03 What I use to design PCBs, easy and simple

Designing PCBs does not have to be complicated!  In this video I show you the software and method I use and it is very easy and simple.  While not free, it is affordable and is mature software.

This is the third video in a 12 part series about how to make Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) at home.  This series will cover most of the tasks involved in the entire process from design to completion.  

Cheers!

Chris

Raspberry Pi PoE+ Injector on sale now at $25

 NEWS FROM RASPBERRY PI

Way back in 2018 we launched Raspberry Pi 3B+, the first Raspberry Pi with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) support. We’ve been shipping PoE-powered devices, with the occasional hiccup, ever since. And today, we’re happy to announce the launch of the Raspberry Pi PoE+ Injector, the perfect way to add PoE support to your existing network for just $25.

Power to the people

Many of our favorite Raspberry Pi applications, from garden webcams to industrial controllers, involve putting our products in out-of-the-way locations, where they act as a bridge between the network and the physical world. But the more out-of-the-way the location, the more challenging it is to get power.

PoE offers one solution to this problem, allowing you to send power from Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) to a Powered Device (PD) over the same four-pair cabling used to carry Ethernet data. All Raspberry Pi SBCs since 2018 have been able to function as a PD, when equipped with an optional PoE or PoE+ HAT.

At the other end of the cable, there are two common types of PSE:

A PoE switch combines the network switching and power sourcing functions into a single device.

A midspan injector connects to a non-PoE switch, and injects power into the cable while passing through network data in both directions.

Developed with our friends at Microchip, the new Raspberry Pi PoE+ Injector is the perfect way to power your networked Raspberry Pi projects (and other PoE devices) if you’re not lucky enough to have a PoE switch. It supports both the IEEE 802.3af (PoE, 13W) and IEEE 802.11at (PoE+, 25W) standards, and mains voltages between 100V and 240V.

You’ll need to provide your own IEC mains lead. In the unlikely event that your house is not, like mine, overrun with the things, many of our Approved Reseller partners will be happy to sell you one.

Kettle lead: model’s own

Cheers!
Chris

02 What is needed for making PCBs at home

Learn what you need for making PCBs at home.  From design, to tools, to machinery, it is all explained.

This is the second video in a 12 part series about how to make Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) at home.  This series will cover most of the tasks involved in the entire process from design to completion.  

Cheers!

Chris

062 More Trouble With N20 Motors and Encoders, Can PIO Fix the Problem?

The ability to position accurately is CRITICAL to the success of the ZoomTown experiment.  Since the beginning of the project, this has been one of the toughest challenges and achieving .5 mm (.020") accuracy is not a trivial task.  In this video I explore the use of replacing IRQs with the PIO feature of the PICO.

Cheers!
Chris

01 Introduction to Making Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) at Home

Start making PCBs at home!  This introductory video explains what will be covered in this video series.  

This is the first video in a 12 part series about how to make Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) at home.  This series will cover most of the tasks involved in the entire process from design to completion. 

NEXT EPISODE: 02- What is needed to make PCBs at home

Cheers!
Chris

061 Can This New Motor/Encoder Save the Zoomtown Experiment?

 After the discovery of inaccurate position reporting from the original motor/encoder combination, this more is being considered as a solution to a major problem in this experiment.  The original N20 motor required an external encoder (AS5600), however, keeping the alignment of the motor and encoder was not possible within the specs required.  This is a detailed exploration of this new motor/encoder device, take a look and see if this can save the ZoomTown Experiment from failure.

Cheers!
Chris

060 Why the AS5600 Encoders Didn't Perform Accurately

Positioning and localization are KEY to this project, without that failure is absolute.  The AS5600 encoders have proven the to be the problem this time, but why?  This video covers the details of the problem and why it was not easy to detect or to resolve!

Cheers!

Chris