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.

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

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

Thermal image of Temperature Controller

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

Prototype sensor assembly, pressure compensated O₂ with lid removed.

Buffered Colpitts Oscillator, SMD PCB

PIC32MK PCB with Full bridge drive, quadrature encoder input etc

TMC2225 driver on 4 layer PCB layout and assembly.

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

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

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

Programming a Z8F041A micro before the PCB arrived.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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