Show your prototype board  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: 001
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 09:29:22 pm
content: Show your prototype board (also custom-made bredboards and breakout boards)!I interested in hardware prototyping technics

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 09:49:35 pm
content: Some prototypes need small parts requiring considerable effort in a PCB that looks like a real product....yet still a fragile prototype with all the bugs. Bodge wires, cut traces, etc....Some recents....

author: Yansi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 10:11:14 pm
content: I'll add one myself to the collection.

author: 001
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 10:27:09 pm
content: awesome

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2018, 11:04:38 pm
content: Quote from: Yansi on January 15, 2018, 10:11:14 pmBig POWER !!

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2018, 12:41:46 am
content: Here's one I did for a solar power pack for backup/camping. Nothing super crazy, basically just an Atmel with arduino code to control an LCD display to show voltage and current. The current is all messed up, I apparently am not good at doing the whole shunt + op amp thing and never manage to get a good reading.Need to go back and see if I can tweak that some day. I also did a serial interface. If you console in with USB you get all sorts of command line options like to calibrate voltage, shut off threshold etc. There's a latching relay that will shut the whole system down at the set point to protect the battery.Lid was added later down the line, painted afterThere's a small compartment to put the cables and a few lights/accessories60w Solar panel (2x 30w)This is probably what I can consider my first serious electronics project. Though I feel using the arduino code is cheating, I really want to learn how to use the "raw" code. Just need to find a good book/resource that shows all the different commands like how to flip pins etc without using Arduino.I originally wanted to show the solar panel voltage/current too but the input of the charge controller is not floating so it messed up ground referencing. I was not sure how to deal with that so had just not bothered. I eventually want to completely redesign this and actually build my own charge controller and inverter and everything in one system. I built it so it's modular, the two circuit boards are screwed on a piece of wood that acts as a "card" that slides in. I eventually may look at making it use some kind of backplane so it's easy to take out and put back for tweaking.

author: georges80
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2018, 01:54:55 am
content: Running 35 - 60V input, 150W output (dual independent 75W LED driver channels).Up and running this past weekend, just optimising some of the firmware dimming control now. Couple of 'blue wires' for authenticityThermal performance looks good at approx 95% efficiency.cheers,george.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 16, 2018, 11:20:45 am
content: Wow, your prototypes are all so neat and tidy, I feel ashamed

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2018, 10:09:12 pm
content: My dummy load which I built by following Dave's video. It didn't really work right at first but I finally got it fixed well enough for what I wanted it for. Maybe I'll try again someday.

author: BU508A
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 16, 2018, 10:31:22 pm
content: Speaking of prototyping boards:Which ones are you using?I'm using the boards from Roth Electronic. They aren't the cheapest, but they have a great quality.They also provide a lot of different prototyping boards.http://www.roth-elektronik.com/en/produkteThe one I'm using most is the RE200-C3:http://www.roth-elektronik.com/en/produkte/detail/artnr/RE200-C3/category/Prototyping+Boards+Dual+Inline?grid=2%2C54You can get them for example at reichelt for EUR 4,40 incl. VAT plus shipping:https://www.reichelt.de/Prototyping-Boards/RE-200-C3/3/index.html?ACTION=3&GROUPID=7787&ARTICLE=105475&SEARCH=RE200&START=0&OFFSET=100&I'm not affiliated in any kind to the companies mentioned above.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2018, 02:29:21 am
content: I have done a lot over the years, so I'll start with a fairly complex one - a hybrid air conditioner/water heater. Keep in mind that was before ESP8266 hence why there's an old OpenWRT development board being used for the network interface.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2018, 02:31:57 am
content: I suppose parts of the PC I'm still using as my main PC counts as well.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2018, 02:39:15 am
content: And now a HD audio DAC:

author: Dubbie
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 17, 2018, 02:52:45 am
content: I need a stiff drink after looking at that NiHaoMike!

author: Barbouri
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2018, 03:26:01 am
content: Latest prototype version 2.25 of the Programmable Voltage Reference project.Blog post of 2.12 version athttps://www.barbouri.com/2016/07/23/programmable-voltage-reference-v2-12-completion/

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2018, 08:01:28 pm
content: Why did you air-float the pins of the reference?

author: Barbouri
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2018, 09:51:35 pm
content: QuoteHi rx8pilot,The reason for floating the "NC" pins and the PCB “peninsula” is to reduce leakage, thermal and mechanical stress on the voltage reference IC.See Linear Technology’s Application Note AN-82 page 5 and 7, for a detailed explanation.http://cds.linear.com/docs/en/application-note/an82f.pdfBarbouri

author: rx8pilot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2018, 11:40:18 pm
content: Wow! That is nano volt stuff where everything influences everything.Is it working as designed?Short and misplld from my mobile......

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 12:07:56 am
content: In the past few years, I have gone to solderable prototype boards for anything except the most simple, temporary circuit. I prefer PTH and a layout that mimics the "standard" breadboard, but I have used other layouts. Here's an example of the former for some work with WWVB:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/show-your-prototype-board/?action=dlattach;attach=388536John

author: Barbouri
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 01:04:20 am
content: QuoteYes, the circuit is working well. These prototypes are mainly to try out different voltage references, output op-amps, and layouts to further reduce noise.Currently the analog component noise is well within specs, but there is still more digital noise getting into the analog section than I would like.Barbouri

author: Yansi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 09:23:56 am
content: Quote from: Barbouri on January 21, 2018, 09:51:35 pmI think you did not pay much attention reading the appnote, did you? The orientation of the stress releasing slots is wrong. This way when the PCB is bent in the longitudal axis, the stress is coupled almost directly into the IC. Also no reason for floating the NC/DNC pins. REF50xx is nothing worth such care.

author: BU508A
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 10:14:26 am
content: Quote from: Yansi on January 22, 2018, 09:23:56 amThe AN is from LT but the chip used is from TI. Probably there is a difference? Is there a similar AN or something from TI? On a short search, I did not find anything.Thanks.

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 10:15:00 am
content: This is the prototype im most proud of, a 2500 to 5V buck converter, and it works

author: richard.cs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 01:48:29 pm
content: Quote from: MasterTech on January 22, 2018, 10:15:00 amCan you tell us more about that? It sounds interesting.

author: fourtytwo42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 07:56:10 pm
content: Here is something of mine before I blew it up in the name of experimentation (or was that a small oversite)

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2018, 12:55:28 am
content: Here is an untuned RF detector with automatic gain control that I build many years ago for locating hidden transmitters. It only takes one hand to operate and a minimum of attention with only one pushbutton switch to reset the gain and a power switch. An external filter would be used in an RF hostile environment and I have a companion 2 meter helical resonator and a 1.2GHz 1/4 wave filter for it.The circuit itself is a bridge based square law detector using 1N270s and has a calibration of 1 octave per 6dB so when the tone doubles, half the distance has been covered to the signal source. It works from HF to UHF and beyond and from microwatts to 10s of watts. Using a bridge provides temperature compensation and increased sensitivity with a minimum of fuss.The original inspiration was Joe Moell's (K0OV) sniffer and I built two of those but I wanted something which could be used in one hand without looking at it and that covered every band.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2018, 11:36:42 am
content: Quote from: Barbouri on January 21, 2018, 09:51:35 pmInteresting. I've always wondered why it works, when there's less creepage between the pins, than on the board. I suppose the package must be lower leakage than FR4.How would you go about putting it into production? Would a pick and place machine be able to do that?