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GMU:Printed Circuit Board Art/mxkllmnn (view source)
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The design was very much influenced by the early thoughts on the topic of "capacitive touch". I would have installed all the technical components in a [https://www.instructables.com/Dead-Bug-Prototyping-and-Freeform-Electronics/ dead bug] fashion, disappearing into the flush socket of the wall, if it hadn't been for the idea of realising the entire backend as a PCB in the front, with touchpads on its rear. However, when the idea of touch input gestures was dropped (because this contrasted with highlighting mechanical devices), all that was left were components that logically belong to the backend. Yet, having everything fit tightly into the cover of the switch makes debugging very easy. By removing it, all the connections are accessible. So the transfer from breadboard to a PCB was the only logical consequence. | The design was very much influenced by the early thoughts on the topic of "capacitive touch". I would have installed all the technical components in a [https://www.instructables.com/Dead-Bug-Prototyping-and-Freeform-Electronics/ dead bug] fashion, disappearing into the flush socket of the wall, if it hadn't been for the idea of realising the entire backend as a PCB in the front, with touchpads on its rear. However, when the idea of touch input gestures was dropped (because this contrasted with highlighting mechanical devices), all that was left were components that logically belong to the backend. Yet, having everything fit tightly into the cover of the switch makes debugging very easy. By removing it, all the connections are accessible. So the transfer from breadboard to a PCB was the only logical consequence. | ||
[[File:BackAsFront.jpg|800px]] | [[File:BackAsFront.jpg|800px]] | ||
Before going into detail about the actual layout or so-called floor planning, I would like to add a few sentences about the look. The new subject shifted the focus slightly to more technical/constructional aspects, which is why I felt the need to add a graphical element. However, I found a way to combine artistic and technical peculiarities, as the graphics are not on the silkscreen layer, but the areas have been exposed on the soldermask layer. This makes these excellent connections for crocodile clamps when debugging and one needs GND. | Before going into detail about the actual layout or so-called floor planning, I would like to add a few sentences about the look. The new subject shifted the focus slightly to more technical/constructional aspects, which is why I felt the need to add a graphical element. | ||
[Wifi Prayer] | |||
However, I found a way to combine artistic and technical peculiarities, as the graphics are not on the silkscreen layer, but the areas have been exposed on the soldermask layer. This makes these excellent connections for crocodile clamps when debugging and one needs GND. | |||
A milestone on the way to a PCB is a hand-soldered prototype. As common switches come with a cover, the base plate already existed. But I did not start soldering right away. The first thing I did was a rough sketch of all components and their respective connections on a piece of paper. Only then I made my first attempts at this design in KiCAD. Since I did not want to spoil my option of revisiting capacitive touch gestures at a later stage, it was my personal challenge to realise everything on just one side of a PCB with no viases or through-hole components. Of course, this also meant that all elements had to be placed so that there is no intersection of a single trace, which has been hard before I got to know the practice of ground areas (across the entire PCB). Another major restriction was the form of the cover's connection. Before the final layout was finished, it was an eternal back and forth between different media (Paper, KiCAD, Fusion, soldering iron, and back again). | A milestone on the way to a PCB is a hand-soldered prototype. As common switches come with a cover, the base plate already existed. But I did not start soldering right away. The first thing I did was a rough sketch of all components and their respective connections on a piece of paper. Only then I made my first attempts at this design in KiCAD. Since I did not want to spoil my option of revisiting capacitive touch gestures at a later stage, it was my personal challenge to realise everything on just one side of a PCB with no viases or through-hole components. Of course, this also meant that all elements had to be placed so that there is no intersection of a single trace, which has been hard before I got to know the practice of ground areas (across the entire PCB). Another major restriction was the form of the cover's connection. Before the final layout was finished, it was an eternal back and forth between different media (Paper, KiCAD, Fusion, soldering iron, and back again). | ||
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Still, this process was necessary to eliminate all the flaws of my design, iteration by iteration, first and foremost an issue referred to as decoupling [http://www.thebox.myzen.co.uk/Tutorial/De-coupling.html] [http://www.lothar-miller.de/s9y/categories/14-Entkopplung]. This is of particular importance in my application as the ESP module is quite sensitive to noise and one of the worst components one can think of in terms of noise are motors. Here we have them combined on a tiny space of 50x50mm. | Still, this process was necessary to eliminate all the flaws of my design, iteration by iteration, first and foremost an issue referred to as decoupling [http://www.thebox.myzen.co.uk/Tutorial/De-coupling.html] [http://www.lothar-miller.de/s9y/categories/14-Entkopplung]. This is of particular importance in my application as the ESP module is quite sensitive to noise and one of the worst components one can think of in terms of noise are motors. Here we have them combined on a tiny space of 50x50mm. | ||
It cost me some time and some burnt-out components but I was glad to have figured it all out before the PCB went into production, and when it finally did, all I could do was wait…. I purchased my first PCB ever at [https://aisler.net aisler.net]. Refreshing the order history every second at some point revealed the smart test result, which made me even more excited. | |||
[smart tests looking fine] | |||
[receiving order] | |||
[solder order] | |||
[[File:prototypes_ABC.jpg|800px]] | [[File:prototypes_ABC.jpg|800px]] | ||