Christmas PCB Contest - JuliaLabs

This is Learn Electronics Repair Youtube channels -1$ Short tracerThe case encloses 3 AA batteries and the PCB and 2x panel mount banana plug socketsand some battery contactsYou can see the original version of the Short tracer on this video :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_2GGNr4q1sAnd the UPDATED VERSION (which is the one available in this project) on this videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eixDdCpiO4The case has a clip system that clips around your multimeter and makes it easier to do the measurements. You can then use 4 wire Kelvin probes with a standard MultimeterThe Short finder is extremely sensitive (20 microOhms) and very useful as demonstrated on the video. it can easily find a short circuit SMD capacitor in a row of adjacent capacitors millimeters apart. This is a great tool to have in your toolbox as a hobbyist and professional.The case makes it easier to handle the short finder, you will also need a pair of Kelvin Probes

UberClock is a smart MIDI master clock designed for synth jam sessions (up to 6 people). This master clock, and its MIDI distribution boxes, ensures that anyone in the jam session always -and automatically- start at the downbeat keeping everything and everyone nicely in sync. The Restart feature allows for an on-the-fly re-sync of all gear in case one or more participants start to run out of sync.In addition to this project being a MIDI Master clock, it also offers a timer to keep an eye on how long you've been jamming. Just press the encoder's knob to reset the timer. PS: the timer refreshes every 5 seconds (no every second to keep "CPU power" available for the main clock functions). The clock also offers a rather unique feature of providing three random words whenever you press the encoder. The person operating the clock can use these word-combinations to offers inspiration to the participant in terms of the musical direction of the jam - so the jam keeps moving into different moods/atmospheres etc. There are over 3 million word-combinations possible - so plenty to play with. In the 360 video below you can see the clock in action at a synth jam session with 6 people (I am sitting front right). Have a look around and spot the UberClock (the Master Clock) and the six UberBoxes (Clock Distribution)In the video below the UberClock has just been started (tapping the Re/Start button). You can see that all 6 UberBoxes run in sync with the UberClock. It also shows the beat count with the Blue led being count 1 (or downbeat)In the video below the UberClock has Stopped (tapping the Stop button). You can see that all 6 UberBoxes keep running in sync with the UberClock. You can start/stop your own setup independent from the other participants; anyone can, but the start only ever takes place on the global downbeat so all gear -of all participants- are always in sync with each other. Below; some of the main DFRobot components used for this projectShown below; how the PCBs (simple vero/strip boards anyone can build) are interconnected. We only show just one UberBox connection - but the remaining five are connected identically (OUT 2 → OUT6).Please check out this project on my github page also.Last but not least, some more images of the clock:

In our last project, we started working on repurposing an old toy car. In this part, Robot Toy Car – The next steps, we will take a look at the controller board for this project and discuss some of the problems that we have encountered up to now. Most of the various components for this project are still in the prototype stage, but It is quite important to get them tested to verify the final designs.There are quite a few unique challenges in a project like this, which looks quite easy to solve but turn out to become quite challenging to get working just right in practice…One of the most important, as well as the most frustrating part, turned out to be the H-Bridge Motor controller. The first prototype of this was introduced in the first part of this project. While functional on paper, as well as working quite well in real life, (when tested with an Arduino, as well as manually), It performs extremely poorly when used with the actual controller for this project, an ESP8266 12-E…What could the reason be? How will I fix it…? The answers to that will be provided in a follow-up post. For now, let us take a look at the controller.The unassembled ESP-8266 Controller board, straight from the factoryThe Assembled ESP-8266 Controller board.The Controller Board, detailsSpace inside the toy car is at a premium, so from the start, it was important to design a PCB that was small enough to fit, while also taking into consideration functionality, as well as all additional add-on components to ultimately be fitted to the project. With this in mind, I have decided on the ESP-8266, which, while bigger than an Atmega328, does offer a few additional features, like WiFi, and ESP-Now, which will greatly help in controlling and even updating firmware OTA. The ESP-8266 does however also have a few serious flaws in this design, like limited useable GPIO pins, a 3.3v working voltage requirement, and quite high operating current requirements.As the toy will likely not be used continuously, as well as the fact that it will run on batteries, which, can be replaced or recharged, I did not worry too much about the power issue. As far as the limited GPIO, that is where I2C comes in… It is quite easy to expand the GPIO with an IO Expander or two… My main problem came in the form of the CH340G USB-to-UART converter chip. It seems like there must be quite a lot of counterfeit versions of these around, as none of the chips that I purchased, from many different suppliers, actually functioned, with the best one actually providing a USB port, but, when investigating with a logic analyser, the Rx and Tx lines of the UART, generating garbage… Replacing it with a known working chip from a NodeMCU V1 board, magically solved the problem, verifying the PCB circuit as correct and working, and also proving that the purchased chips are definitely fake!This was easily repaired by temporarily soldering jumper cables to the Rx and Tx lines on the ESP-8266, and using an external UART-to-USB converter to upload the initial sketch to the device. Future updates will be OTA, so not a problem in the long run anyway.Controller SchematicThe controller schematic, above, is basically a rearranged stock NodeMCU v1 circuit, with the only difference being that only specific pins were broken out onto header pins. These will be used for controlling the two H-Bridges, and provide PWM as well as access to the I2C bus.SoftwareDue to the fact that this controller is still definitely considered a prototype, my main focus is definitely on getting the control software sorted out first. That way, at least in my opinion, I can then focus on hardware issues responding to verified software inputs, without having to do both at the same time.As mentioned before, I require OTA capability to upload new firmware to the device, so my starting point was the BasicOTA sketch provided with the Arduino IDE. This sketch was modified to perform some additional functionality, such as controlling the H-Bridges, PWM as well as a roof-mounted “status panel” with LED’s that also doubles as a visual display, to give a bit of colour to the project. The “status panel” will be shown in a future post, however, with the only mention of it here being that it is I2C controlled, and based on a PCF8574.The BasicOTA sketch is listed below.#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>#include <ESP8266mDNS.h>#include <WiFiUdp.h>#include <ArduinoOTA.h>#ifndef STASSID#define STASSID "your-ssid"#define STAPSK "your-password"#endifconst char* ssid = STASSID;const char* password = STAPSK;void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); Serial.println("Booting"); WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA); WiFi.begin(ssid, password); while (WiFi.waitForConnectResult() != WL_CONNECTED) { Serial.println("Connection Failed! Rebooting..."); delay(5000); ESP.restart(); } // Port defaults to 8266 // ArduinoOTA.setPort(8266); // Hostname defaults to esp8266-[ChipID] // ArduinoOTA.setHostname("myesp8266"); // No authentication by default // ArduinoOTA.setPassword("admin"); // Password can be set with it's md5 value as well // MD5(admin) = 21232f297a57a5a743894a0e4a801fc3 // ArduinoOTA.setPasswordHash("21232f297a57a5a743894a0e4a801fc3"); ArduinoOTA.onStart([]() { String type; if (ArduinoOTA.getCommand() == U_FLASH) { type = "sketch"; } else { // U_FS type = "filesystem"; } // NOTE: if updating FS this would be the place to unmount FS using FS.end() Serial.println("Start updating " + type); }); ArduinoOTA.onEnd([]() { Serial.println("\nEnd"); }); ArduinoOTA.onProgress([](unsigned int progress, unsigned int total) { Serial.printf("Progress: %u%%\r", (progress / (total / 100))); }); ArduinoOTA.onError([](ota_error_t error) { Serial.printf("Error[%u]: ", error); if (error == OTA_AUTH_ERROR) { Serial.println("Auth Failed"); } else if (error == OTA_BEGIN_ERROR) { Serial.println("Begin Failed"); } else if (error == OTA_CONNECT_ERROR) { Serial.println("Connect Failed"); } else if (error == OTA_RECEIVE_ERROR) { Serial.println("Receive Failed"); } else if (error == OTA_END_ERROR) { Serial.println("End Failed"); } }); ArduinoOTA.begin(); Serial.println("Ready"); Serial.print("IP address: "); Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());}void loop() { ArduinoOTA.handle();}Controlling the Toy Car RobotControlling the Toy Car is a complicated question, with many ideas jumping into my mind, only to be pushed aside by technical issues, as well as real-world constraints on what is physically possible to be mounted on the plastic body of the toy car, space available on the inside, as well as not interfering with suspensions, springs, turning wheels etc.The chassis of the toy carAs is clearly visible, there is really not a lot of space available here for sensors. Mounting sensors to the body will also provide a bit of a challenge, as well as won’t really look nice either…I have thus decided to implement remote control for the time being, and later, maybe after 3d-printing a more suitable body, to add sensors for autonomous functionality. The ESP-Now protocol will be used extensively for the remote control, as, in my opinion, it required no additional hardware, is quite fast, as well as being extremely easy to use. It does however make it necessary to use another ESP deice in the remote control unit.

Hey, what's up folks here's something super cool and useful if you're making a basic Robot Setup, A MOTOR DRIVER CONTROLLER BOARD that controls the motor driver by an Onboard MCU and has an HC01 BT Module for Bluetooth connectivity.I added four mounting Holes on the PCB so I could add PCB Standoffs to hold the motor driver on the top side of the board in the air. It's a clever method to use standoffs as we can add multiple Modules with this method just by stacking them up in a row of standoffs.I've also added an HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor Breakout Pin on one side of the board so it can be used to make an obstruction-avoiding robot.This article is gonna be about the build process of this motor driver, so let's get started.MaterialsFollowing were the things I used in this Project-Custom PCBAtmega328PU22PF Cap 0603 Package16Mhz Crystal10K Resistor 0603 Package1K Resistor 0603 PackageIndicator LED 0603 PackageAMS1117 Voltage RegulatorHC01 BT Module10uF Cap 1206 Package1uF Cap 1206 PackageIC Socket DIP 28USB Micro PortHeader Pin socketArduino as ISP Setup for flashing Atmega328PUPCB StandoffsMotorUltrasonic Sensor HC-SR04Battery Pack 12VMotor Driver L298NSchematicHere's the schematic that I prepared, it consists of a minimal Atmega328PU setup that is connected with an HC01 module. between Atmega328PU and HC01, there's an AMS1117 3.3V Voltage regulator for stepping down 5V from VCC to 3.3V for HC01 to work.I've added a bunch of connectors for connecting stuff with atmega that includes ISP out which breakout SPI pins of Atmega for flashing, then I also added CON4 for motor driver IN1, IN2, IN3, and IN4 with D6, D9, D10, and D11.I also added a few LEDs with D2, D3, and D4 along with a CON4 header pin for connecting the Ultrasonic sensor with this board.After finalizing the schematic, I converted it into a board file.PCB DesignAs for the design, I made a rectangular board with a chamfer at the edges, also I placed four mounting holes at the center of the board so I could place the L298N Motor driver on this PCB by using Standoffs.PCBWAYAfter completing the design, I uploaded the Gerber data on PCBWAY's quote page, selected the solder mask color which was RED, and placed the order.After placing the order, I received the PCBs in a week and the PCB quality was pretty great.This shape is completely random so it's pretty hard to make but they did an awesome job of making this PCB with no error whatsoever.Do check them out for getting great PCB Sevice for a less price.PCB ASSEMBLYthe PCB Assembly Process will have the following steps.Solder Paste DispensingPick & Place ProcessHotplate ReflowAdding Remaining THT ComponentsBurning BootloaderSOLDER PASTEThe first step is to apply solder paste to each component pad.I used a normal Sn-Pb solder paste which has a melting temp from 140 to 270 °C.After Adding solder paste, we move on to the next process which is the "PICK & Place Process"PICK & PLACEI then used an ESD Tweeaser to carefully pick and place each SMD component in their assigned place one by one which took like 30 Seconds tops but the result was a perfect PCB with all the components placed in their location.HOTPLATE REFLOWAfter the "PICK & Place Process", I carefully lifted the whole circuit board and place it on my DIY SMT Hotplate which is also homemade just like this project.After a Few mins when the hotplate reaches the Solderpaste melting TEMP, all the components will get soldered by this Hot Reflow process.We then remove the PCB from the Hotplate to cool down all componenets and board surface.I then Plugged in a 5V Supply through USB Port to check if the HC01 was working or not, the LED on one side of the HC01 will blink if the setup is working properly.THT ComponenetsIn the end, we add THT Components to the PCB which are Atmega Socket and header pins.After doing this, Our Circuit is completed!Atmega328PU Burning Bootloader via Arduino as ISPNow, this setup uses an Atmega328PU. Atmega328PU has a little hex file onboard known as a bootloader which is similar to BIOS. cheap atmega328PU don't usually come with a preinstalled bootloader so I have to burn the bootloader onto the MCU and for that, I used one of my previous projects which was an Arduino Based Attiny Programmer.This Programmer was made for Burning the bootloader and Flash code into the Attiny MCUs by using "Arduino as ISP Sketch" uploaded into a regular Arduino Nano R3 with few tweaks (adding 1uf Cap between reset and GND)see my previous project for making this programmer and getting started with this flashing method.I connected the SPI Pins of Atmega328PU through a header pin socket with SPI Pins of Arduino Nano together and Burn the bootloader of Atmega328PU, and uploaded ULTRASONIC SENSO TEST SKETCH for testing the Atmega chip.Test Sketch #1 Ultrasonic sensor#define trigPin 7 #define echoPin 8 #define led 2 #define led2 3 #define led3 4 void setup() { Serial.begin (9600); pinMode(trigPin, OUTPUT); pinMode(echoPin, INPUT); pinMode(led, OUTPUT); pinMode(led2, OUTPUT); pinMode(led3, OUTPUT); } void loop() { long duration, distance; digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW); delayMicroseconds(2); digitalWrite(trigPin, HIGH); delayMicroseconds(10); digitalWrite(trigPin, LOW); duration = pulseIn(echoPin, HIGH); distance = (duration/2) / 29.1; if (distance <= 30) { digitalWrite(led, HIGH); } else { digitalWrite(led,LOW); } if (distance < 20) { digitalWrite(led2, HIGH); } else { digitalWrite(led2, LOW); } if (distance < 10) { digitalWrite(led3, HIGH); } else { digitalWrite(led3, LOW); } delay(500); } I added the HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor module in its assigned Header Pin socket and uploaded the test sketch I made. When we put anything in front of it at a 30cm distance, the first led glows, by decreasing the distance the other two LEDs glow.Test Sketch #2 BT Terminal LED ON/OFFchar junk; String inputString=""; void setup() // run once, when the sketch starts { Serial.begin(9600); // set the baud rate to 9600, same should be of your Serial Monitor pinMode(2, OUTPUT); } void loop() { if(Serial.available()){ while(Serial.available()) { char inChar = (char)Serial.read(); //read the input inputString += inChar; //make a string of the characters coming on serial } Serial.println(inputString); while (Serial.available() > 0) { junk = Serial.read() ; } // clear the serial buffer } if(inputString == "on"){ //in case of 'a' turn the LED on digitalWrite(2, HIGH); } else if(inputString == "off"){ //incase of 'b' turn the LED off digitalWrite(2, LOW); } inputString = ""; } After checking the Ultrasonic Sensor, I uploaded the BT Test Sketch into the MCU and used a BT Terminal APP to connect with HC01.By Sending "on" with BT Terminal APP to HC01, the LED turns ON, and sending "off" will turn it OFF.Adding Motor driver with PCB StandoffAfter testing the board that it was working properly, I then move on to the next step which was to add the L298N Motor driver to the mainboard by using PCB Standoffs.Adding wires connector between Mainboard and Motor driverI then added wires between the Motor controller's VCC GND and 5V and Motor Driver's VCC GND and 5V.I then added wires between the Motor controller's Control Pins and Pwm pins of Atmega328pu.ENA and ENB are both HighIN1 to D6IN2 to D9IN3 to D10IN4 to D11And the setup is completed, now we can add the Battery to the Motor driver's VCC and GND port and add the motor's terminals to the Motor driver's connector.Adding Motor and BatteryFinal Sketch -Testing the motorint motorLpin1 = 6; int motorLpin2 = 9; int motorRpin1 = 10; int motorRpin2 = 11; int LED1 = 2; int LED2 = 3; int LED3 = 4; void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); Serial.flush(); pinMode(motorLpin1,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorLpin2,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorRpin1,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorRpin2,OUTPUT); pinMode(LED1,OUTPUT); pinMode(LED2,OUTPUT); pinMode(LED3,OUTPUT); } void loop(){ String input=""; while(Serial.available()){ input+=(char)Serial.read(); delay(5); } if(input=="S"){ MotorStop(); } else if(input=="F"){ MotorForward(); } else if(input=="R"){ MotorBackward(); } else if(input=="TL"){ MotorLeft(); } else if(input=="TR"){ MotorRight(); } } void MotorForward(void) { digitalWrite(motorLpin1,HIGH); digitalWrite(motorLpin2,LOW); digitalWrite(motorRpin1,HIGH); digitalWrite(motorRpin2,LOW); digitalWrite(LED1,HIGH); digitalWrite(LED2,LOW); digitalWrite(LED3,LOW); } void MotorBackward(void) { digitalWrite(motorLpin1,LOW); digitalWrite(motorLpin2,HIGH); digitalWrite(motorRpin1,LOW); digitalWrite(motorRpin2,HIGH); digitalWrite(LED1,LOW); digitalWrite(LED2,HIGH); digitalWrite(LED3,LOW); } void MotorLeft(void) { digitalWrite(motorLpin1,HIGH); digitalWrite(motorLpin2,LOW); digitalWrite(motorRpin1,LOW); digitalWrite(motorRpin2,HIGH); digitalWrite(LED1,LOW); digitalWrite(LED2,LOW); digitalWrite(LED3,HIGH); } void MotorRight(void) { digitalWrite(motorLpin1,LOW); digitalWrite(motorLpin2,HIGH); digitalWrite(motorRpin1,HIGH); digitalWrite(motorRpin2,LOW); digitalWrite(LED1,LOW); digitalWrite(LED2,LOW); digitalWrite(LED3,HIGH); } void MotorStop(void) { digitalWrite(motorLpin1,LOW); digitalWrite(motorLpin2,LOW); digitalWrite(motorRpin1,LOW); digitalWrite(motorRpin2,LOW); digitalWrite(LED1,LOW); digitalWrite(LED2,LOW); digitalWrite(LED3,LOW); } I uploaded the above sketch into the Atmega and then added a Gear DC Motor with a Motor driver's Connector and added a 12V Battery pack to power this whole system.For controlling the motor, I'm using a BT Terminal app that connects with the HC01 Module to send the MCU "F" for forward and "B" for backward.for stopping the motor, we send "S" through the BT Terminal and the motor stops rotating.What's next, make a robotThe next step or next use of this Motor Controller will be to construct a robot, I'm currently designing a robot that will use this Controller setup so stay tuned for that.If you're into robots then check out my previous robot project-Thanks, PCBWAY for supporting this project, do check them out if you need great PCB Service for less cost, and I'll be back with a new project soon.Peace

In this project we will see how to make an ESP32 Mecanum Wheels Robot which is capable of moving in any direction. This unique mobility of the robot is achieved by using special type of wheels, called Mecanum Wheels. The robot can be controlled via bluetooth with an application that you can use on both iOS and Android smartphones. Also, this project shows a simple breadboard circuit for beginner readers, and a printed circuit board for those who want a more useful prototype. Check out the video to see how it works...Step 1: How It Works?As seen in the video, I can easily connect to the robot via bluetooth with my smartphone, and I can move the robot in any direction with the gamepad feature. An ESP32 development board was used to control the robot wirelessly over both bluetooth and WiFi. L293D driver was used to provide motor movements. Of course, special Mecanum wheels were preferred to enable the robot to move in all directions. All the hardware is fitted into a simple robot car chassis kit containing four DC motors.Step 2: Assembly of the Robot Car ChassisThe main equipment of the project is mecanum wheels. So how do mecanum wheels work? A Mecanum wheel is a wheel with rollers attached to its circumference. These rollers are positioned at 45-degree angle to the axis of rotation of the wheel. This makes the wheel exert force in diagonal direction when moving forward of backward. So, by rotating the wheels in certain pattern, we utilize these diagonal forces and thus the robot can move in any direction.We need two types of Mecanum wheels, often referred to as, left-handed and right-handed Mecanum wheels. In the source code step, I will explain how the robot will move depending on the direction of rotation of the wheels. In this project, 4pcs of 80 mm / 3.15 inch (2pcs of right and 2pcs of left) mecanum wheels were used. In addition, 4pcs motor connectors (couplings) are required for motor connections. Since I only have wheels, I designed the motor connectors in 3D and printed them with a 3D printer, but here is an all-in-one set for mecanum wheels, you can check it out if you want: Mecanum Wheel Set 80mm - https://amzn.to/3tET9ADA 4WD robot chassis kit was used for the robot platform. The kit has 4pcs 3-6V gear motors. Here is a similar kit that I use: 4WD Robot Car Chassis Kit - https://amzn.to/3mSGIxCIf you want to have all the robot equipment (mecanum wheels, platform, DC motors) with a single kit, there is an interesting kit at this link: Mecanum Wheel Chassis Car Kit - https://amzn.to/3aXyZLPIf you have all the necessary equipment, you need to assemble the mecanum wheels in the correct position. The axis of rotation of the top roller of each wheel should point to the center of the robot. That is, each direction wheel should be located diagonally from each other. The left mecanum wheel is placed to the front left side and the right mecanum wheel is placed to the right front side of the chassis. The other right mecanum wheel is placed on the left back side and the left mecanum wheel is placed on the right back side of the chassis.Step 3: Breadboard CircuitI've built a breadboard circuit for beginner readers. So you can easily build the circuit with jumpers following the shared circuit diagram. The pins used in the microcontroller are specified in the circuit diagram.Minimum requirements for the breadboard circuit:A breadboard was used to build the circuit - https://amzn.to/3Qq16mZL7805 voltage regulator was used as 5V is required for the microcontroller - https://amzn.to/3twf50SA few 100uF capacitors are needed for the voltage regulator - https://amzn.to/3ObRACkL293D IC driver was used to movement the DC motors - https://amzn.to/3N1GXRf or if you want to install the circuit more easily you can use L293D expansion board module - https://amzn.to/3zGekGhESP-32S WiFi BLE Development Board - https://amzn.to/3NWFixWSeveral jumper wires were used to provide the pin connections: https://amzn.to/3tveigJ18650 Li-ion 3.7V Rechargeable BatteryA few extra components are needed for the printed circuit board prototype, mentioned these components in the PCB step.Step 4: Printed Circuit BoardI designed a printed circuit board for those who want a professional prototype. If you look at the bill of material (BOM), easily solderable components were preferred, so you can easily assembly your printed circuit board by following the circuit diagram designator.You need few more components for the printed circuit board:SR560 (SB560) Diode - https://amzn.to/3xtmOy43mm LED - https://amzn.to/3b662gQ330ohm Resistor - https://amzn.to/3tBAXIo2pin 3.50mm Screw Terminal - https://amzn.to/3MR4CUJ1x4 2.54mm Female Header - https://amzn.to/3zHfvFvStep 5: Bluetooth Controller App (Gamepad)I used the ESP32 development board, which provides two different connection methods (WiFi & Bluetooth) to control the robot wirelessly. Among the wireless connection methods, I preferred bluetooth. I needed a handheld controller to control the robot wirelessly via bluetooth, I wanted to do it via my smartphone and I discovered a great app.Dabble is an application developed by STEMpedia that you can use for free on Android and iOS devices.So what is Dabble?Dabble App transforms your Smartphone into a virtual I/O device to easily make various DIY projects and IoT applications.Dabble provides you with a lots of modules to control hardware via Bluetooth, communicate with it, access sensors like accelerometer, GPS, proximity and other features of your Smartphone.Software Compatibility: Easily programmable with both Scratch and Arduino IDE thus making it suitable for everyone.Supports various prototyping boards such as evive, Arduino - Uno, Mega, Nano - and ESP32.Connects with several Bluetooth modules such as HC-05, HC-06, and HM-10.In this project, I used the Gamepad controller in the Dabble application. The Gamepad Controller Module is one of the input modules, using which user can give commands to the board using buttons and analog joystick present in different layouts:Digital ModeJoystick ModeAccelerometer ModeIn this project I chose the digital mode, in this way I have a hand controller with lots of buttons for the robot to move in many directions. The digital mode is the default mode when the module opens. It has 10 digital buttons whose data is sent to the device when they are pressed or released. For more detailed information about gamepad controller and mods, check this link: https://thestempedia.com/docs/dabble/game-pad-module/In this section, all you have to do is get the Dabble application. You will not need to make any settings for this project in the Dabble application, you just need to turn on the bluetooth connection of your smartphone and connect to the board through the application.Step 6: Source Code (ESP32 Programming)ESP32 is a microcontroller has builtin Wifi and dual mode Bluetooth support. It can be programmed through various programming platforms like Arduino IDE. For programming ESP32 board with Arduino IDE first step is to add ESP32 board support on Arduino IDE. For this follow the steps below:Open Arduino IDE go to “File” in menu bar and open “Preferences”.As “Preferences” dialog box opens, copy the URL in “Additional Board Manager URLs” box highlighted in image below.After this select “OK”. URL https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.jsonNow go to “Tools>Board>Board Manager”.Search the “esp32”, you can see the esp32 package by Espressif Systems in Board Manager select it and then select “Install”.Using Gamepad module of Dabble with ESP32First download library Dabble-ESP32 for working with different Dabble modules. https://thestempedia.com/download/24469/Add the downloaded zip file of the library to Arduino IDE. Navigate to “Sketch>>Include Library >>Add .ZIP Library” in Menu Bar.After successfully installing library open the shared source code.All requirements for the Dabble Gamepad module are specified in the source code. As in the example below:#define CUSTOM_SETTINGS #define INCLUDE_GAMEPAD_MODULE #include <DabbleESP32.h> The motor direction names to which the mecanum wheels are connected are defined, the only change to be made here is the pin numbers. Please update this section if you have used different pins other than the pins specified in the schematic. As in the example below:#define RightFrontFWD 32 #define RightFrontBWD 33 #define RightBackFWD 25 #define RightBackBWD 26 #define LeftFrontFWD 18 #define LeftFrontBWD 19 #define LeftBackFWD 23 #define LeftBackBWD 27 Digital mode has 10 digital buttons whose data is sent to the device when they are pressed or released. These buttons are defined in the code as follows: Up, Down, Right, Left, Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square, Select, and Start. As in the example below:if (GamePad.isUpPressed()){ Serial.print("Up"); } Functions are created for mecanum wheel directions, just like "void moveForward()". As in the example below:void moveForward() { digitalWrite(RightFrontFWD, HIGH); digitalWrite(RightFrontBWD, LOW); digitalWrite(RightBackFWD, HIGH); digitalWrite(RightBackBWD, LOW); digitalWrite(LeftFrontFWD, HIGH); digitalWrite(LeftFrontBWD, LOW); digitalWrite(LeftBackFWD, HIGH); digitalWrite(LeftBackBWD, LOW); } When any gamepad button is pressed, the function you want is executed. When you release the button, the "stop" function "stopMoving();" is called. As in the example below:if (GamePad.isUpPressed()) { moveForward(); } else { stopMoving(); } The source code is already shared ready to use. If the pins are different, update them, if the wheels move in different directions, swap the pin numbers or swap the motor wires.If everything is ready, upload the source code, then open the application and connect to the ESP32 board... Now it's time to act!Step 7: ESP32 Bat Hand ControllerFirst of all, thank you for reading. I wanted to share the content of the next project with you already. I designed an ESP32 hand controller to wirelessly control the ESP32 Mecanum Wheels robot without using an app. This hand controller is bat-themed and features two thumb joysticks and four push-buttons. You can have this PCB from the link below.https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Bat_Hand_Controller_ESP32_and_Joystick.htmlIf you have any ideas, please let them know in the comment section. Follow to be informed about the next projects.

Hey Everyone what's up!So this is Power block, a DIY UPS that can be used to power a bunch of 5V Operated things like a raspberry pi, an Arduino project, or even charge devices like a tab or smartphone.The heart of this project is this Buck Converter Circuit that I got from PCBWAY's Giftshop.Previously, I've prepared a similar setup that has an onboard buck converter circuit but it can only output 5V 2A and its voltage was not stable, also that project was made for powering 12V things but this Power block is made especially for powering things that operate at 5V Range.This article will be about the whole build process of this UPS, so let's get started.Material RequiredFollowing are the materials required in this small built-DC-DC Buck Converter CircuitBattery Pack 12V 25Ah3D Printed CaseRocker Switch SPDTDC Barrel JackWires5mm RED LEDMain CircuitThis is a DC Step-Down Module that takes voltage between 8V to 40V and Provides a Constant 5V 8A Output that can be used to power all sorts of stuff.It has reverse connection protection, overcurrent protection, and overtemperature protection which is what I needed for this kind of project.I've connected a 12V 25Ah Battery Pack with this module that I made using Li-ion Cells. You can use a premade battery pack that is available on market, just make sure to buy a battery pack that has an onboard battery management system attached as the buck converter I'm using doesn't have a low cut or high cut feature.The low cut is important as it turns off the power output of the battery pack whenever cells reach their lowest voltage which is 2.8V for each cell and 8.4V for this battery pack as it has the configuration of 3S 10P.I got this circuit from PCBWAY's Giftshop.https://www.pcbway.com/project/gifts_detail/6USB_output_DC_step_down_module_12V24v36V_to_5V_8A.htmlPCBWAY gift shop is an online marketplace where you can get a variety of electronics modules and boards for their genuine price or you could use the PCBWAY currency which is called beans.You get beans after ordering something from PCBWAY as reward points or you can also get them by posting any project in the PCBWAY community.Check PCBWAY out for getting great PCB service from here- https://www.pcbway.com/Following are a few of its featuresFix output voltage.High-quality terminal block.6-Channel USB output.High current output.High conversion efficiency.Stable output.Dual interface free selection input.Support multiple devices to use at the same time.3D Printed CaseNext, I measure the circuit and prepared its 3D Drawing first and then used the model as a reference to make a thick body that holds PCB Vertically and holds the battery at the center.I used fusion360 for designing the body and exported 3mf files for the Body and Lid so I could 3D print them both.As for 3D Printing, I used generic PLA with an 0.5mm Nozzle and 0.28mm layer height with 20% Infill.Prep Work Before Main AssemblyBefore starting the main assembly, I first added wires to SPDT Rocker Switch's both terminal along with DC Jack's Vcc and GND so I could solder them both during the assembly of the circuit.The main circuit has an SMD 0603 Package status led that turns on whenever we supplied power to the battery side, I removed this SMD led and added a 5mm RED THT LED using two wires. Later I tested the LED by plugging a 12V Power source through DC Jack on the circuit.After preparing the Switch, DC Jack, and circuit, we move on to the next step which is to assemble everything.Main AssemblyFirst, I added Circuit to its assigned place by sliding it into the grooves, then after this, I added DC Jack, LED, and switch in their place.I then connected the DC Jack, Switch, Battery, and circuit together by following the attached wiring diagram.After wiring, we place the battery in its place and add hot glue to the circuit, Switch, DC Jack, and battery so they dont move from their place.I also added Foam Sheet to step the battery down from both left and right sides so the battery doesn't shake or move from its place, battery pillar is there but there was some gap between the pillar and battery so I had to add a foam sheet to reduce this gap completely.After securing everything with glue, I added the lid with help of three M3 Screws, and the assembly is completed.ResultHere's the result, a big and bulky 5V Power source that has a total of 300Wh of power (12V x 25A, however, we should also keep in mind that no lithium cell can output its total capacity, so there will be some tolerance in capacity and also I'm using a Buck converter that has an efficiency of 90% so there will be 10% Loss so that means 250Wh+ roughly)Testing the Power Block Out with Real Life stuffTo test this power block, first used a USB Power meter to test the 5V Output which was working quite nicely, so after making sure that the output was stable at 5V, I added my Ipad with it to check if its charging or not and it was charging.I then plugged my phone and it was charging as well.I also added one of my Neopixel and Attiny Based projects that uses 5V to run and it was working as well.At Last, I Powered an HDMI Display with Power Block and it worked as well and this kinda proves that this can be used to power XYZ stuff (5V Stuff), if there's a Blackout and we need to charge our phone, we can use power block to do that.Or we can use this to power a cluster of Raspberry Pi or any Arduino Project for a long time depending on power usage.Anyways that's it for today guys, DM me for help regarding this project and ill be back with a new one soon.Do checkout PCBWAY for getting great PCB Sevice for less cost.Peace Out.

This is a simple remote controller circuit consisting of two main parts:TransmitterReceiverThese kinds of units are used to control home appliances remotely. The user can handle the transmitter side and the receiver side should connect to any type of load like TV, light, Fan, etc.Schematic Diagram:I have designed a schematic diagram on Altium Designer. Then I created an empty project online on Inventhub and uploaded my schematic file there. Making project online is helpful for the users who want to implement my design. They can visually view and download it from the Inventhub easily and can directly implement the design without any error. I can also add multiple files like PCB files, BOM document file, and library files by clicking the ‘Add file’ button.PCB file:For the fabrication, I have converted my schematic file to the PCB file. Here I can view my board in 3D, check for the errors, and edit a shape of the board. I have uploaded my PCB file on Inventhub. Instead of visiting the manufacturer, I can send him the PCB file, he can easily download it and can fabricate my board. This is also useful for the users who want to design my board, they can view and download it from the Inventhub. I can also enable and disable the layers of the board to focus on a specific layer like the top layer, the bottom layer, and the mechanical layer.Design for Manufacturing:To get my whole project in one place, I have created a release file of my project after uploading all my design files on Inventhub. This file contains my schematic, PCB, library, and all history files in a ZIP file format. The manufacturer, instead of viewing and downloading each file one by one, just needs to download this release file and he can easily fabricate my PCB without making any errors.Bill of Materials:My bill of materials contains the list of my components with all necessary details like manufacturer, supplier, part number, quantity, price, and dimensions. I have created a BOM file in Altium then I have uploaded it in CSV format on Inventhub where I can calculate the total cost of my design by selecting the ‘supply chain’ option. I can view the components and can read their datasheets also. I can select my distributor for the components depending on the price and availability of the components. Our total cost is $100. My component provider can easily download this BOM file and can deliver my components as per my design requirements.To get complete how-to and detailed information on the project design and implementation visit this link:Complete Project link

I created my own ADS1256 PCB after working with this AD converter for several years. I wanted to build a simple board for this ADC that allows me to fully utilize the power of it. I added an ATmega32u4 microcontroller (MCU) circuit to the PCB, so the whole circuit is an ADC+MCU system. All the pins of the microcontroller can be used, so the board can be used as a really versatile device. The MCU has native USB, so it is really easy to use it with computers. I also made sure to add a rugged and easy to use 2x8 screw terminal as the input for the AD converter. This allows the user to comfortably use the device both in single-ended and differential mode.Please consider the following things before deciding to order the PCB:The ATmega32u4 microcontroller and the ADS1256 ADC chips are hard to get due to the chip shortageAll passives are 0603 size except the 100R ferrite bead which is 0805.The Y1 crystal is a 2-pin 5032 SMD crystalThe Y2 crystal is a HC49-SD type crystalPlease refer to the interactive BOM that I attached as a .rar file. It has all the parts precisely described and it also have a checklist that helps you sourcing and placing the components.Please check the following video where you can see the board in more details before and after assembly:https://youtu.be/ig3bqVQ2-z0Also, feel free to ask questions here or under the video on YouTube, I am happy to answer them!

Design Of The SchematicThe schematic design is done in KiCAD. The process starts with finding the datasheet of the ESP8266 where you will be able to understand how to do the connections of the Test board schematic.In the schematic ensure that you provide the powering pin of the board where it should be powered using a 3V3 regulated voltage input.All the pinouts must be connected accordingly and you should be able to come up with the attached Schematic.Do the design rule check.Annotate the schematicAttach footprints to each symbolGenerate the netlist and the BOM they move to PCB layoutPCB RoutingThe process of routing is done on the PCB layout windows. Here, the process starts by arranging the components according to schematics.Then drawing the Edge cut according to the design requirement. The edge cut will define the size of your Printed circuit board.Define the size of the track and start drawing your PCB trucks slowly to ensure that they follow the highlighted design rules.Add some copper pore on both the layers to differentiate the ground from the power traces.Move To 3D ViewNow, after completing the PCB layout process, the design is ready to be viewed in 3D and that can be done by selecting the VIEW command and clicking on the 3D VIEW on KiCAD.The three-dimensional view is attached below.All design files generationOn KICAD, you go to files, then fabrication outputs, and under the fabrication output, generate all the files listed below which are very important in the ordering of the PCB manufacturing.Another important fabrication file is the Gerber file which is very useful in the design process. To generate the Gerber file, you need to click Files then plot and select the correct file format of which CSV is the most commonly used format by most manufacturers.Ordering for FabricationWe have so many fabrication houses available worldwide. I have been doing my fabrication through PCBway through their online quote instant page. The process is simple as shown in the attached images and you only need to select several features of your board like the size, color, material, the number of boards to be designed and the quality of the board then you will get an approximate quote.After that, you need to submit the order to the team of engineers by submitting your Gerber files where they go through and give you the final quote, pay through various available methods then wait for your order to be completed and delivered at your indicated location within seven days,

ESP8266 is a microchip of low cost that is produced by a company by the name of ESPPRESSIF stems. It has been used in the revolution of cloud communication systems in the field of electronics as it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communications capabilities. The microcontroller has several pinouts. In this article, we are going to focus on the 3v3 pin which is where the powering of the ESP8266occurss. This 3V3 means that the ESP8266 is powered by the use of the 3.3V and therefore we need to ensure that before we power this system we are doing it with the right voltages or else we might end up creating more damage.Now let us have a look at how to design our 3v3 output by use of the 5v DC output voltage:AN_SY8088First, I had to start by choosing the right DC to DC voltage regulator for the system. I had to settle for the AN_SY8088, which is a high-frequency synchronous DC to DC step down voltage regulator with an operating current of about 1A and an input voltage of about 2.5 to 5V which was good for my system that required a 5V DC to stepped down to 3V3 DC. Check the datasheet for more information.PCB Schematic DesignI did the design the schematic in KiCAD EDA by following all the necessary design rules and procedures. The AN_SY8088 schematic was somehow simple to be achieved since the datasheet provided had the necessary schematic and I only needed to do the calculation of the various resistors, capacitors, and many other components. Check the schematic below:The PCB layout was also done in the same KiCAD which allows room for routing and arrangement of the components according to the given schematics. The routing outcome is attached below:After routing, the process moved to the 3D view and here we could be able to have our PCB in 3D. Also, we had to generate design files that could enable us to order for manufacturing and I will guide you on how you can order for the manufacturing with simple and easy steps. Below is the 3D view of our power supply design:How to order for ManufacturingFirst, you need to get to PCBWAY and sign up through the embedded link. Click on the instant quote which will lead you to the below interface and select the necessary dimensions which could be collected by a team of engineers if you choose the wrong one.Select the quantity thickness and the color of every aspect of your printed circuit boardCalculate the cost of your printed circuit board and save it on the cart:Upload your CSV Gerber files and now the engineers will check your exact dimensions as per the design. They will also check the type of the board and give you the final quote for you to pay.Just check out and you will get your PCB at home within seven days.

You've probably heard of FreeTocuhDeck. You haven't? Go check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soIGV6BszcMWhen I was designing FreeTouchDeck, I quickly ran in to issues when using a breadboard. Loose connections made it difficult to debug, because I didn't know if a bug was in the code or because of hardware issues. I designed a PCB that made it easy to connect the TFT screen to the ESP32. I also has the option to add an extra row of header pins so you can still use the pins that are unused by FreeTouchDeck.This PCB is made for the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1 and the 480*320 ILI9488 TFT + XPT2046 touch controller.This PCB is designed to fit in the FreeTouchDeck case: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4661069

by makeriot2020 on May 27, 2022Many of us have old toys laying around the house, they belong to our children or the children of our friends. In this article, I will attempt to show you how to give an old toy car new life, as well as hopefully teach a child a few interesting things with electronics.The inspiration for this article comes from my friend’s 7-year-old boy, who, way too clever for his age, always has a lot of very interesting questions. His mother and I have thus decided to do an experiment:“Let us try to teach him Arduino programming, so he can start to make his own toys”Obviously, the challenges in this venture are many… To name a few:The boy speaks only Thai, so English is a no-go.Soldering is out of the question, due to his age, as well as safety issues – All teaching will have to be done on a breadboard.My challenges apart, this is a project that many people would want to attempt, so it is important to start with a bit of theory.Controlling a DC Motor from a microcontrollerDC motors, like those found in toy cars, are inductive loads, and that means that they induce electromagnetic fields when switched on or off. These EMF fields can damage your sensitive microcontroller quite easily. Another thing to remember is that your typical microcontroller can only source or sink in the region of 25mA to 50mA of current, not quite enough to drive a motor, let alone a toy car.Directional control of the motorIn our toy car, we would definitely want the driving motor to be able to change direction, meaning spin forwards or backwards, thereby changing the direction that the car is travelling. This is achieved by using a circuit called an H-Bridge. In this circuit, four transistors, either BJTs or MOSFETs are arranged in a particular way to allow us to change the direction that the motor spins by changing certain logic signals.Implementing an H-Bridge with switchesIn the picture above, we simulate the H-Bridge circuit using slide switches in order to explain the method of operation. It should be clear that the direction is changed by switching on diagonally opposite switches.Driving a motor with a transistorIn the picture above, we implement a simple, one-directional motor control circuit using a single transistor. This circuit still has the limitation that the motor can only spin in a single direction.Half of an H-BridgeIn the circuit above, we combine the two motor driver circuits (with PNP and NPN transistor ) to complete one half of the H-Bridge circuit. This circuit still has the limitation that we can only spin the motor in a single direction.The completed H-Bridge circuitIn the picture above, we added another half H-Bridge to complete the circuit. We will thus have 2 PNP and 2 NPN transistors, which form the completed circuit. This circuit will give us full bi-directional control of the motor. We can also control the speed of the motor if we apply a suitable PWM signal to the bases of the NPN transistors – we do need to be careful of SHOOT THROUGH and shorts though.My proposed Motor Driving Circuitthe inside of the toy car, without the old broken circuit-boardIn the picture above, we can clearly see that there is not a lot going on inside this toy car. An On-Off switch is connected to the battery compartment, and two wires go to the drive- and steering motor.Interfacing this car to a microcontroller is thus going to require two separate H-Bridge circuits. One for the drive motor, and the second for the steering.Dual H-Bridge Circuit diagramI have designed the circuit above to control both motors of the toy car, the control signals are simplified to 2 per H-Bridge, and a common PWM signal to control speed.