Overview

PCB

• All you need to know

• PCB Fabrication with the Modela

  1. Go to Mods
  2. Make Sure to open Terminal otherwise the Mods cannot connect to Modela.
  3. Programs: open server program
     Machines: Roland/ mill/ MDX-20/ PCB
  4. Select png file and change the dpi accordingly. Check the board dimensions and make sure it is not bigger than the cupper board
  5. Press VIEW button and change the end mill to 1/64 for tracing. Calibrate the origin position. Lower the drill to touch the surface of the board. Lightly tighten !!
  6. Calculate the trace and VIEW it! Toggle around the perspective. Most errors can be captured through this step. (lie about the tool diameter if the end mill is not making some paths)
  7. Send file
  8. Repeat to mill the board edge using a 1/32 endmill. Remember to calculate before sending.
  9. Some sanding may be needed.
  10. Go to this for troubleshooting

AVR Microcontroller

• It is a type of device manufactured by Atmel. "The AVR chip runs whatever program is stored in the flash, uses the RAM for temporary storage and the EEPROM for longer term storage. The kinds of microcontrollers discussed here run at 10MHz, have 1KB of RAM and 10KB of storage." from ladyada

• Work flow

  1. Well first off you have to write a program (or have someone write one) that tells the chip what to do.
  2. Then you have to compile it, that is, turn the program description into machine code.
  3. Next you program the chip using a programmer, which will trasfer the machine code to the device
  4. Test, debug, repeat!

• What is an ISP? :
  ISP, In-System Programming, allows the software on your computer to talk to the chip-microcontroller-through the programmer.

• "The FabISP is an in-system programmer for AVR microcontrollers, designed for production within a FabLab. That is, it allows you to program the microcontrollers on other boards you make, using nothing but a USB cable and 6-pin IDC to 6-pin IDC cable. It's based on the USBtiny and V-USB firmwares, which allow the ATtiny44 to perform USB communication in software. Programming can be done through avrdude. The schematic (PDF) is super simple: USB connector, ATtiny44, and 6-pin ISP header, with assorted passive components. I started with the Eagle files for the USBtinyISP, although there's almost nothing left of it. Most of the parts for the FabISP are in the FabLab inventory. Exceptions include the Mini-B USB connector (SparkFun, Digi-Key), 12 MHz crystal (Digi-Key), and 18 pF capacitors for the crystal (Digi-Key)."

  Eagle: fabisp.sch, fabisp.brd
  Schematic: fabisp.pdf
  PNGs: fabisp.png, fabispdim.png
  Firmware: firmware.zip

• Surface Mount Soldering

• Assembling & programming a FabISP

• Alternative Design from Valentin Heun that I will try later

• 

Program my programmer with an existing programmer

• Electronics 101 & FAQ

• FabISP: Programming

• A program is a series of instructions, each very simple, that fetch and manipulate data. For microcontrollers, binary files end in .hex. The compiler will generate a .hex file from the human-readable code I write, and then all I need do is transfer that .hex program to the chip through a programmer that acts as a translator between my laptop and the board!

1. Set up path
2. Install Crosspack AVR
3. Download firmware
4. Enter the following commands in the terminal in the firmware folder: make hex, make clean, sudo make fuse, sudo make program.
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