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bigclive
bigclive

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Can you tell what it is yet? (Not a video - yet.)

A little "thing" I cobbled together over the last couple of days.  Can you guess what it's for?

This is also my first successful attempt at ordering some PCBs from JLC-PCB, so it'll be interesting to see what the quality is like.  I didn't take up their open offer of free PCBs in return for publicity, since I prefer to pay and get the exact same service as you guys would get.

As it is, the cost of 5 single sided PCBs 185mm by 60mm (7.25" by 2.25") was only about $20 shipped after a discount of $8 for my first order with them.

Can you tell what it is yet?  (Not a video - yet.)

Comments

Possibly an interposer type CAN Bus monitor/sniffer? EDIT: haven't tried to decrypt the legend but the letter count leads me to suspect "CAN Interceptor" possibly?

It's a load bank for balancing batteries. Read voltage through the 10k then trigger the MOSFET with output on the same pin. Rinse and repeat. (I don't know if a PIC can read analog voltage & too lazy to look it up now)

Bill Kerr

They're conventional STP36NF06L MOSFETs.

Big Clive

Oooh, are those IPAK-packaged transistor? I do like the form factor, but it seems they are getting hard to find.

I'm going with Stylophone too. Viewers in the US won't have been, ahem, exposed to the criminal Aussie children's television presenter who used to say "can you see what it is yet?" Lucky them! I wonder if his shows went down under?

[facepalm] You're right. Yes, probably BJTs. I've been working with AC lately, so of course, that's where my mind went.

Brendan Meteer

But the Dept of Villainy makes me say NAY NAY.

Multi battery charger.

The circuit runs on DC so it is probably just a bunch of BJT's. Probably driving some kind of halloween light show.

Frank

It's either a musical instrument (in part), or something like cruise control!?

mikenco

I think it has something to do with the Christmas tree you decorated last Christmas.

Phr3d13

...Got no clue...

BTW I've been using JLC for a while, purely for personal projects. My only complaint is that, since introducing different color solder masks at the same discounted price as the green, the surface finsh on the blue and black (so far) aren't as robust as the green. I did some rework on a couple and found that when I used solder wick on some pads, the surface finish got abraded down to the copper way too easily. However, the latest batch of blue ones I just received are actually a slightly different hue than than the previous, so it's possible they've tweaked their formulas recently.

Jeremy Impson

Lots of fuses and fat traces. Looks like they are switched by the PIC via high amperage mosfet (or, as suggested by others, triacs). Whatever it is, it's going to be bright, loud, or explodey. Hopefully all three.

Jeremy Impson

What Brendan said. Probably for driving flickering LEDs, or other patterns. The outputs aren't multiplexed... so only 15 things to control. Must be planning on a bit of power to bother putting PTCs in place.

It looks to be a controller board that uses Triacs instead of relays to turn 15 things (Since it's both Big Clive and the Department of Villiany, probably LED things) on and off. Maybe for a custom piece of Halloween decor?

Brendan Meteer

It looks like the light chaser that I built years ago and still have lying around in my junk drawer somewhere... Will they be available with or without peanuts as the previous PCB project? :-D

Stephen Eyles

It's a Stylophone!

Paul Hill

I must experiment with how they tell if you have ordered before.

Looks very similar to my own LED lighting controller except I used a ESP8266 for wifi control instead of a PIC. I also added a separate PWM chip as I found that software PWM wasn't good enough on the ESP due to wifi interrupts.

Chris Parsons

I can confirm the comments from others about JLC - they really are excellent. Fantastic quality, fast shipping and great customer service. I can get boards, delivered to the UK, from JLC in under 5 Days for £25 that would cost me £250 from Beta-Layout or £350 from Eurocircuits. No brainer.

(the labels are PIC port names, and A5 is input only on that chip).

If I'm not mistaken, it's a device for causing confusion and distress by inviting observers to find the terminal labelled "A5".

I used to use a UK company for all my PCBs until I discovered that they were getting them in batches from China and then reshipping them within the UK. Their downfall was when a Chinese individual helping them manage their system sent an email to all their customers advising them that they did that and he could help them get the PCBs direct. That's the point I started looking myself and found the earliest online ordering systems.

Big Clive

The little "D" components are decoupling capacitors. The PTC thermistors are fuses (NTC are used for inrush current) and the link was to keep the path to the MCU supply pins as short as possible.

Big Clive

The green one is going to be a retro gallium phosphide one, so not that bright at about 10mA. The red one is going to be a modern high output diffused, so the intensities will be similar.

Big Clive

You had me at Department of Villany! I myself am becoming interested in the field of evil robotics. I'm going to rule out Oscillation Overthuster, simply because I wanted to make the reference. ;) It looks like you are either multiplexing stuff or straight up using the pins on something, but it requires buffering or something... either that or I've got it all backwards. I'm studying for my extra class ham radio license have pity sir have pity. EDIT I read the comments, Marxist lighting controller, got it.

Michael Thompson

A pcb that will tame the angry pixies cmon out of the wall, in a controlled manner. Pleasing to the eyes.

That don't look like nothin' to me y'all (could be a flux converter)

Gordo

Thermal management and temperature gradient display for shark mounted LAZOR-EYES module

GL_1_Code1_1A

I love JLCPCB. I've been so nervous using one of these places in case their system laughed at the quality of my PCB design. However, they have notes on their site for how to export files from popular PCB packages and it's soooooo easy. The service is excellent, they are really cheap; bit of a shame they are in China as it takes forever when you are really excited to get on with the project. If they have a drawback is that's you seem to have to order a minimum of 5 of something. Now they are so cheap it's not the cost, it's the fact that I feel obliged to keep the other 4 boards I didn't want just in case, and I'm starting to acquire quite a pile of them now. They sent me an email last week stating one of my boards had been damaged in production. Not to delay my shipment they would send the 4 they had made and other make me a replacement 5th or give me a slight refund. I really did only need the one board so took the refund. So far they have been an absolute pleasure to deal with and they do seem to make my designs look good too. I've retired all my DIY PCB equipment to a cardboard box in the garage. You can't compete with their quality even when you DIY.

Perhaps something to light up Jenny's buns with a mooid?

Rocco Rizzo

The green LED will be way brighter than the red one.

Of course I can tell. It's a circuit board.

Yeah. 15 transistor-controlled outputs with an inrush PTC on each so feels like incandescent lamps running from 12-24v. No speed controllers so code controlled only. That jumper link on the ground of the red LED to the regulator seems unneeded though unless you're likely to be cutting it. Could have just continued the line across to the left, but very nice layout overall. Liking the addition of the diodes across the regulator for protection. I never do that, too lazy/Scottish.

Pixscotland

I have been useng JLC PCB for a number of proto circuits, the turn around time is amazing and the price is without comparison. I use a UK based PCB company for all the finished products for 2 reasons - I believe in trying to source local and, if we continue to by off shore we will end up with no base industry here. Using JLC, who are very good!, i can afford to make the mistakes of protobuilds or evolution of the circuit at about a 1/5 of the cost of the UK build. The cost in volume ( 100s) can come down to 50% more expensive here. - This is not a simple decision and I do not want to rely on either in these times but JLC are very good and i have not had any issues with them. I did have an issue on one of my proto boards where a net was connected to a flood plane ( it was my mistake) and did not see it - however they flagged it and asked if these tracks should merge and of course they were right. Anyway just wanted to say that they are a good company to me and allow me to save some costs that I can pass on to the customer. in the R+D bill.

What ever it is it has a beautiful track layout down from the microcontroller. Very pleasing to the eye. Maybe you'll share the gerber and let us all try building it at some point? I enjoy JLPCB. Its like magic. Devinately less hassle than using ferrite chloride..

its a muti llight controller using a micro controller

Just read upwards, I see what you are doing there, are you going for extra tacky crimbo with flashy flamingos and the likes?

The Tinkering Shed

Looks like this year's entry for the xmas tree lighting controller, but from the look of the output rails switched by transistors you are going to be driving something a little beefier than just a few small LEDs?

The Tinkering Shed

I think it is a quantum phase inverter with an ODN bypass link! Am i close?

Kelvin

I've tried using JLC. I used the easyeda software to create the board. I can do the schematic ok. But when it comes to laying out the board it never seems to work. I can never get the the pads to link up.

Neil Tonks

They're supposed to be independent, but there's a lot of control from the UK.

Big Clive

My experience with jlc is absolutely perfect. They got the boards made and shipped super fast, and the quality was spot on too.

Mikey

Department of Villany ... obviously Clive has started working for the government. (does the Isle of Man have a government or are they subject to the pro-rogues in the English parliament? :)

Moz in Oz

Department of Villainy is just a spoof name a group of us use based on the Manx government department naming system. It is really just a fixed sequence lighting animator.

Big Clive

This is definitely looking like a fun build.👍

My first inclination was for some sort of free-running timed light sequencer, owing to a ton of outputs, and a lack of input channels. But taking into account the "Department of Villainy" legends, and the fact that my Manx begins and ends with an Internet search, I'm guessing more interesting shenanigans are afoot with the "Root of Miscreancy".....?

In a way yes, but just a single colour per channel.

Big Clive

Manx Enigma machine

Rob Clark

RGB LED Neon Strip Control?

Programmable 15 channel low voltage pattern sequencer.

Big Clive

For 15 person parties.

Big Clive

I am going with a programmable 15 channel sequencer or one of your led controller

God 420

Could be used for that, but only with extra safety circuitry to avoid incidents.

Big Clive

12V rail with facility to beef up. PTC fuses and the zero ohm link is probably the "D" decoupling capacitor.

Big Clive

Could be used for Halloween too, but I'm just planning well ahead to avoid a last minute Xmas rush.

Big Clive

Yup. But for a large animated panel using LED "neon".

Big Clive

Darn. I was wanting to keep it single sided to avoid plated through holes.

Big Clive

A bum-hole warmer? :D

John Carr

vaping style fog machine

Christmas light controller?

Lostngone

Looks like a battery bms

Something to send 12V to a bunch of high-power outputs, under microcontroller control. As there is no input or button, I'm going to assume a light bulb controller. By the way, if I recall correctly jlcpcb produces single-side PCBs as double-sided, so you could have gotten rid of the jumper by just adding an extra layer and placing a trace there.

Sprite_tm

Controller to light resistors on fire in a controlled manner ;) aka pyrotechnics and a pic Mirco controller

Russell Peake

Large RGB led controller.... not sure what

Michael Gilchrest

it’s provably not a zero ohm resistor, he just didn’t fill in the appropriate value.

Michael Gilchrest

Those are transient clamping diodes I would think

Kontakr

A little light controller 😄

Mike Weijmans

A pyrotechnic sequencer?

Zachary Faragher

Next to the 35V 22u electrolytic cap after the 7805 regulator is resistor 0, if it is a resistor won't short out after the cap, that is if it is a resistor?

Cleveland Prescott

I spy a beefy 12V rail with inrush limiters and FETs under a PIC and one zero ohm jumper that seems rather out of place. Switching something fun, I'm sure!

Kontakr

Halloween lightshow circuit?

Some form of small mammal?

Mark Trombley

Mosfet LED driver board?


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