My (Simpler) Shield.

[cactusface]

Hi,
When I first saw the AXE401 shield I got the kit and quickly put it together. But then was'ent sure what I was going to do with it! I would'ent be buying any of those fancy add on shields, but it was the idea of modular units that plug together that I liked. Do I really need two voltsage regs and all those I/O pins that seemed to have no order at all. I'm not trying to put the shield down, it's great, but perhaps it's horses for courses!! Perhaps I'm a bit too methodical with a touch of OCD thrown in..

So I set about building my own simpler version of the shield? keeping to about the same size board, but using a Picaxe 20M2 (or 20X2), the two ports are just pulled out to the sides, on 8 pin raised sockets, power and other signals are on the 2 6 pin sockets.

I included a 32K EEprom and the DS1307 RTC with battery backup, a 2 pin header for a battery connection, the usual power and programming sockets.

My first add on is a LCD board, this uses an 18M2 with the new? free LCD driver code. As usual a 10K preset controls the contrast while an 2N7000 fet controls the backlight it being active high, controlled from c.0 on the 18M2, not much on this board really. The 3 pin header gives these options for the backlight: link 1-2 B/L control via software, link 2-3 B/L forced on, no link B/L disabled.

It's proving to be very useful and the idea that just by swapping a small PCB around it does or becomes something very different, is good. Here's the first couple of files. For those who don't use Diptrace I can do PDF's

Regards
Mel.

 

[hippy]

Do I really need two voltsage regs and all those I/O pins that seemed to have no order at all. I'm not trying to put the shield down, it's great, but perhaps it's horses for courses!!

It is a good question and it does come down to horses for courses.

The choice is between providing a digital I/O expansion pinout that is convenient for PICmicro / PICAXE use or to provide a pinout that is most useful for Shield interfacing even if that makes the digital pin ordering less than ideal. The later is best if you want maximum compatibility with the official Shield standard so that's how it is with the AXE401.

 

[rbright]

DSC Format for DIPTrace

Hi,

It's proving to be very useful and the idea that just by swapping a small PCB around it does or becomes something very different, is good. Here's the first couple of files. For those who don't use Diptrace I can do PDF's

.

The DIPTrace help file states:
Autorouter DSN and Autorouter SES - file formats which allows to use Electra/Specctra autorouters.
DipTrace allows to route printed circuit boards automatically using highly efficient Electra and Specctra autorouters. Export project into *.dsn format, route board with one of external autorouters mentioned above, and then import routing results in *.ses format.
To export, select File \Export \ Autorouter DSN, and set filename.

I'm not to sure how I'd use these files in DIPTrace ? Can you perhaps publish the the DCH (Schematic) & DIP (PCB) files.

I'm hoping to be able to produce my own home made boards or modify what you have produced.

Thanks in antisipation

 

[vectorspace]

I renamed MyShield-1-PCBFinal.dsn to MyShield-1-PCBFinal.dip and MyShield20M2.dsn to MyShield20M2.dch and that worked for me. Not sure if that caused any loss of functionality in the process. . .

 

[cactusface]

LCD Files..

@Hippy, yes I agree, who knows I will make use of the AXE401 kit in time! perhaps with the cheap LCD & button shield I saw on Deals Ex..

@Rbright I had to change the file extension as .dip and .eli are not allowed on upload, so all you have to do is, like vectorspace, rename them, with the correct extension.

@Vectorspace no you did just what was needed, what you have should be fine, perhaps you can confirm that for us??

While I'am here, here are the 2 files for the LCD Display, (this will support any size of LCD 2x8-4x20) as long as it's compatible with that well known Hitachi chip set (the number of which evades me at the moment). Same rules apply!

MyShield-18M2LCD-Final is the PCB.
Shield18M2-LCDModule02072012.dsn Schematic.

Would welcome feedback on this just to check all is OK.

Regards
Mel.

 

[Brian M]

PDF files would be appreciated if possible.

 

[inglewoodpete]

Mel, Are the dsn files really dsn (database) files or are we supposed to change the filename extensions? Alternatively, can you post some pictures eg jpg's.

 

[rbright]

Mel, Are the dsn files really dsn (database) files or are we supposed to change the filename extensions? Alternatively, can you post some pictures eg jpg's.

renaming schematic file to .dch and pcb file to .dip & now works fine. By the way there is a version 2.3 of DIPTrace out now if you have not looked recently
Thanks all

 

[Brian M]

I'm trying to get up to speed with Designspark and don't have Diptrace. I've tried various ways of importing the files, with no success. PDF's would be the easy way, or I could just produce a new board in Designspark using the textual information available.

 

[cactusface]

PDF's etc.

Hi,
@Inglewoodpete Have I got this completely wrong! but I thought somewhere I read that there are only a few file extensions the system will allow you to upload! and .eli and .dip are not included. So DSN is as good as! Just rename them.

@Brian M I will enclose the schematic PDF's in this reply, Do you want the PCB's at 1:1 for laser toner printing or filling the page for clarity or copying?

Thanks for taking the time and interest.

Mel.

 

[Brian M]

Mel

Thanks for the schematic pdf's. If you can post the pcbs at 1:1, makes the job easier.

Once again Mel, thanks for your efforts, I can now add making these up to my todo list. Don't know how I ever found time to work full time!!

 

[cactusface]

More PDF's......

Hi Brain,
And anyone else working from PDF's I have done some more PDF's of the tracks and the component overlay, which might prove useful. The RTC back-up battery on the Shield is a CR1225 which is quite a bit smaller then the usual CR2025! By the way do you know how that battery coding works, first 2 figures are the diam in mm, and the second 2 the thickness in mm (but 2.5mm, not 25). It should still give a few years life on the shield.

May have to add other PDF's on another post.

Good luck Brian and all, I hope sometime I can see what you have done! and what YOUR Shield is doing.

Mel.

 

[cactusface]

More PDF's......

More PDF's....

 

[Brian M]

Once again, thanks Mel.

I'll be digging out the UV exposure box, Ferric Chloride and light sensitive (?) board I found in my loft the other day. As soon as I've finished my current projects, should get something under way.

Really appreciate you sharing your development.