7
manufactured PCBs will yield 2 PCBs for this
project, to be separated by hacksaw. Therefore,
the yield from an order will be 6 PCBs for this
project.
The file, MegaPowerIO.pcb, has 1 copy of this
project's PCB together with 1 copy of a PCB for
the MegaPower project. Therefore, a MiniBoard
Pro order through ExpressPCB.com will yield 3
PCBs for this project and 3 PCBs for the
MegaPower project, after separation.
The file, PowerQuartet.pcb, has 1 copy each of
PCBs for: this project, Battery Load Manager 85,
Battery Load Manager+ and Pi Bridge ICSP
Interconnect. Therefore, a MiniBoard Pro order
through ExpressPCB.com will yield 3 PCBs for
each of these projects, after separation.
The file, TinyPowerIO.pcb, has 1 copy of this
project's PCB and a copy of a PCB for the Tiny
I/O project. Therefore, a MiniBoard Pro order
through ExpressPCB.com will yield 3 PCBs for
this project and 3 PCBs for the Tiny I/O project,
after separation.
All of the projects in the above cocktail files were
outlined in the Issue 1 0 article, "Try a Cocktail of
Projects". Extensive documentation, photos and
test programs for all of these projects are
available on the Internet via the information blog
at
http://picocktails.blogspot.com
.
Options
An important advantage of constructing your own
expansion board is that you can optionally
include, omit or vary components to match your
individual preferences.
_________________________
"This project calls for reasonable
proficiency at soldering"
_________________________
The unit pictured to the right has been
deliberately assembled without the switching
power supply, but, if circumstances change, the
power supply components can be added later.
This unit has a cut-out section at the lower left,
necessitated by the use of a low-profile socket
instead of the preferred high-profile 3M socket.
A hexadecimally encoded switch (SW1 ) can be
included if the intended application appreciates
its functional or educational value but it has been
omitted from the unit pictured above for
budgetary or functional reasons, replaced by a
pair of 3-pin headers that can be jumpered to
match user requirements.
Construction
This project calls for reasonable proficiency at
soldering as the component density is relatively
high, but an elaborate tool kit is not required.
Your greatest construction assets will be
planning, care, and patience.
At
http://picocktails.blogspot.com
, there is a
dedicated page (Issue 1 1 ) with links to all of the
resources related to this project. There is a
design description document with schematic
diagram, pin-out tables, suggested component
suppliers, construction and operating hints.
There are also links to the cocktail files, photo
albums, and a Python test program. The blog
page also provides a mechanism for publication
of any other information that may be required for
the project's on-going support.