Yes, I am aware that this is an old thread.
This is a pdf drawing of a prototype Eagle board that I intend to post to this thread. It is intended to use the design, posted earlier, with its specification of through-hole IR LED components and the needed Resistors, mounted vertically, on SMD pads. I still need to print out a scaled drawing and verify that all of the dimensions are correct. I will not be providing a schematic, because it is available in early postings and having a schematic tied to the board limits the tricks that I used to configure the board.
I suggest using OSH Park for production of the board. They will do all of the critical cutting, for the board profile, and their solder resist coatings are superior to the Chinese houses. I think that the stronger coating will last longer on the connector’s twist-lock surfaces. I may post the Eagle files, there, also.
I did not include a ground plane. This will aid in tweaking the board thickness, to mate with the lock bracket. I suggest having the board made in the thickest, no-up-charge plastic. If it is too thick for the lock bracket, it can be easily sanded. If it is too thin, the plastic can be built up with super glue and baking soda; this makes an excellent faux plastic. Just apply SG to the board and sprinkle on the BS. Repeat and sand, as necessary.
Things that would be helpful:
- If you would like an alternate board, having a lower profile, I need the make, model number and distributor for SMD style IR LED and Resistor components. 0805 size resistors should be “solderable,” by hand. The IR LED components will need to have solder pads on the top corners of their bases, to facilitate inverting them on the PCB. I don’t play with LEDs much, so maybe you know about these components better than I do…
- Verification of the IR LED Resistor value… 150 Ohm, down from 330 Ohm?
- My controller will be a PIC18F4550, as I have already developed it for other projects. I recall that someone was using an 18f series PIC. I would very much like that c code, if it was developed.
- If anyone developed a computer-side program in Java, I would love to have that, also…
- Any suggestions you have.
I look forward to working on this project with you.