Gertboard

You don't need a reflow oven for soldering SMD resistors. I think it is even easier to solder than through hole components, if it is some reasonable size, like 0805 and not 0201.

[Gert van Loo]

Frank Buss said:

You don't need a reflow oven for soldering SMD resistors. I think it is even easier to solder than through hole components, if it is some reasonable size, like 0805 and not 0201.

That is exactly why I made then all 0805 or bigger.

Gert said:

naicheben said:

To the Wiki?

http://elinux.org/Special:Upload

It won't let me.

I keep gettng an error message: "Files of the MIME type "application/zip" are not allowed to be uploaded."

There are only .c/.h files in there and a Makefile. It also refuses if I omit the makefile.

Same here. I can't upload ZIP. It even detects application/zip if I rename it to bla.zip.txt

Does someone know who manages the wiki?

Gert said:

Frank Buss said:

You don't need a reflow oven for soldering SMD resistors. I think it is even easier to solder than through hole components, if it is some reasonable size, like 0805 and not 0201.

That is exactly why I made then all 0805 or bigger.

OK Thanks for the reply, for future production runs it might be worth noting that many PCB manufacturers will include SMT resistors and capacitors in their production for a very modest fee.

Gert: Upload it to dropbox or the rpi download section http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads

Edit: http://downloads.raspberrypi.org/tools/gert/gertboard2demo_sw.zip

Gert said:

Now all I need is a suggestion where to upload it to.....

Why not upload it to github, zip files of source code aren't really what wikis are about. Though you can change the settings to allow them.

In case you missed it the demo code is available at http://downloads.raspberrypi.org/tools/gert/gertboard2demo_sw.zip

Source forge anyone?

Gert

I notice you have used 74AC244 buffers on the Gertboard, does it need to be AC or could we use the cheaper HC version ?

[Gert van Loo]

Darren said:

Gert

I notice you have used 74AC244 buffers on the Gertboard, does it need to be AC or could we use the cheaper HC version ?

74xx244 so anything you want provided it runs of 3V3. I used what I had laying around. I will be working on the manual over the long weekend.

Gert said:

Darren said:

Gert

I notice you have used 74AC244 buffers on the Gertboard, does it need to be AC or could we use the cheaper HC version ?

74xx244 so anything you want provided it runs of 3V3. I used what I had laying around. I will be working on the manual over the long weekend.

That is great news as the AC logic is not as widely available as HC.

[Gert van Loo]

I am preparing for the release of my gertboard. I was writing the manual and as there have been a lot of requests for more details I decided to produce a separate overview of the I/O capabilities. See the document linked below.

Post edit: I put a link in here but that was no so successful. Showed the whole document but in unreadable small format.

Follow this: http://www.scribd.com/doc/88286916

Gert said:

I am preparing for the release of my gertboard. I was writing the manual and as there have been a lot of requests for more details I decided to produce a separate overview of the I/O capabilities. See the document linked below.

Post edit: I put a link in here but that was no so successful. Showed the whole document but in unreadable small format.

Follow this:

Great stuff, thanks! (It downloaded as a PDF for me)

Gordon

I think that should read (Multiwatt11 package) not "(Miniwatt package)" in the first line under motor controller.

Thanks for the information, I think the board will be a terrific jumping off place for all us hardware hackers. Any chance of getting a full Bill of Materials soon?  I'm sure I and a lot of others would like to start getting the parts together.

Thanks Bill

PS  I hate the "you have a typo or a misspelled word" type posts on the discussion boards but I do want to prevent some beginners from giving up because he can't locate the part.

Multiwatt11 packages are commonly known as ZIP-11.

oh, I just realised for the first time that the microkontroller is not really nessesarry! On could do without or just with a pin compatible micro extend the board if you like..... shame on me

Gert said:

I am preparing for the release of my gertboard. I was writing the manual and as there have been a lot of requests for more details I decided to produce a separate overview of the I/O capabilities. See the document linked below.

Post edit: I put a link in here but that was no so successful. Showed the whole document but in unreadable small format.

Follow this:

Hi Gert,

My friend Steve has a comment regarding your manual where you say (under para on on ATmega device:

"I even slavishly copied the diode in parallel with that pull-up resistor although nobody has been able to tell me what its function is."

The diode is there to provide a discharge path for the capacitor when you power down, so if you turn the power back on quickly the voltage across the capacitor is below the reset level

[Gert van Loo]

The diode is there to provide a discharge path for the capacitor when you power down, so if you turn the power back on quickly the voltage across the capacitor is below the reset level

Yes, that is why there is normally a diode over the reset capacitor. But in this case there is no reset capacitor. Also you can not place a reset capacitor as that would kill the debug wire function.

All I can think of is that somebody (The first Arduino designer??) did not know enough about electronics so copied the diode from an existing circuit but left the capacitor out not realizing that you can then also leave the diode out. Or maybe there was an RC+diode but then they realized the Cap killed the dbug wire function and removed it, again without removing the diode.

Don't want to look impatient, but are there any news yet?

Don't want to look impatient, but are there any news yet?

Was just thinking the same ...

[Gert van Loo]

Hi guys, I appreciate you all have been patiently waiting and I have not told you much.
Please wait a tiny but longer. Very soon I can tell you what the status is and how you can get your hands on a Gertboard.

$60 and we have to build it ourself is a joke.

wouldn't it be better to post the schematic for the board for us to source our own parts, taking into account we have to build it ourself anyway.

No doubt most people won't need everything on the board anyway, so perhaps do a few different schematics for cut down versions of the gert board.

[jamesh]

Where did you get that $60 from?

Gert designed the board so it doesn't need to be fully populated - you just buy the components you want. I guess to buy the PCB and fully populate it might cost $60 but I doubt it.

You will be able to buy the bare board. And I believe there will be options to buy kits of the bits you need, which will probably be cheaper than you can buy them individually.

You will be able to buy the bare board. And I believe there will be options to buy kits of the bits you need, which will probably be cheaper than you can buy them individually.

I think the $60 figure came from earlier in the thread where the estimated cost of parts was £35.Plans may have changed regarding how you can buy the board, you may have noticed that the Raspberry Pi store is not up so I think Gert has made other arrangements.

[jamesh]

I know what the plans are - there will be an announcement very soon.