PCBAWEEK - A PCB every week

[matseng]

Just for the fun of it I'll try do design and order a Seeedstudio 5x5 cm PCB every week. I'll do the design and layout during the week and weekend and then submit the order on Monday.

I'm not 100% sure that I'll actually will be able to do this every week, but I'll try as long as possible. Just like Ian does with "A new open source hardware project every month" I'll also count revisions of an existing board as a "new project" if I'm running out of time and/or ideas a week.

Most of these PAW projects will be rather simple and silly things, but since I can for the cost of two coffees at Starbucks get a bunch of PCBs in my mailbox every week I think it will be worth it. I'll most likely send free PCB's to people who ask for it - postage from Malaysia is really cheap.

I'll update this post with a link to a new thread everytime I add a new POW project.

---

• PAW 1 - NU-Xtal - A tiny 3-pin breakout board with a crystal, caps & resistor
  NanoUtils@Github
  12 Dec - Started design
  17 Dec - Sent to Seeedstudio
  18 Dec - Seeedstudio "In production"
  25 Dec - Seeedstudio "Shipped"
  08 Jan - Boards arrived
  09 Jan - Built and tested one board

---

• PAW 2 - DigiPot - A digital "potentiometer" with 7-segment readouts and i2c
  DigiPot@Github
  17 Dec - Started design
  27 Dec - Sent to Seeedstudio
  28 Dec - Seeedstudio "In production"
  04 Jan - Seeedstudio "Shipped"
  16 Jan - Boards arrived

---

• PAW 3 - NU-SockiSop - SuperCombo breakout boards
  NanoUtils@Github
  23 Dec - Started design
  31 Dec - Sent to Seeedstudio
  04 Jan - Seeedstudio "In production"
  08 Jan - Seedstudio "Shipped"
  21 Jan - Boards arrived

---

• PAW 4 - RetroTime - Wall clock with retro-inspired design
  Retrotime@Github
  29 Dec - Started design
  7 Jan - Sent to Seeedstudio
  8 Jan - Production halted due to error in files
  10 Jan - Resent updated gerbers to Seeedstudio
  16 Jan - Seedstudio "Shipped"
  30 Jan - Boards arrived

---

• PAW 5 - Oledy - Generic OLED breakout board
  NanoUtils@Github
  7 Jan - Started design
  14 Jan - Sent to Seeedstudio
  18 Jan - Seedstudio "Shipped"
  4 Feb - Boards arrived

---

• PAW 6 - GolGrid - Expandable 4x4 pixel Conways Game Of Life
  Golgrid@Github
  13 Jan - Started design
  21 Jan - Sent to Seeedstudio

---

• PAW X1 - SuperCombo1 - LCD backpacks, Thru-hole Xtal breakout, USB breakout, SMPS
  18 Jan - Started design
  19 Jan - Sent to Seeedstudio
  28 Jan - Seedstudio "Shipped"
  07 Feb - Boards arrived

---

• PAW 7 - Mainslog/sensor - Mains power grid voltage and frequency logger
  MainsLog@Gitgub
  22 Jan - Re-Started previous design
  28 Jan - Sent to Seeedstudio

---

• PAW 8 - Nu-Fithole - Component lead size tester
  NanoUtils@Gitgub
  28 Jan - Re-Started previous design

---

• PAW 9 - MrRef - High precision voltage reference
  05 Feb - Started design
  11 Jan - Sent to Seeedstudio

---

• PAW 10 - Trifluxx - Triangular PCB game/badge?
  10 Feb - Started design
  19 Feb - Sent Gerbers

---

• PAW 11 - I2C/SPI VFD Backpack
  13 Feb - Started design
  20 Feb - Sent Gerbers

[ian]

It sounds grueling but if anyone can do it, I think you can!

[matseng]

Ian: Yes, I think that a small project a week (on average) should be possible without breaking a sweat. Especially if some projects are just breakout boards....

[Sleepwalker3]

PCB a week? Hmm, Ok Matseng, just lay down on the couch and the nice doctor will talk to you before we take you off to a nice padded cell. lol. Yeah I guess breakout boards aren't too bad, but a project a week???!

[matseng]

By mixing up breakouts and simple stuff like that with some more "advanced" projects I don't think that it is completely unreasonable. I like PCB routing, I find it very relaxing when you get into the flow....

But then of course there's some firmware to be written for some of the projects, and that will obviously take some time.

[matseng]

I've made a graph/calendar showing how long time it takes for Seeedstudio to produce the boards and the shipping time to me in Malaysia.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub ... utput=html

[dolabra]

It looks like you are going to be very busy when these boards come in! firmware will probably take longer than the board design.

[matseng]

Yes, that is most likely very true. So I make it a bit easier for me by just doing a simple non-microcontroller every other week so I don't get swamped with coding. ^_^

[Marv]

This is really cool and already impressive to me!
I'd be glad to join in on supporting you with your undertaking and pay some of your weekly coffees, which you presumably need to get this done. And maybe you have a spare PCB of the different projects for me? :-) I'm sure each project will be fun to be build and/or handy to have around :-) And I might be able to help out with writing some firmware.

I couldn't find your PayPal info, would be nice if you could send me a PM

Keep up the awesome work, i'm always excited to see what you come up with next ;-)

[matseng]

Marv, thank you for your kind words and support. So far I've only just received the first boards - the PAW1 Nu-Xtal, but I'm sure there will be a lot if spare boards that I can send to interested fellow hacker & supporters.

Edit: PAW1 is the Xtal-board, not the soic/tssop breakouts....

[Sleepwalker3]

I'm certainly interested in the Oledy, the Sockisop looks handy too :)

[matseng]

I'm certainly interested in the Oledy, the Sockisop looks handy too :)

No worries mate, just put a prawn on the barbie ( ^_^ ) and wait for a bit and I'll make sure to send some of them to you when they arrive from Seeed.

[Sleepwalker3]

LOL - It's a terrible myth spread by PR/Marketing people, I can't recall the last time I went to a BBQ and saw a prawn getting cooked. Yeah it happens, but it's not anything like they make out - Steak and Snags, that's what you'll find. But hey, if you're ever down here, say Hi and drop in for a beer!
Just at the moment we can't light the BBQ with temps up around the 40C quite a bit and higher at times, bushfires quite close and of course 'total fire ban' days, but there's always the SMD hotplate ...er, I mean electric BBQ.

[matseng]

Wasn't there a "come to Australia"-campaign with Paul Hogan that used the put a shrimp on the barbie meme a long time ago?
Grilled prawns are nice - as long as the shell is removed before grilling them. I really dislike the smell of burnt shell, it reminds me if burning hair - and it affects the flavor of the meat as well.

I read about your extra-hot-and-crispy summer weather... Now you only got like 10 degrees more to go to each the summer temperatures I endured in Dubai for three years :-) I suspect that you've got rather dry heat as well?