Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
PropBOE PCBs - Internal Revision A1 — Parallax Forums

PropBOE PCBs - Internal Revision A1

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
edited 2011-07-04 11:27 in Propeller 1
Hello,

On my morning trawling run my net caught the arrival of the Propeller BOE prototype PCBs. I was able to capture a picture before they were sequestered to inspection and assembly.

I haven't made the time for the forums lately, but I've seen a few threads here and there about this product so I thought you might be interested in seeing the early PCBs.

More details shall follow as soon they're available. I won't be pestering the crew because they've already got it under control, but I assure you I'll be looking for some blinking lights and listening for the first glimpse of life for the next couple of days.

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.

attachment.php?attachmentid=80125&d=1302543280
PropBOE-PCB-A1.jpg
800 x 600 - 187K

Comments

  • TtailspinTtailspin Posts: 1,326
    edited 2011-04-11 11:02
    Oooohh,..aaahhhh.. that looks pretty, and it's so shiny too.


    How many of those come on a sheet?
  • Bill HenningBill Henning Posts: 6,445
    edited 2011-04-11 11:25
    Looks nice - is that ROHS gold flash I see?
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-04-11 11:27
    Ttailspin wrote: »
    Oooohh,..aaahhhh.. that looks pretty, and it's so shiny too.


    How many of those come on a sheet?

    6-up. They need to fit within a 12" x 12" size for our stencil machine and selective solder process (machine on order, comes in June!). The more machines we add to the production line the more important it has become to adhere to consistent standards.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-04-11 11:28
    Bill Henning wrote: »
    Looks nice - is that ROHS gold flash I see?

    Yes, that's correct.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,876
    edited 2011-04-11 18:09
    Looks like a great product for Parallax. I just hope I can use one on my BOE bot...
  • TtailspinTtailspin Posts: 1,326
    edited 2011-04-11 19:17
    Looks like it's the usual 3" X 4" size, same size as the Propeller Proto Board, which I understand to be the same size as the BOE bot board..(mounting holes)
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-04-17 11:47
    We built up a few of the prototypes. We had a few problems of course, some funny (like the SD card socket facing the wrong way) and others not so entertaining (power supply) but early indications are that most isolated sections of this PropBOE prototype work as designed. You may have seen the specification we posted on the forums. We've made some changes inside Parallax about the way we use Altium so I think a few of these issues may be symptoms of our new efficient ways of working together yet the engineers are sorting out process improvements really well.

    Ken Gracey
    Parallax Inc.

    attachment.php?attachmentid=80291&d=1303066071
    PropBOE Rev A1.jpg
    800 x 600 - 110K
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-17 12:19
    Ken,

    One of the stated design goals of this board was to eliminate the self-reset issue when the USB cable is unplugged. How was that accomplished? (I don't see my favorite 6-pin dual open-drain buffer anywhere.) Is it too soon to post a schematic?

    Thanks,
    -Phil
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-04-17 12:46
    Phil, yes, that goal was included in the specification and has been met. An early schematic is here http://forums.parallax.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=77414&d=1295485904 but I am certain it has evolved. David Carrier used a new FTDI circuit - he's out this week but I'll get the schematic from Thomas and post it here.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-17 13:12
    Thanks, Ken. That's an interesting schematic, BTW -- more of a visual table of contents for the schematic set, really. By omitting all subsystem detail, it clearly shows on one sheet how the various subsystems are connected and powered. It would appear to enable a team approach to the design, assuming it was done first and not after the fact. I wish more schematic sets for large-scale circuits included such a summary sheet. It would make navigating pages of sub-circuits that much easier.

    -Phil
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-04-17 13:19
    Above I mentioned that the engineering group is taking a more team-based approach to these products. The Product Owner uses Altium for the schematic and we're finally sharing libraries with the PCB layout person, so they can go back and forth, making changes that update shared files as they are made using version control software (GIT). The system supports parallel efforts and is much better at BOM exporting, a task we've made seamless with our internal business management software. The summary schematic sheet is another detail made possible by these changes. This kind of structure is a basic and trival fact for larger companies, I'm sure, but was a significant change to our way of internal operations. Our architects of this process are Chris, Thomas, David and Kevin. I just had to get out of the way, make sure we were all licensed with hardware that supports the software, and most importantly I have to provide occasional enforcement of the process. Like anything involving people it can be messed up - every engineer has their own preferences.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,401
    edited 2011-04-18 08:23
    And the schematic Phil requested yesterday is attached.

    Ken Gracey
    pdf
    pdf
    PropBOE_A2 Schematic.pdf
    492K
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,876
    edited 2011-04-18 08:47
    Is that what Phil wanted? That looks like an I2C ADC circuit...

    BTW: I'm not sure I'd admit to buying boards with the SD socket in backwards :)
  • pgbpsupgbpsu Posts: 460
    edited 2011-04-18 08:57
    Rayman-

    Did you scroll down? There's more than an I2C ADC on the pdf I downloaded....
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,876
    edited 2011-04-18 09:43
    pgbpsu, thanks! You were right, I didn't know there was more...
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-18 10:13
    Thanks, Ken. I see the buffer on the USB I/O pins now. Excellent! (Which part is U2, BTW?) I also see a glitch filter on CBUS3 (/PWREN). Interesting idea. I'm a bit mystified by the sheet labeled Serial.Sch.Doc, though. Between that and USB.Sch.Doc, it appears that RX and /RTS are each being driven simultaneously by two non-open-drain buffers.

    -Phil
  • bomberbomber Posts: 297
    edited 2011-07-04 11:27
    I heard about Parallax's new "kiss" selective soldering machine. Do you know if the Kiss machine is up and running? I recieved a PropBOE on June 21st. Do you think the PropBOE would have been soldered by the Kiss machine?
Sign In or Register to comment.