Mini Tools

[razeksk]

Check out these tools I made. I designed these circuit debugging tools because I have all these simple needs to switch, drive, amplify, buffer, toggle, and level translate electric signals, but I never had tools that were convenient enough to help me. So I made some! Check them out:



Here's what I have so far:

•   H-Bridge Driver
•   Level Translator
•   ~20A N-Channel FET
•   ~17A P-Channel FET (with integrated N-Channel gate drive circuitry)
•   Precision Instrumentation Amplifier with customizable precision gain and precision 2.5V virtual ground for positive and negative inputs
•   Push button and toggle switch
•   Push button with schmitt trigger output
•   40AMP 110/220VAC relay
•   Triac with heatsink and integrated zero crossing opto-islated driver
•   High Voltage bi-directional voltage detector
•   Microcontroller programmer protector: 5V accidental over-voltage auto-clamp (3 Amp current shunt)

I'm thinking about offering these as kits for beginners and professionals to use for debugging. They can also be used as standalone minitools that can be used like LEGOs (tm) to build complete designs. What do you guys think?

I am open to making more if you guys think there is something missing from my list.   

Thanks!

[kxenos]

Really nice idea.
There should be a version with a plastic case and appropriately colored cables soldered with banana plugs at the ends and an assortment of male to male banana, banana to grabber and banana to crocodile clip. Info could be written on the case.
Someone could also use a variable resistor, a variable capacitor, a variable inductor, a variable clock gen. or 555, digital series of boards like I2C/SPI ADCs and DACs, a buck/boost DC-DC, some sensors, precision uA and mA current shunts, 3dig. mA meter and Voltmeter, voltage reference, led driver/constant current source, port expanders... the list never ends. The uC kiddos would love to be freed from the hassle of learning analog electronics or breadboarding circuits

[razeksk]

Thanks for the encouragement kxenos!

Excellent idea! This is completely doable with the help from a quality 3D printer too!

I can't believe I never thought of ADCs and DACs. Can't forget about the digital folks!

I want you to know that I am writing all these down and hoping to include most of your list on my next PCB order!

Thanks again!

[darko31]

I really like the idea especially when you mentioned legos , for beginners to learn, and for professionals to speed up their workflow. Some people would prefer breadboard because of its flexibility but, let's face it, it isn't the most practical thing ever.

I agree with kxenos, tools need cases, and appropriate connectors, bananas and crocodiles are good.   

[rdl]

Nice boards. I have made similar devices, but mine are just hand wired on perfboard. I like to keep all the connections on one end of the board and use right-angle header pins so that I can plug them vertically into plastic breadboards and not take up a lot of space.

[kxenos]

Also useful for some people might be an analog functions on voltage like add-subtract-multiply-divide-square (for example if you wanted to calculate the consumed power of a circuit you could route the current and voltage signals to a multiplier and get the power). It's easier than it sounds. Just 6 op-amps or so. But it could be useful. An other thing you could foresee is to design the boxes so that they can be mounted in a base that will keep them from moving around. The base should keep the modules in a distance i.e. 10cm from each other and slightly raised, say 4cm so that the clips and other stuff can be routed between modules. You could also consider the audio enthusiasts and offer preamp, mixing and equalizer building blocks, or home automation experimenters that could use dc (pwm) and ac (triac) dimmers, ac power monitors etc. You could also make the "audio enthusiast shield" or the "automation experimenter shield" that would pack 4 or more relevant circuits in a single shield. 
Good luck

P.S. You have to know though that max. 2 weeks after you go public on ebay or elsewhere, there going to be chinese copies 1/3 of your price. The only smart way is to go open hardware

[razeksk]

Hello Kxenos

Thank you very much for the encouragement!

Long term we want to offer the ability for a person to order mini tools with custom settings. For example: Triac with/without the zero crossing detection feature. Or a push button with a pull down resistor instead of pull up. Or a relay with an AC coil, etc etc….

With this kind of service we’ll beat China and also justify a slightly higher price. It’s going to be a manufacturers hurdle but I’m up for the challenge!

We will be open source of course. We're trying to educate people after all!  Another reason for open source is so people can make their own mods. For example - if we offered a constant current source board, we would post instructions on how you can modify the output current by changing resistor X.

I love your ideas. Would you be interested is testing some of our samples and sending us your thoughts?

Thanks Again Kxenos!

[kxenos]

Thanks! I would love to contribute my thoughts and ideas. Just PM me when you're ready. 

[kizzap]

Tbh, it reminds me of this: http://littlebits.cc/

It also reminds me of some stuff I have seen on places like tindie. I have seen boards on there that are literally just a socket wired to a pin header. ie: https://www.tindie.com/products/TAUTIC/microsd-card-breakout/. I'm sorry, but with the services available nowadays, it doesn't take too long to do it yourself, and the benefit of DIY is you learn a whole lot more.

Another issue I have with these things is if they go pears up, most of the time you have no idea how the thing is wired, so you have to spend a good couple of hours reverse engineering the thing to just get the thing working again.

Sorry to seem negative, it's just who I am.

kizzap

[razeksk]

Hey everyone! We took everyone's suggestions and feedback from the forums and now have 20 different "Simple Circuits"

Best part about it is that we just launched a Kickstarter today!! If you have a minute please check it out and give us your feedback! Really looking forward to it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1661971884/analog-is-easier-with-simplecircuits

Thanks,

Shawn