I fancied using GX16 connectors in a project since they are low cost, robust and can be made water proof. I found 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 12 pin versions with bend pins so they can be mounted directly on a PCB and fixed to a panel. But, what I did not find was 3D models for KiCAD,…
I have lately had the priviledge of working with two vendors of mobile, electrical vehichles – one used a self-developed system designed for volume production series, the other was a larger industrial vehiche on prototy level where they started with a standard PLC and a small cabinet. Usage of a standard PLC “kind of works”,…
Makerbase Pro is another USB/CAN Adapter. This cost <20US and comes with Isolated CAN and CAN-FD. I have just ordered a few of these so will return as I hack a C# API on this as well.
I bought a few of the cheap Robotell USB-CAN Adapters fro Aliexpress and finally decided to use them on a project as I needed a low-cost PC-CAN Adapter. Someone will recall I made USB/CAN Adapters some years ago using STM32F105, but I had so much trouble with those that I never used them. I have…
CH32V307 is a RISC-V based MCU that is created by WCH and that got my attention due to it’s low cost – 3.- USD in quantity 1 and down to 1.9 USD from JLCPCB. I have read about RISC-V as an alternative to ARM for years, but I have not paid much attention to it…
I was warned ny JLCPCB that my boards had some strange pad’s – looking at KiCAD I notice the issue above. These via’s are set to have Pad on connected layers only and KiCAD screws up. If I click on the via it correct itslef. Will be interested to see if this board works at…
Illustrating a possible PCB bus board 90mm x 150mm. I have also played around with alternative sizes, but I like the small 25mm x 45mm and the scalability I got here. The drawback is cost as each module will need a 12.- USD MCU at core.
This just a mock-up of an actual module assembled from 7 IO modules using the later design. Size is just illustrative as I play around with ideas. I am waiting on project boxes and will adjust everuthing to that. So far I have only draftet connectors as 5P headers. I am thinking about doing CAN…
Sadly the headers occupy ca 10mm of 25mm, so to get Ethernet RJ45 fixed I needed 35mm width on the modules. The MCU module will be fine, but having two IO modules will require more space. 10mm extra is not the end of the world, but the design draft is also 4 PCB’s per module,…
I was recently asked to create a PLC in the form of a cable and the resulted draft is quite awesome. The design size I decided on was 90 mm x 25mm x 25mm. The reason for the 90 mm is tto have a fit for standard PLC boxes. 25 x 25 is a reasonable…