Quantcast
Viewing all 31194 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 3, 2019, 12:25 pm
$
0
0

I’ve noticed that, when it comes to wearables, there’s no simple way to include a display, such as one might wear on the wrist. (At least, I haven’t found any.) So I figured the next best thing would to to try to design one of my own.

The character LCDs I like are the ones sold by Adafruit; this one in particular has my attention. The diagram below shows my (hopefully) sewable PCB design.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Sewable%20Display%20Mount%20PCB_pcb
Sewable Display Mount PCB_pcb.jpg756x459 196 KB

All it’s meant to do is break out all of the pins in a way that it can work with either 16- or 18-pin LCDs. The mounting hole in the upper right corner is meant to align with the one on the displays; the two lower ones should contain just plugs, to give the display board a little extra backing.

And I’d like to get some feedback before I go and spend money on a test board (or post the Fritzing files for someone else to do that).

My questions:

  1. Is there anything wrong with the wiring? Is there a connection I’ve missed, or that I’ve made that shouldn’t be there?

  2. Are the labels correct and clear enough? (Assuming the person is using Adafruit’s tutorial.)

  3. Should I increase the board’s size to match up all the mounting holes on the display board?

  4. Does this look appropriately sewable?

I’d like to hear from anyone who has experience in these areas, especially the last two.

↧
Search

Custom shapes for the solder mask blocker

November 3, 2019, 12:30 pm
$
0
0

So I tried over 30 different versions but it unfortunately didn’t work. Or at least, it doesn’t seem to work when I view it from a gerber viewer:

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. 00
Screenshot 2019-11-03 at 21.29.00.png1350x860 38.5 KB

I designed the svg in illustrator, following the same structure as the svg from @steelgoose file. Then I went to a file editor and added the height and width in the svg file. I then started a new part from an IC and imported this svg in the pcb view.

In the SVG, the fill is set to none for the path which is in the copper0 and on fritzing it also looks empty. However, the gerber viewer looks different.

I think it’s time to give up. I’ll try to to this on eagle probably… Thanks for your answers however.

↧
↧

DFPlayer Mini ESP Board - No Copper in Holes

November 3, 2019, 12:31 pm
$
0
0

The dfplayer pads (that are just pinheaders now) work fine.

↧

Custom shapes for the solder mask blocker

November 3, 2019, 12:39 pm
↧

Custom shapes for the solder mask blocker

November 3, 2019, 1:11 pm
$
0
0

I was just about to ask for that when you posted it Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. :slight_smile: . I can see your problem, the path is not invisible:

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Capture
Capture.PNG1028x688 109 KB

This is Inkscape rather than Illustrator, but it shouldn’t matter. The dark lines in this won’t block the mask, only an element that exists in copper but has neither fill nor stroke will work (and that is probably actually a bug). The masker assumes it is copper and blocks mask and silksceen but the gerber copper output doesn’t think it is copper and doesn’t generate a trace (thus “invisible copper”). It looks like the gerber code is deciding the whole M is not copper (which is probably true.) Here is the gerbv output of only the top mask layer:

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Capture1
Capture1.PNG1359x843 64.6 KB

(I added a two pin connector to give the gerber code something to generate because gerbv wasn’t happy with just the M without drill layer.) I’m not clear on what you are trying to get though, do you want just the M without solder mask on top and bottom, or do you want copper (unmasked) on the M. I suspect you may need to use rectangles rather than a path to get what you want, but that may just be my ignorance of paths. Fritzing appears to think there should be copper (which isn’t translating to the gerber) around something (perhaps silk from the black) although it isn’t really clear.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Capture2
Capture2.PNG857x478 47.6 KB

I’d expect the gold parts to be copper, but gerbv doesn’t agree.

Peter

↧
↧

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 3, 2019, 1:55 pm
$
0
0

First I’d suggest uploading your sketch file (the .fzz file) so we have the complete part to load and look at. While I don’t know anything about what special needs sewable has, I have a couple of concerns. You probably want a trim pot on the board for the contrast control even if the user does something else for contrast control, they have the option of having an on board solution. I was going to suggest series resistors for the LEDS but see they are built in. I think your wiring is wrong in that the Rd pad should go to pin 16 and the ground connection to pin 16 should be removed (as it stands the red backlight will always be on at full power and the Rd pin will be at 5V which is a bad thing to drive with a microprocessor pin.). There looks to have been a change in mounting hole sizes in 2016 as well (hopefully not position, just size). Access to the .fzpz file would also let me tell you if you will get holes drilled or not (to get a hole, the hole needs to be in the copper layers and correctly configured.)

Peter

↧

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 3, 2019, 2:36 pm
$
0
0

OK, here’s the .fzz file for the above. I haven’t turned it into a .fzpz yet, but I’ll work on that if that’s what you actually need.

Sewable Display Mount PCB.fzz (9.9 KB)

The connection between pin 16 (which is where that one should be; as it is I have it on 15, so I’ll need to fix that) and the ground is for the non-RGB versions of the display, where that pin is used for power to the character display (and 17 and 18 not at all). When using with an RGB version, the jumper would be removed.

I’ve actually been going back and forth on including a place for the contrast pot on this board. As it is, the attached display will cover up everything but the jumper. If I expand the board to entirely back the display, then putting a place for the pot below the screen could be practical, though if the user doesn’t use that – for example, using an analog output instead – then it becomes wasted space. Since this would typically be worn on the wrist, space may be at a premium. (I suppose I could put a narrow area to the left with connections; that might work.)

It may be worth mentioning that the final version of this will probably use right-angle headers to minimize the profile (again, relevant to it being worn on the wrist).

↧

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 3, 2019, 3:22 pm
$
0
0

My mistake, I’m used to parts. This will be hard to turn in to a part (not impossible, but tricky because of the traces.) so the .fzz is fine (I edited the original post but obviously after you had seen it.). I’ll post an updated fzz in a bit with my suggested changes. I think you need another jumper to make this work with the rgb display, as it stands red is connected wrong for the rgb part.

Edit: I just realized this board isn’t wide enough to mount the rgb display. The data sheet says that display is 80mm wide and the board is only 70, so the mounting holes won’t fit. So here is my suggested mods (and why) so far:

Sewable Display Mount modified PCB.fzz (10.3 KB)

I added another jumper and changed the trace on the RD pin so it will accommodate both your current and the rgb display (although the rgb is too long to fit the current board.) I changed all the pads to be 0.038 dia and 20 thou pad (this is the standard pad size for .1 header connectors which the LCD will be. For the external connectors on the edge, you may want to reduce the diameter to 0.030in as you will probably be using small gauge wire (24 to 28 ga) which need smaller holes. If you want to wrist mount this, I would probably use a suitable size header like this (placed but not routed) so all the wires come out one side of the board to run up the arm. You also probably want some more mounting holes on the left and right sides of the board to fasten the wrist strap to (the current mounting holes will have screws for the lcd in them.) You may want to do both for maximum flexibility (although routing may get a bit complex.) You also might want to put holes (no copper) around the edge of the board to give anchor points for thread if someone wanted to sew it on a shirt or such like (I did a couple of example holes on the two bottom corners here along with the unrouted header.) A late thought, a surface mount fmc connector which will take fmc ribbon cable may be a good (if hard to hand solder!) connection alternative. The fmc cables are very thin and fine pitch so may be more suitable than wire. Maybe just pads if someone wants to use them. That is my though on the contrast pot too, better to have the pads (which cost nothing but board space) and not use them to want one but not have the pads to connect it to.

Sewable Display Mount modified PCB mod 2.fzz (10.9 KB)

Hope this helps rather than confuses further Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. :slight_smile:

Peter

↧
Search

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 3, 2019, 4:04 pm
$
0
0

I already moved the connector from Red: Sewable Display Mount PCB.fzz (8.8 KB)

Edit: I only just noticed your most recent reply above. The variable sizes between the 16 and 18 pin displays is part of why I only put a mounting hole on the upper left corner, relying on the headers at the top and the two “bumper” slots at the bottom for stability. Still, making the lower left one match up with the corresponding one on the board is probably a good idea. I’ll take a look at what you’ve done and see what I can incorporate as far as that.

The connections around the edge are what will be needed for conductive thread.

↧
↧

STM32F303 STM32F103 RobotDyn BlackPill

November 3, 2019, 10:07 pm
↧

STM32F303 STM32F103 RobotDyn BlackPill

November 4, 2019, 1:54 am
↧

STM32F303 STM32F103 RobotDyn BlackPill

November 4, 2019, 4:07 am
$
0
0

I understand the phenomenon. However, I do not understand the cause well.
Please give me a time. Investigate.

↧

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 4, 2019, 7:57 am
$
0
0

Here’s what I’ve done at this point.

Sewable Display Mount PCB.fzz (10.1 KB)

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Sewable%20Display%20Mount%20PCB_pcb
Sewable Display Mount PCB_pcb.jpg864x459 202 KB

Thank you for the catch on the 0.038"/.02" size of the header connectors. I changed them all to that.

The sew hole size is about equal to what I can see on LilyPad, Flora, etc. I’m still trying to figure out (since I’m brand-new to Fritzing) how to expand the edgeward side of those pads to what I see on those boards.

I did widen the board so the post at the lower right could lend support the display. The displays that Adafruit sells vary in size depending on number of lines and characters per line, but this post (and its mate to the left) should give the kind of support that keeps the board from pushing down. Only the upper right post is meant to be a through connection, and even that may be optional.

I also put a connection for the contrast pot to the left of the display. Depending on the model of the pot, it should abut the display board, though some models of pot will surely complain about touching the power and ground sew holes (if they have any metal on the underside). The connection can also be used for headers or some other three-pin connector, and of course the Contrast sew hole is still there for an external connection that way.

One issue: I’d want to use right-angle headers (pointed “north”) for the display. This would mean no screw on that upper right support hole. I’m debating whether to do the math and move that hole relative to the header pads; currently I’m leaning strongly in favor.

↧
↧

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 4, 2019, 9:45 am
$
0
0

So I see. There is a repository of Adafruit Fritzing parts available on git hub, from there I swiped the flora and loaded it in to this sketch. Then I cheated (because I can’t get Fritzing to tell me the size of the sewing circles) and unzipped the part and checked the svg. The stroke-width is 20thou in and the diameter us 0.126in, so click on one of your sewing circles, and in Inspector (the lower right window) in advanced settings set the dimensions to in and the hole diameter to 0.126 and Ring thickness to 0.02 (20 thou) and you have a same size pad. Before this I ran DRC (Routing->Design Rules Check) which has a variety of complaints about pads too close. I moved traces to fix that up. It is now unhappy about how close your sew pads are to the edge of the board (some of the pad will probably be truncated). I moved the pad I resized to be in side the board boundary a bit. Anything that extends beyond the grey rectangle will get truncated on the pcb. About the right angle headers: I don’t think that will work. The RA headers will put the display perpendicular to the board with no mechanical support unless I am missing something. I think you want the shortest straight connectors you can get so the LCD fits on top of the board and the screws go in the mounting holes. I agree you want all the mounting screws in use, as this part will move around and you want the LCD firmly attached to the board.

Sewable Display Mount PCB-2.fzz (143.1 KB)

I dragged one of the small trimpot parts in to the sketch. As you see if positioned where your terminals currently are it will overlap the screw in the mounting hole. Typically the pots are plastic on the bottom with just the 3 pins coming out so won’t short traces under them. As you note , the user doesn’t have to mount it if they don’t want to but with the pads, can if they do. You may need to consider more mounting holes to match the different LCDs as well, again a hole (other than trace re routing) is essentially free but a pain to impossible (due to a trace being in the way for instance) later. If you do that you may want to use silkscreen boxes to indicate which displays fit where. Unless there is a need, I would probably set the ring thinkness to 0 on the mounting holes so it is only a hole no copper.

I’ve commented on the RA header, but you can’t move the mounting holes relative to the header pins. They must match the LCD display data sheet so when the header is plugged in the pcb mounting holes match the position of the mounting holes on the LCD for the screw to go through, unless I am misunderstanding what you intend (which is always possible Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. :slight_smile: )

Peter

↧

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 4, 2019, 10:13 am
$
0
0

Female right-angle headers would turn the connections parallel to the board; male ones on the display would do the same there, canceling out the turn and leaving the display parallel to the board, but at a distance equal to the thickness of the headers instead of their length. That would minimize the object’s profile (which is especially helpful if this has to be under a coat sleeve, gauntlet glove extension, or something similar). However, doing that would also move the display northward by the length of the headers, and of course the mounting hole would go along with it.

I’ll rework those sew pad diameters; thanks for researching that. The rings overlap the edges because that’s the standard I’m seeing on existing sewable boards (I don’t think Fritzing is quite designed for sewables at present).

The reason I’m leaving the circles on the mounting holes is that it’s what I’m seeing on existing boards. I’m not sure of the reason (security, grounding, whatever), but I’ll look into that. I’ve seen several projects where those mounting holes don’t even match up, and aren’t used at all, though at least having a spacer under the LCD (fastened to the mounting board, but not the LCD) should be helpful.

I could also position the lower mounting holes for the smallest LCD board, and arrange for 3D-printed adapters for larger ones. In fact, now that I’ve thought of it, I think I’ll do exactly that, at least for now.

↧
Search

Sewable LCD Mounting Board (PCB)

November 4, 2019, 10:26 am
$
0
0

Ah! There is a reason I wasn’t seeing Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. :slight_smile: .

It will work just fine, DRC will complain and if that is the only complaint, ignore it. As noted anything beyond the edge of the board will get truncated. When you are all finished you want to export the gerbers (you need to to make boards anyway) via (File->Export->For Production->Extended gerber and then use a gerber viewer (I use gerbv) to look at what the board will be produced as. There are Fritzing bugs where it looks fine in pcb view but the gerbers are incorrect, and the gerbers are what the board will look like.

Fair enough, it will work fine either way, but pads on mounting holes reduce the room for traces, but in this case that isn’t an issue.

As long as the adapter doesn’t make the LCD higher that is likely a good solution. A change to the 3d print design may be easier than a change to the pcb and making new boards.

Peter

↧

Parts position on the breadboard

November 4, 2019, 10:57 am
$
0
0

Hello guys,
im new to Fritzing an Ive got a problem with the positioning of parts on the breadboard. The parts dont “flip” into the holes of the breadboard, they are placed slightly beside. Is there a solution for that?

Greetings,
Jan

↧
↧

ZIF Connector Part - 28pin

November 4, 2019, 11:08 am
$
0
0

28pin ZIF Connector Part

The attached ZIF has been a reliable part for several projects. Normally, I use a 28pin-header-part in Fritzing but recently made this part…

You can find similar ZIF’s on Amazon (a link to one).

Photo shows one mounted on Arduino UNO (used as a Programmer for AVR Atmel 328 chips - the same Chip as on the UNO. This makes it very easy to program a bare 328-chip for projects. There is a 28Pin-Header underneath it to raise the Height for clearance).

Also shown is Pololu programmer/BreadBoard for programming Atmel Tiny, 84 and 85 chips.

The Part: ZIFF__Blue_28pin_R1.fzpz (50.3 KB)

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. 07%20AM
Screen Shot 2019-11-04 at 10.44.07 AM.jpg889x1200 491 KB
↧

Parts position on the breadboard

November 4, 2019, 11:11 am
$
0
0

Assuming the Parts are good/etc. Turn off the Align to Grid. Or, set the Grid to smaller spacing…

↧

Parts position on the breadboard

November 4, 2019, 11:21 am
$
0
0

Can you tell us which part is giving you trouble? It could be a misconfiguration in the part rather than anything you are doing.

Peter

↧
Viewing all 31194 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>