Sneak Peek - PP Low Cost Industrial
Tubular
Posts: 4,709
Here's a peek at a variant of the Propeller Platform I've been working on, that will go onto the community panel.
It's designed to be din rail mounted, up to 8 opto digital inputs, and 8 open drain FET outputs.
There are several terminal options, including 0.2" pitch screwed, screwless, or pluggable connectors, or 0.1" 50 way idc ribbon. For the idc ribbon each input / output includes both voltage rails for powering prox sensors etc.
Display options include a 160x128 OLED color panel for use with Kye's 160x120 driver, VGA, or TV/Stereo via 3.5mm 4 pole phono connector.
Voltage bus can be 6~72v DC technically, but perhaps not legally. Still looking at this aspect. I think 48v DC should be OK.
Low cost because the prop is socketed and therefore removed from the assembly BoM.
There is a backup battery onboard to have a go at this "secure cog" concept which keeps 1 cog always running on RCSLOW
It's designed to be din rail mounted, up to 8 opto digital inputs, and 8 open drain FET outputs.
There are several terminal options, including 0.2" pitch screwed, screwless, or pluggable connectors, or 0.1" 50 way idc ribbon. For the idc ribbon each input / output includes both voltage rails for powering prox sensors etc.
Display options include a 160x128 OLED color panel for use with Kye's 160x120 driver, VGA, or TV/Stereo via 3.5mm 4 pole phono connector.
Voltage bus can be 6~72v DC technically, but perhaps not legally. Still looking at this aspect. I think 48v DC should be OK.
Low cost because the prop is socketed and therefore removed from the assembly BoM.
There is a backup battery onboard to have a go at this "secure cog" concept which keeps 1 cog always running on RCSLOW
1024 x 681 - 51K
1024 x 681 - 77K
Comments
You have been a busy boy!
That's quite nice and very much needed! I'm curious, though: why a USB-A plug, rather than B or mini-B receptacle?
-Phil
I'm also curious about the USB connector selection...
Phil,
USB-A is, honestly, a hangover from another design which has the FT232RL in the same position under the DIP prop, albeit a much more slender "stick" design.
However there are a couple of benefits of USBA -
1) the footprint can be "dualled" with 0.1" SIL by putting the slightly enlarged holes half way between the two formats,
1a) that enables all sorts of connection possibilities including an adjacent din rail mains PSU in similar case, and
1b) also these cheap $4 wall warts that have a usb A F on board, and
1c) cigarette lighter socket adapters work straight up (remember this will be good for 12v DC auto)
2) lots of PC kits have 0.1" headers for their USBA sockets, and these work with that 0.1" footprint
3) Its not truly low cost unless you ditch the luxury of a usb connecting cable
So I think I'll leave the USB A/0.1" there, but add a USB mini B on the other side of the board. I think USB micro is just too small for industrial use (yet)
Do you realize it was May when we were discussing that? Isn't that apalling.
I have to be honest I haven't tried it yet, but the hardware part of it is so simple I thought it was worth including on this board. What could possibly go wrong you ask? Well, on this prototype I put the power led on the wrong side of the schottky diode, so if the LED is installed quickly drains the coin cell... sigh.
Graffix the really nice thing about this board is there will be a continuum of models and pricing, because (for instance) you can load a cheap 7805 for 6~12v operation (subject to current draw), or go to a $5 Recom switcher, or a $10, 72v switcher. It's all the same board, and if there isn't something you need built in, you can easily add a Propeller Platform module on top. You can buy the $6ish case yourself if you need it, or save your $ if you don't. The raw pcb will be available as part of the community panel that will have about 15 quality designs for around the $15 mark. It's going to be fun.
There is a short version miniUSB that I use from Digi. Nice small footprint and the cables are now readily available. Even my propplug uses the miniUSB.
If you want to include a 3-Meter USB extension cable, I can send you about 100 that I bought for a project that never took off. You can have them, just send me a PM with your address and send them to you.
Bean
Thanks Bean that's very generous. I'll send you a PM