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Temperature logging clinical thermometer(September 2024)

Prototype Temperature logging clinical thermistor probe thermometer with isolated USB UART interface.

Themometer PCB

USB 8 channel serial board, build configurable for RS232/RS422/RS485(August 2024)

Prototype 8 channel serial board, build configurable for RS232/RS422/RS485 based on two FT4232 USB UARTs with on board USB 2 port hub.

8 Channel PCB

Instrument controller - PIC32MK series controlling 4 stepper motors, two pressure sensors, 8 optos etc (July/August 2024)

Process control board to provide real time control of a machine (First off prototype built up and tested, some changes and fixes visible on the PCB.

Controller

Adapter to allow Microchip RN4871 Bluetooth Low Energy Module to be fitted to a PCB designed for another vendors unit. (July 2024)

Software compatibility and obsolescence issues with a BLE module led the client to need to use an alternative on an existing PCB.

Adapters

USB 2 HUB with dual 5V 2A capacity ports 11V to 27V input supply or 20V Battery (May/June 2024)

Pre-production batch of dual 2A USB supply with battery or DC supply.

HUB PCBs

Testing dual 2A USB supply with battery or DC supply.

HUB PCBs

Single Channel Temperature Controller PCB (May 2024)

24V version of PIC32 Temperature Controller with switch mode supply and Fan and Heater output and Thermistor Input.

CONTROLLER PCB

Linear LED controller with switchable drive for 2 LEDs. (February/March 2024)

Linear LED controller with switchable drive for 2 LEDs 0 to 250mA with Photo Diode Transimpedance amplifier and dual serial ports and PWM Heater controller with thermistor input based on PIC32 microcontroller.

Linear LED driver with Heater Controller

USB 2A supply + Raspberry Pi 5V supply and interface (February/March 2024)

Pre-production lot of 20V input PSU for Raspberry Pi with 2A USB port.

PSU PCBs

Single Channel Temperature Controller PCB (January/February 2024)

Temperature Controller with Fan and Heater output and Thermistor Input and PIC32

CONTROLLER PCB

Thermal image of Temperature Controller

THERMAL

Multi Channel Temperature Controller PCB (October 2023)

5 Channel Temperature Controller with Thermistor and RTD (PT) Inputs and PIC32

CONTROLLER PCB

In-line gas sensor, O2, CO2, VOC, Temperature, Relative Humidity and Pressure (September 2023)

Prototype sensor assembly, pressure compensated O2 with lid removed.

SENSOR PROTOTYPE
O2 sensor and PCB.
SENSOR PROTOTYPE
Part assembled PCB
SENSOR PROTOTYPE


SMD Oscillator dev PCB (June 2023)

Buffered Colpitts Oscillator, SMD PCB

OSCILLATOR DEV PCB

PIC32MK0512MCJ064 DC motor driver development PCB (Febuary/March 2023)

PIC32MK PCB with Full bridge drive, quadrature encoder input etc

PIC32MK DEV PCB

Stepper motor driver PCB for 42mm frame motor (November/December 2022)

TMC2225 driver on 4 layer PCB layout and assembly.

Stepper PCB


Stepper motor driver PCB for 42mm frame motor (November/December 2022)

Thermal image of driver after 1 hour running 0.5A motor at 200rpm.

Stepper PCB


Proof of concept low cost 'thermal' random noise - number generator (June 2022)

Generating random number sequences from thermal and 1/f noise from a reverse biased BJT base emitter junction source with ASCII serial output.

TRNG

Example excerpt of output.


STM32 based IoT node (November/December 2021)

IoT sensor node (STM32), 4 layer PCB layout and assembly.

IoT Node


Zilog Z8F041A (September 2021)

Programming a Z8F041A micro before the PCB arrived.

Z8 Breadboard


Test box (May 2021)

5 Channel test box with current measurement, box design, PCB layout and assembly.

Test Box Test Box

Circuit Design and PCB layout 4 Layer PCB (April/May 2021)

Circuit design and PCB layout of a controller board on 4 layer PCB with 2 DCDC convertes, 4.5A output, LED buck driver, 8 bit micro, double sided placement. Thermal image shows the switching FET and diode of the DCDC stabilised at a reasonable 55C while delivering 3.5A to a load.

thermal testing 4 Layer PCB

Circuit Design and PCB layout 4 Layer PCB (December 2020/January 2021)

Circuit design and PCB layout for a controller board on 4 layer PCB 2oz copper with 3 DCDC convertes, 8 bit micro, double sided placement.

4 Layer PCB

Proof of Concept Circuit Design, Prototype 4 Layer PCB, Evaluation Firmware (November 2020)

PCB layout > Controller board 4 layer 2oz copper with 3 DCDC convertes, 8 bit micro, double sided placement.

4 Layer PCB
8 Layer PCB (Contract Layout) (February/March 2020)

PCB layout >800 parts on a double sided placement with Ethernet etc.

8 Layer PCB

Prototype 5A LED Driver using LT3743 for common cathode LED. (January 2020)

LED DRIVER

Very early stage prototyping (November 2019)

With care solder-less proto-boards can be used even for surface mount devices, in this case a quick test of an LED driver IC from Diodes inc. Obviously care must be taken to understand the strays introduced into the circuit.

Solderless BB
Solderless BB

Dealing with QFN packages like the accelerometer below can require a little more effort. The wire is 0.1mm tinned copper

ACCELEROMTER BB

Test Jig for small PCB including in circuit programming (October 2019)

Tiny PCBs without room for conventional test connections need test jigs with fine pitch Pogo pins.

TEST JIG
TEST JIG

Mk2 Retro Baseline PIC Programmer (September 2019)

Compact version of the programmer - to be available as a kit.

V2 PIC PROG PCB
Contract PCB design work (September 2019)
Artwork for PCB

3D space model render of tiny 18mm x 18mm 4 layer PCB




Upgraded Packing Machine Controller PCB (August 2019)

A project to replace the Z80 based controller of a packing machine with a Microchip PIC based design with added fuctionality and buit in diagnostics.

Controller PCB


Packaging Machine Bag Perforation Detector (June 2019)

The perforation detection system uses a high voltage to cause air breakdown when the perforations, to aid tear off, come between the electrode and the feed bar at the back of the machine. The typical voltage to cause ionisation breakdown for the air is 3kV/mm. Bag thickness is <100um, and flattness better than 0.25mm implying reliable breakdown at the perforations with voltages >1000V. The HV circuit uses a flyback transformer coupled to a Cockroft and Walton multiplier to charge a 1nF high voltage capacitor. When the spark occurs the capacitor is discharged via the primary of a pulse transformer allowing the spark current to be detected.

High Volatge PCB

Video of the prototype system in action, the red LED flashes when the perforations are detecetd.


Retro Baseline PIC Programmer (March 2019)

Unfortunately programming micro-controllers usually requires a PC with some sort of programmer attached. It seemed to me that there should be a simple PIC programming solution much like the development boards for microprocessors that were common in the 1970/80s, one with just a HEX Keypad and a row of seven segment displays. If you only need to program a few tens of words then doing it by hand is no hardship.

The key aim was to produce something low cost, no more expensive than the USB connected programmers available but not requiring a PC or any complex software, also because the program would be entered by hand there is no need to support every single part, particularly the very large memory parts now available.

Power for the programmer can be from a 5V supply or 3 reasonably new 1.5V Alkaline cells, it draws around 70mA.
Processors supported are:
16F54, 12F508, 10F202, 10F206, 10F222
16F505, 12F509, 16F527
16F57, 16F59
10F200, 10F220

PIC PROG PCB

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