In my first design in electronics, we were assigned to build and modify the Echo Hello board. Despite my ignorance of electronics I was able to get the basics of what most common components do. After downloading and installing Eagle software, and using this tutorial:
http://academy.cba.mit.edu/content/tutorials/akf/electronics_design_eagle.html
, I´ve went through the steps trying to replicate the layout of the hello board schematics in Eagle.
After following that tutorial, it was a little dissapointing not to find every component in the library available by local vendors. Add to that the complete novelty of using an electronics design software for the first time. We don´t have an electronic engineer in our lab, but I´m happy that my classmates were helpful and explained me some issues with electronics and the basics into how to create an schematic design.
I was able to get something done on the schematic design stage, and export it to the Board design area. Though after exploring several component distributions, I ended having something resembling a reasonable board . Since we couldn´t find phenolic based FR-1 boards, we had to mill a fiberglass based material. Milling with a 1/64″ end mill is a slow process on the Roland, so I hope to have it done during the week. After a long wait we finally got the components.
Reviewing the design of my board I´ve decided to change a little bit to make it easier to weld.
First design iteration:
Second design iteration schematic & board:
Preparing rough cutting and engraving in Rhino, to be saved as Adobe Illustrator in separate layers for milling in the Modela:
Laying out and preparing for welding the SMD components:
Welding finished:
Later on, checking the design with a local guru, he told me I´ve missed to connect the Gnd pin of the FTDI connector to the Gnd pin of the AVR 6 pin connector… I had to improvise and I soldered a bridge between them:
To access the files for this assignment, please go here: