Final Project Work

What it will do

My final project is a rc car with a halleffect sensor sending data back to my control. The steps are to create an ISP covering Radio board, Populate a Fabduino, Modify the Fabduino in order to work with my needs, Program a new code that combines both the Node and the Motor codes, create two H-bridge boards, Program the Fabduino, and put all the circuits into the Rc car.


I have already created the ISP Radio board. My issue with this was that the radio I am using is a 3.3v radio while the Fabduino is running at 5v. I put a zenier diode on each signal connecting them to ground. By doing this I insure that all signals will only be 3.3v. I have discovered that a 3.3v zenier diode cannot handle 5 volts at usb amps. It caused an impressive burst of smoke. My solution was to put a 3.3v regulator instead.


I have programmed the code for the motor node. I have yet to test it due to a lack of a Fabduino that works.


I have populated and tested the two H-bridge boards. After minor debugging I have gotten both of them to work.


Due to a lack of time to finish I decided to build a switch for each motor and then just press the switch to turn the motor on. I made the switches so that they cover the ISP header. They use MOSI VCC and GND. MOSI will be connected to GND unless the switch is pressed which will then connect it to VCC.


In progress


1. reprogram motor boards. 2. Put circuitry in the Rc car.

5. Debug


I will finish the remote control car but in the short term I want to make the motors move.

I have accidentally fried my motornode boards. I decided it made more sense to run the Fabduino at 3.3v instead of 5v. This way I do not need to use zenier diodes.


What didn't work

The Radio ISP board with zenier diodes was a complete disaster. An amusing disaster but still a disaster. The diodes went up in a puff of smoke.
The Fabkit and Hello Arduino did not work due to various shorts and other issues.
The button motorboards did not work because during trying to set them up I accidentally fried my hbridge boards and could not reprogram them.
The Hall effect boar(revision 1-6) did not work because of issues including but not limited to: milling machine failures, fab modules crashing the computer, eagle complaints and designs that were not spaced well enough for fab modules.

What Worked

The Motor boards worked until I tried to reprogram them.
The car was successfully taken apart.

What I Learned


I learned that a 3.3v zenier diode needs a resistor when attached to a 5v power line, I learned more about the Hope Rf radio (Here), and more about programming in C.