Post by thread:[EE] Single Board Computer

Tag added. On Thu, Apr 26, 2012, at 08:07 AM, Cubcruiser wrote: {Quote hidden}> 20 years ago when I was still a practicing Engineer I ran across a > company that was making single board computers based on the 8051 using > Chip on Board technology. All the support hardware was on the small board > which I believe was about 2x3. This board was attached to your main board > via a couple of rows of pins that plugged into connectors or were > soldered in place. You the designed your main board with all the > interface hardware you needed. > > It seems like this would be a low cost way of designing a prototype > system and then transition into a reasonable cost small production run of > parts. I have started looking and I would guess that the Arduino and PIC > development boards are a similar concept but from what I have seen they > tend to have extras on board that I don't need and are priced > accordingly. > > I am going to design/build a run of about 30 motor controllers that will > drive 30 amp (max) motors bidirectionally and will have a keypad and LCD > display. > > Any suggestions on a system that will allow me to prototype and then > build a small run cost effectively? I don't think that I will be able to > build multi layer boards for the processors but could build one for the H > Bridge and other interfaces. > > Regards, > Greg -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Access your email from home and the web

Regards, Greg On Apr 26, 2012, at 11:50 AM, Bob Blick <spam_OUTbobblickTakeThisOuTftml.net> wrote: {Quote hidden}> Tag added. > > On Thu, Apr 26, 2012, at 08:07 AM, Cubcruiser wrote: >> 20 years ago when I was still a practicing Engineer I ran across a >> company that was making single board computers based on the 8051 using >> Chip on Board technology. All the support hardware was on the small board >> which I believe was about 2x3. This board was attached to your main board >> via a couple of rows of pins that plugged into connectors or were >> soldered in place. You the designed your main board with all the >> interface hardware you needed. >> >> It seems like this would be a low cost way of designing a prototype >> system and then transition into a reasonable cost small production run of >> parts. I have started looking and I would guess that the Arduino and PIC >> development boards are a similar concept but from what I have seen they >> tend to have extras on board that I don't need and are priced >> accordingly. >> >> I am going to design/build a run of about 30 motor controllers that will >> drive 30 amp (max) motors bidirectionally and will have a keypad and LCD >> display. >> >> Any suggestions on a system that will allow me to prototype and then >> build a small run cost effectively? I don't think that I will be able to >> build multi layer boards for the processors but could build one for the H >> Bridge and other interfaces. >> >> Regards, >> Greg > > -- > http://www.fastmail.fm - Access your email from home and the web > > -

On Apr 26, 2012, at 11:50 AM, Bob Blick <.....bobblickKILLspam@spam@ftml.net> wrote: > Tag added. At 06:07 AM 4/26/2012, Cubcruiser wrote: {Quote hidden}>20 years ago when I was still a practicing Engineer I ran across a >company that was making single board computers based on the 8051 >using Chip on Board technology. All the support hardware was on the >small board which I believe was about 2x3. This board was attached >to your main board via a couple of rows of pins that plugged into >connectors or were soldered in place. You the designed your main >board with all the interface hardware you needed. > >It seems like this would be a low cost way of designing a prototype >system and then transition into a reasonable cost small production >run of parts. I have started looking and I would guess that the >Arduino and PIC development boards are a similar concept but from >what I have seen they tend to have extras on board that I don't need >and are priced accordingly. > >I am going to design/build a run of about 30 motor controllers that >will drive 30 amp (max) motors bidirectionally and will have a >keypad and LCD display. > >Any suggestions on a system that will allow me to prototype and then >build a small run cost effectively? I don't think that I will be >able to build multi layer boards for the processors but could build >one for the H Bridge and other interfaces. Wow! This can start quite a thread! I'm sure that lots of people will jump in with LOTS of suggestions. Let me start <grin>. For simple processor boards, check out Arduino. I'm particularly fond of the Microchip variant of these called "chipKIT", made by Digilent. You will find them at <http://www.digilentinc.com>. There are two versions: a really inexpensive version called a chipKIT Uno32 and its big brother: the chipKIT Max32. The Uno32 lists for about $27 and has 42 available i/o lines. The Max32 lists for about $50 and has 83 available i/o lines. You can add Digilent's "Basic I/I Shield", which gives you a cool 32x128 graphics display, 4 each push-button and slide switches, 4- low current MOSFETs, etc. Its great for playing around with. For motor control stuff, head over to <http://www.pololu.com> . Click on the "Motion Control Modules" link on the left - they have a ton of inexpensive motor control chips on PCBs that can be integrated into most anything. The beefiest of these is good up to 25 Amps, with lots of selection in the 9A to 20A region. dwayne -- Dwayne Reid <dwaynerKILLspamplanet.eon.net> Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax http://www.trinity-electronics.com Custom Electronics Design and Manufacturing

Cubcruiser <cubcruiser <at> aol.com> writes: > >> It seems like this would be a low cost way of designing a prototype > >> system and then transition into a reasonable cost small production run of > >> parts. I have started looking and I would guess that the Arduino and PIC > >> development boards are a similar concept but from what I have seen they > >> tend to have extras on board that I don't need and are priced > >> accordingly. > >> > >> I am going to design/build a run of about 30 motor controllers that will > >> drive 30 amp (max) motors bidirectionally and will have a keypad and LCD > >> display. > >> > >> Any suggestions on a system that will allow me to prototype and then > >> build a small run cost effectively? I don't think that I will be able to > >> build multi layer boards for the processors but could build one for the H > >> Bridge and other interfaces. Check out http://beaglerobotics.com seems almost exactly like what you need (disclaimer: it's my website). I have a separate board for PIC, LCD/keypad (4 keys), power supply, proto board. For motor controller, I can share a design I have (PCB) or a better option is to use Pololu or Sparkfun motor drivers. For your run of 30, I can provide bare boards if you want. Sergey Dryga http://beaglerobotics.com

Might also look at http://www.pic-bee.com/MB_main.html for some other choices ----- Original Message ----- From: Sergey Dryga <.....sergeyKILLspam.....dryga.us> To: EraseMEpiclistspam_OUTTakeThisOuTmit.edu Cc: Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 6:07 PM Subject: Re: [EE] Single Board Computer Cubcruiser <cubcruiser <at> aol.com> writes: {Quote hidden}> >> It seems like this would be a low cost way of designing a prototype > >> system and then transition into a reasonable cost small production run of > >> parts. I have started looking and I would guess that the Arduino and PIC > >> development boards are a similar concept but from what I have seen they > >> tend to have extras on board that I don't need and are priced > >> accordingly. > >> > >> I am going to design/build a run of about 30 motor controllers that will > >> drive 30 amp (max) motors bidirectionally and will have a keypad and LCD > >> display. > >> > >> Any suggestions on a system that will allow me to prototype and then > >> build a small run cost effectively? I don't think that I will be able to > >> build multi layer boards for the processors but could build one for the H > >> Bridge and other interfaces. Check out http://beaglerobotics.com seems almost exactly like what you need (disclaimer: it's my website). I have a separate board for PIC, LCD/keypad (4 keys), power supply, proto board. For motor controller, I can share a design I have (PCB) or a better option is to use Pololu or Sparkfun motor drivers. For your run of 30, I can provide bare boards if you want. Sergey Dryga http://beaglerobotics.com

>> single board computers based on the 8051 using Chip on Board technology. All the support hardware was on the small board which I believe was about 2x3. I'll second the recommendation for Arduino, especially in the non "shield compatible" forms like "BoArduino" (Adafruit), "Bare Bones Board" (Modern Devices), and etc. (Of course, you can go down to Radio Shack and pick up a "real" Arduino.) However, there are a LOT of boards that are technically very similar to Arduino and/or your SBC device, that managed to miss the limelight and are relegated to use by people who have more clues about what they're doing. For PICs, the "USB Bit Whacker" comes to mind. The STM "discovery" boards for their various ARM chips are nice, and good values. TI has the LaunchPad and several other interesting SBCs. Freescale has their "Tower System." In general, it's MUCH more common for a manufacturer, or SOMEONE, to offer an SBC at a reasonable price than it was in the distant past. Also note that a "modern" CPU has a lot of the things on a single chip that used to take an SBC to achieve. You can get 40pin DIP 8051s, PIC, AVRs, and more that have 64k+ reprogrammable flash, 1k or more RAM, eeprom, built-in oscillators, and furious instruction rates (compared to a 12-clock 8051 running at 11.x MHz.) BillW