Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
User Configuration without DIP Switches or Header Pins
mikeselectricstuff:
TH pad that can be drilled out, plus a pair of semicircular pads that can be solder-bridged to re-connect
For one-time configuration, I've seen a product that had a number of small fingers on the PCB, with U-shaped traces on, which were snapped off as required
For solder-blobs, a pair of 0805 pads with about a 0.5mm gap between them works well.
mikeselectricstuff:
And of course there are plenty of interactive methods using whatever switches and indicators you have available to store config in nonvolatile memory.
touchpads are basically free if you don't have any buttons, and a single LED would do if there are only a few options, indicating via flash count/lengths
This is something where you need to look at all your requirements to determine the best solution, e.g. do you need to be able to see the config when there is no power, can you (safely) power it for the user to do some sort of interactive process, what is the expected skill level of the person doing the config, could you use an external programmer box to do it etc. etc. etc.
And is a DIP switch/link set more expensive than the support costs of a more arcane method ?
mikeselectricstuff:
--- Quote from: NivagSwerdna on July 25, 2020, 11:03:26 pm ---I often have the requirement to make a PCB that has to be configurable.... I have taken to creating a small footprint that allows the user to create a solder bridge for a selection of setting
(Attachment Link)
--- End quote ---
That's a really poor layout for solder-blobbing. Use a pair of semicircular pads,at least 2mm dia, so the natural surface tension of the solder forms a dome over the 2 pads.
NivagSwerdna:
--- Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on July 26, 2020, 12:49:18 pm ---That's a really poor layout for solder-blobbing. Use a pair of semicircular pads,at least 2mm dia, so the natural surface tension of the solder forms a dome over the 2 pads.
--- End quote ---
That's what I was thinking; in my design the solder tends to run back down the traces... very annoying... I think even with my design it needs more solder mask. I like the idea of semi-circular.
NivagSwerdna:
--- Quote from: TheMG on July 26, 2020, 12:52:09 am ---Some context would be helpful! What kind of thing is this configuring? Does the board include a microcontroller? What sort of maximum size constraint are we dealing with?
--- End quote ---
One example...
I have a rather flexible ROM replacement board which fits in a 28 DIP package side... I need
3x Bank Selection JP2
3x Address Selection JP2
7x Mode selection JP1
JP2 is a jump that is either A or B; JP1 is either A or OPEN.
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