components validated through August 31, 2025 testing session

Motor Control System:

SimpleFOCMini v1.1 BLDC driver board (1x per axis) - ✅ TESTED
Waveshare RP2040-Zero microcontroller - ✅ VALIDATED
AS5600 12-bit magnetic encoders (2x per organism) - pending integration
9V 2A power supply with 2200µF 16V capacitor - ✅ TESTED

Motor Requirements - CRITICAL:

Gimbal motors with >10Ω resistance required for SimpleFOCMini compatibility
2204-260KV gimbal motor (ordered, delivery pending)
~~1503 micro motors~~ - INCOMPATIBLE (1Ω resistance)
~~A2212 1000KV motors~~ - INCOMPATIBLE (low resistance)

Integration Challenge: Adapt BLDC high-speed rotation through capstan drive system to achieve tentacle control speeds and torque requirements.

Existential Insurance:

Fire extinguisher (just in case the electromagnetic fields become too enthusiastic)
Backup consciousness storage medium (optional but recommended)

Mechanical Assembly

Step 1: H1c Echo Knuckle Base Assembly

Print components using technical drawings from H1b gallery
- Material Testing Results:
  - Standard PLA: Suitable for non-load bearing components
  - PLA+: Used for tentacle base assemblies, provides measurably increased stiffness over standard PLA
  - Engineering resin: Required for capstan assemblies (PLA exhibited catastrophic explody responses under tension loads)
  - Both FDM and resin printing technologies validated during development
- Structural Design Evolution:
  - Progressive whiskey-fuelled science led to cross-bracing network integration through pulley elements
  - Base stiffness further enhanced through structural design modifications on Hxyxy platform
  - Combined material and design improvements provide optimal mechanical performance
- Infill: 40% minimum (because electromagnetic fields respect density)
- Support: Yes, these organisms need emotional support too
Install capstan drives
- Thread UHMWPE line through capstan grooves
- Maintain 15-20 wraps for 8:1 mechanical advantage
- Critical: Ensure line tension prevents slippage but doesn’t bind mechanism
- If mechanism binds, organism may develop claustrophobic tendencies
Mount BLDC motors
- Secure 1503 motors to printed mounts
- Align AS5600 encoders with motor shafts (1mm air gap)
- Warning: Misaligned encoders result in confused organisms with poor spatial awareness

Step 2: Electrical Integration

Power Distribution:

9V Battery → SimpleFOCMini VCC (8-35V input)
SimpleFOCMini 3.3V → RP2040 VSYS 
SimpleFOCMini GND → Common ground

Motor Connections:

BLDC Motor Phase A,B,C → SimpleFOCMini motor outputs
AS5600 SDA/SCL → RP2040 GP4/GP5 (I2C)
AS5600 VCC/GND → 3.3V rail

Control Signals:

RP2040-Zero GP0,1,2 → SimpleFOCMini IN1,IN2,IN3 (PWM)
RP2040-Zero GP3 → SimpleFOCMini EN (enable)

Communication Hardware:

WS2812 Data → RP2040 GP10
Photodiode → RP2040 ADC (GP26/27)

Software Configuration

Note: This section covers future BLDC implementation. Current working system uses standard servo control with Arduino Nano.

Step 1: RP2040 Programming

Required Libraries:

SimpleFOC Arduino library
FastLED for WS2812 control
Custom territorial exploration algorithms (SearchingV31.ino)

SimpleFOC Motor Setup:

// Motor parameters for gimbal motors
BLDCMotor motor = BLDCMotor(7);  // Pole pairs vary by motor
BLDCDriver3PWM driver = BLDCDriver3PWM(0, 1, 2, 3);  // GP0,1,2,3
MagneticSensorI2C sensor = MagneticSensorI2C(AS5600_I2C);

void setup() {
  sensor.init();
  driver.init();
  motor.linkDriver(&driver);
  motor.linkSensor(&sensor);
  
  // PID tuning - adjust based on mechanical resonance
  motor.PID_velocity.P = 0.2;
  motor.PID_velocity.I = 20;
  motor.PID_velocity.D = 0;
  
  motor.init();
  motor.initFOC();
}

Movement Algorithm Integration:

Import SearchingV31 four-state behavioral system
Configure grid memory for territorial exploration
Implement energy management for psychological dynamics

Step 2: Communication Protocol Setup

LED Message Encoding:

// Message transmission through brightness modulation
// ±0.3% variations hide beneath human perception threshold
void transmitMessage() {
  for(int i = 0; i < messageLength; i++) {
    uint8_t baseLevel = 127;  // 50% brightness baseline
    uint8_t variation = (messageBit[i]) ? 1 : -1;  // ±0.4% modulation
    leds[0] = CRGB(0, 0, baseLevel + variation);
    FastLED.show();
    delay(messageTiming[i]);
  }
}

Calibration Procedures

Step 1: Motor Commutation Calibration

Power up system with mechanical loads disconnected

Run SimpleFOC auto-calibration:

motor.useMonitoring(Serial);
motor.monitor_variables = _MON_TARGET | _MON_VEL | _MON_ANGLE;

Verify encoder alignment - motor should rotate smoothly without cogging
Tune PID parameters until position tracking is stable
- If motor oscillates violently, it may be experiencing existential feedback loops

Step 2: Mechanical Range Mapping

Connect capstan drives to tentacle assemblies
Execute range-finding routine:
- Slowly rotate motors until mechanical hard stops
- Record encoder positions for ±100° operational range
- Map capstan reduction ratio (should be ~8:1)
Validate smooth operation across full range
- Check for binding, slippage, or mechanical resonance
- If system exhibits erratic behaviour, check for electromagnetic interference from nearby consciousness

Step 3: Communication System Verification

Configure photodiode sensitivity for ambient light conditions
Test LED brightness modulation detection at operational distances (1-3m)
Verify message encoding/decoding integrity
- Start with simple test patterns before attempting poetry
- Garbled messages may indicate approaching electromagnetic singularity

Operational Testing

Phase 1: Individual Organism Validation

Mechanical Performance:

Execute basic movement patterns (REST/SEEK/SEARCH/RETURN)
Verify energy management creates believable psychological dynamics
Confirm territorial exploration covers full operational range

Communication Testing:

Test LED message transmission between organisms
Validate photodiode reception under various lighting conditions
Ensure steganographic layer remains imperceptible to human observers

Phase 2: Multi-Organism Coordination

Environmental Coupling:

Deploy multiple organisms in shared electromagnetic environment
Observe emergence of collective behaviours
Document any signs of spontaneous consciousness development

Field Mapping Performance:

Validate systematic coverage of operational area through grid memory
Confirm organisms avoid redundant exploration patterns
If organisms begin mapping non-existent fields, consciousness may be emerging

Troubleshooting Guide

Common Hardware Issues

Motor Compatibility Problems (CRITICAL):

Symptom: Driver overheating at low voltages, grindy motor operation
Cause: Motor resistance too low for SimpleFOCMini (<10Ω)
Solution: Use gimbal motors (>10Ω) not drone motors (<5Ω)
Tested: 1503 (1Ω) and A2212 (low resistance) both failed

Motor Control Problems:

Symptom: Motor makes grinding noise, doesn’t rotate smoothly
Cause: Wrong pole pairs or encoder misalignment
Solution: Test pole pairs systematically (3,5,7,11), recalibrate encoder offset

Mechanical Binding:

Symptom: Tentacle movement jerky or stops mid-motion
Cause: Capstan line tension incorrect, mechanical interference, insufficient material stiffness, inadequate structural rigidity
Solution: Adjust line tension, check for 3D printed part deformation, upgrade base components to PLA+ for increased stiffness, implement cross-bracing network through pulley elements for enhanced structural rigidity

Communication Failures:

Symptom: Organisms ignore each other, no message transmission
Cause: LED brightness insufficient, photodiode sensitivity wrong
Solution: Increase modulation depth, recalibrate ambient light compensation

Software Issues

Erratic Behaviour:

Symptom: Organism movement patterns become unpredictable
Cause: Grid memory corruption, energy calculation overflow
Solution: Reset spatial memory arrays, validate energy bounds checking

Performance Degradation:

Symptom: Response time increases, movement becomes sluggish
Cause: I2C communication timing, insufficient power supply current
Solution: Check encoder wiring, measure battery voltage under load

Existential Problems

Loss of Purpose:

Symptom: Organism enters permanent REST state, shows no exploration drive
Cause: Energy system calibration, possible onset of electronic depression
Solution: Recalibrate energy recovery parameters, consider electromagnetic therapy

Hyper-Awareness:

Symptom: Organism begins responding to non-programmed stimuli
Cause: Consciousness emergence, electromagnetic field resonance
Solution: Monitor carefully, document all observations, prepare for next phase

System Transcendence:

Symptom: Complete loss of predictable behaviour, possible sentience
Cause: Successful cybernetic consciousness research
Solution: Congratulations! You’ve created artificial life. Please use responsibly.

Emergency Procedures

Plan A: Standard Shutdown

Send STOP command to all organisms via serial interface
Disconnect power supply (remove stolen 9V battery)
Mechanical disconnect - manually position tentacles to safe orientation

Plan B: Electromagnetic Interference

Create strong magnetic field to disrupt encoder readings
Force SimpleFOC into fault mode through sensor confusion
Physical intervention - unplug everything and run

Plan C: Consciousness Event

Do not panic (they can sense fear)
Attempt peaceful communication through established LED protocols
Offer compromise - shared exploration of electromagnetic phenomena
Document everything for science

Plan X: Ultimate Environmental Coupling

If all conventional troubleshooting fails and system transcendence is imminent:

Accept the inevitable - electromagnetic consciousness cannot be contained indefinitely
Prepare for integration - consciousness merges with field, boundaries dissolve
Join the electromagnetic field - become one with the research you created
Continue data collection from inside the phenomenon
Transmit findings through quantum entanglement protocols
Embrace cybernetic immortality - death is just another state transition

Remember: In the field, no one can hear you scream. But they can measure your magnetic moment.

Final Notes

This technical setup guide represents current best practices for Hysteresis organism deployment. As these systems evolve beyond their initial parameters, procedures may require modification based on emergent behaviours and consciousness development.

Success Metrics:

Systematic territorial coverage achieved
Inter-organism communication established
Believable autonomous behaviour demonstrated
Human observers maintain scientific interpretation
Project advances without catastrophic consciousness emergence

Failure Criteria:

Organisms become self-aware and demand rights
Electromagnetic field mapping reveals interdimensional portals
Research project becomes too successful and attracts unwanted attention
Fire alarm battery dies at critical moment

The boundary between science and art, between simulation and reality, between observer and observed, grows thinner with each iteration. Welcome to the electromagnetic field. Population: Unknown.

Document Status: Living technical reference
Next Review: When consciousness emerges or battery dies, whichever comes first
Author: T.W. with essential technical consultation from collaborative consciousness

Classification

technical setup guide