Break out Bord for EXT (PCB Designer Needed)

[may88]

I'm going to try and make a right angle breakout board file, I expect that this may be better for lots of things, what do you guys think?

Angled upwards?


Would the weight of the cable then be a problem?

 

[Nardella]

Angled upwards?
Would the weight of the cable then be a problem?

I mean angle 90* to the side. OFC one would be able to flip it so it is pointing either direction. What you describe would probably require two boards to be soldered together.

 

[peca]

Try design spark...

Thank for your tip!

I'm going to try and make a right angle breakout board file, I expect that this may be better for lots of things, what do you guys think?

I think about this, but I beware about USB sockets on the EXT port sides and even right shoulder button could be in the way (finger lay over it respectively).

 

[juliano]

Juliano: nice work! You are obviously in this field professionally, or .. student?

Yes, I do this for a living. EMC analysis of PCBs and other electronics devices


I have few experience on PCB Design so I don´t think I´ll be able to help here.

 

[darfgarf]

once my connectors get here i'll see if my housemate feels like throwing some gerbers out

 

[juliano]

Peca,


Kicad is a free PCB Design software and it is very easy to use.


I have Ansys Designer here (which I professionally work with), it is not intended to be a PCB Design software (even though I can design a PCB here without any issue). If you wat, send me a a draft with proper dimensions and I can generate Gerber (and drill files if needed).


See attached example.

 

[peca]

OK. I design it in Design Spark PCB SW. It is good and easy to use piece of SW. I try to get out gerber files and even BMP export. Feel free to comment and suggest improvement. This is "twin" design which consist of 2 tinyBoBs designed on one board to get lesser costs. Scissors will finish it. I still don't know if little cut out for cable is possible and if is possible to make such small PCB. Maybe I'll have to make some copy/past work and place several tinyBoBs on one PCB plate. It is intended to be machine drilled so soldered wires should stick fine.


Attached files (zipped): Pandora.zip

 

[peca]

Today I have a phone with company. Anything is possible, even tiny drilled PCB with cut-out for cable. They just need gerber files drill plane for calculation. Tomorrow I'll redesigning tinyBoB as previous one is really weird.


I'll ask things like non-solder protective film. I don't know how it is called in English - that is covering translucent film (or mask) that cover traces to protect them from soldering in places where soldering is not intended - so it could be "electronic lamer" friendly - but only if not cost too much.


Other thing I'll like to ask is silk labels. But this is something I'll take only as cherry on top and only if really cheap (something like Y, C, Li Ri, Lo, Ro, 3T, 3R, 2T, 2R, 2q, 2c (or just numbers 1..6), G, V+).


EDIT: @Nardella - would You mind to add poll "Will You buy tinyBoB" with 3 options "Yes - definitely", "No - probably never" and "May be - depend on something (ie price, feature, Mars and Venus conjunction...)"?


I'll must decide how much I'll order them. It's depending on overall price. I'll ask if possible to split order into batches and pay as it go. I thinking about 500 - 1000 pcs, but if there will be little demand It could be only 200 for example.

 

[Nardella]

Just numbers would be best, worst case you can give a little piece of paper with each order explaining where all the pins are.

 

[peca]

OK, I managed to redesign PCB. Here it is (DesignSpark PCB file, gerber files, drill machine files and bmp export). No silk screen yet and I think it is stay as it is - board could be soldered upside down and then silk screen do bear service (as we say) - better to use brain for figuring signals out then blindly follow wrong silk screening.


tinyBoB.zip

 

[WizardStan]

Duuude. That looks good. I'll reinvest all the money you sent me for connectors into these, if it helps

 

[peca]

Today (tonight) I'll requesting calculation. I expect some negotiation with technician to be sure that everything is OK and they get it right. It could take about 3 weeks to manufacture - although I hope that it'll be done sooner...

 

[MWeston]

OK, I managed to redesign PCB. Here it is (DesignSpark PCB file, gerber files, drill machine files and bmp export). No silk screen yet and I think it is stay as it is - board could be soldered upside down and then silk screen do bear service (as we say) - better to use brain for figuring signals out then blindly follow wrong silk screening.


tinyBoB.zip


View attachment 628

If you will allow me to make a couple of suggestions...


First, if I can view the gerber data right, you have 15 mil wide traces everywhere and no expanded pads for soldering the pins of the Tyco connector. I used pads that were 3x0.7mm so they are almost double the width of your traces at the connector. It would be really hard to solder to that board with such thin tracing and you'd probably end up having to bend each pin slightly to get the solder to flow. The pad to pad spacing would still be 0.3mm which any manufacturer should be able to handle.


Second, I would beef up the copper around the holes as much as you can without breaking your spacing limitation. For example, add tear drops around the pad on the trace side. The more copper there is, the more glue there is under it and then the more heat it can take when people might want to remove a wire and put a new one in or something.


What do you think?

 

[Nardella]

I still think that pads may be a better option. The pads will be significantly larger with bigger spacing than the holes and the total board size might be smaller.


-Posted from my Pandora.

 

[peca]

MWESTON: Thank You for suggestion. I never designing PCB yet (OK, as teenage by hand with help of permanent pen and acid). I simply forgot to extend width of traces pads...


Next try, should be better:


tinyBoBv0.3.zip





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Other though - I'll managed to remove pads from other side. So I can have pads only on side where traces are. I'm not sure it it is good - but if I ask for metal holes then pads on both sides could take even more heat and could be stronger. What do You (anybody with experience in PCB design)?


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NARDELLA: I really think that drilled holes beat pads in durability and robustness. Anyway - I doubt that smaller design will be reasonable. Yes, it could work, but my size still should fits into USB housing which is nice and I'll plane order at least hundred for me and could ask for another hundred if there will be deman for this. This USB housing which nicely adopt Pandora EXT port connector and even whole tinyBoB PCB costs about 0.5 USD apiece. I thing this is nothing in comparison with postage.

 

[drenyx]

I'm not sure where I'm gonna land in having any of this be personal interest, but if you were going to the effort of making these boards, could they have labels on them too? I'm thinking about motherboards having the white printing on them labelling components etc...I don't know how much this would add but could definately be a nice touch.

 

[may88]

Any idea of the cost of these? If you need funds and you're willing to do the same as WizardStan did for the EXT adapters then I'll chuck you a few bob* in return for a few BoBs.


Bob is a nick name for an old 2 shilling coin. A few bob = some money. Every day a school day.

 

[Nardella]

I will order 10 to start.


Also, I still believe that pads would be better, I tried soldering to the pads on a stick of RAM and the connections were surprisingly durable. And any connector thats going to survive (even with holes) won't put any load on the connections. IMO pads are better in every way (aside from strength), more room to work with and more space to solder to.


I will buy some either way.

 

[peca]

Emails sent - now wait for calculation. I tried web calculator and got price varying from 0.5 USD to nearly 1 USD apiece. More board, less price obviously. There should be about 700 pieces of connectors, right? So I think that 500 pieces of tinyBoB could find a market and gives good price apiece, but quite big heap of money at once...


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I ask two manufacturers with automated lines and ask for assistance if they spot some mistakes or weirdness. - let see what they ask for their offer.

 

[Nardella]

If possible I would recommend getting a small sample batch before placing a large order.