Zaerc's FabTiny*ISP
An ISP is a device used to programme other devices, in our case a board used to program other boards. There are many FabISPs that are intended for digital fabrication within a Fab Lab, but we all went down with fabricating Zaerc's version in Fab Lab Amsterdam. We just thought it is so convenient to have a usb board without cords, plus the switch is an excellent feature in order not to burn boards that will have external power supply.
Producing a PCB
Producing a board is done using a Modela that is interfaced with the fab modules that are installed locally in a linux. The fab modules need a png file for milling the board, and another one to cut the outer border of the board. The milling part is done using a 1/64 inch end-mill for traces and a 1/32 inch one for cutting.
Stuffing the FabTiny*ISP
Stuffing the board is a scarry but fun process. Had the feeling that I will ruin the board all the time, but in the end everything went fine. The components were so tiny, and it was my first time I soldered something but I used the magnifying glass and a soldering iron with really small tip that made things a bit easier. One problem that I faced was that I was holding the soldering thread without really pressing it down onto the board leading to concentration of the material at the edge of it. If you don't remove the excess amount of solder then this just spreads all over creating an unnecessary pool for the tiny component (which happened, once, or twice)!
Programming the FabTiny*ISP
Since the board was stuffed, it was programming time. Programming was a bit of a blind process; we just followed the instructions into fusing and installing the firmware through the vusbtiny-fabtinystar.zip files provided.
