What to do when you have a prototype ready?

[smilanko]

I am not sure how to word this correctly, but what is the common approach to take once you are ready to release prototypes for your raspberry pi project?

For example:

I am working on a set of sensors that monitor driver behavior. They are all connected to a bread board and a raspberry pi, and as imagined, look something like this:



Attaching these loose wires into cars, or into other areas where there is a lot of vibration, scares me as they could easily get unhooked. Does the common approach, to clean and make everything tidy, recommend we solder them onto this board?

[alexeames]

Many people go to step 2 and make a permanent prototype on stripboard or veroboard next.

Once you get fed up of that, you'll start going straight to a PCB as it saves a lot of time piddling about, but you have to go through the fairly painful process of learning a PCB creation package.

[Heater]

The thing to do is put that into a car and see what happens.

Sure the vibration may unhook those connections and kill it pretty soon. Then you learn how to make printed circuit boards and make things mechanically sound.

Next up, the noise on a cars power supply may seriously upset it. Then you learn how to make a good power supply for your device.

Next up, moisture and such will corrode your PCB and cause it to fail pretty soon.

And so on.

Vehicles are very harsh environments.

[smilanko]

Many people go to step 2 and make a permanent prototype on stripboard or veroboard next.

Once you get fed up of that, you'll start going straight to a PCB as it saves a lot of time piddling about, but you have to go through the fairly painful process of learning a PCB creation package.

How painful are we talking about? is it not as simple as a bread port, sort of plug and play? If you can point me to a place where I can research this, that would be great.

[pksato]

Hi,
It is for you use only?
Transfer to a veroboard, stripboard or other type/name of standard pcb board.
Or, make a hand draw pcb. (For a simple circuit)

If want to sell, design a PCB board that flow PCB industry specifications.
Have a lots of free, foss and commercial electronic computer aid design (ecad ) or Electronic design automation (EDA) software.
foss: kicad, gEDA, freePCB, Oregano, etc
free/commercial: eagle cad, orcad, Fritzing, etc

I use free version eagle cad on my projects. Have limitations, but, I dont have plans to make more that two layers and large PCBs.
And, Fritzing you can draw like on breadboard, and make pcbs from it.
If you not familiar with electronic design, I suggest to try Fritzing.

[MarkTF]

How painful are we talking about? is it not as simple as a bread port, sort of plug and play? If you can point me to a place where I can research this, that would be great.

There are a number of ways to go about transferring a solderless breadboard prototype to something more rugged, but there exist solderable breadboards that exactly duplicate the solderless breadboard layout. Thus you transfer your components to the solder breadboard and your wiring with soldered in wires.

For instance: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12699

[smilanko]

Hi,
It is for you use only?
Transfer to a veroboard, stripboard or other type/name of standard pcb board.
Or, make a hand draw pcb. (For a simple circuit)

If want to sell, design a PCB board that flow PCB industry specifications.
Have a lots of free, foss and commercial electronic computer aid design (ecad ) or Electronic design automation (EDA) software.
foss: kicad, gEDA, freePCB, Oregano, etc
free/commercial: eagle cad, orcad, Fritzing, etc

I use free version eagle cad on my projects. Have limitations, but, I dont have plans to make more that two layers and large PCBs.
And, Fritzing you can draw like on breadboard, and make pcbs from it.
If you not familiar with electronic design, I suggest to try Fritzing.

Hmm.. I like the PCB you are talking about. I fear this might be a bit over my head, im only a CS major. I'll take a look with those tools you mentioned on how to make one. Ideally, I'd like to make it a commercial product, or something I give to my university. But I want to make sure its the final version, and everything is "industry like", almost, as if you bought it from the shop already prepared for you.

[smilanko]

How painful are we talking about? is it not as simple as a bread port, sort of plug and play? If you can point me to a place where I can research this, that would be great.

There are a number of ways to go about transferring a solderless breadboard prototype to something more rugged, but there exist solderable breadboards that exactly duplicate the solderless breadboard layout. Thus you transfer your components to the solder breadboard and your wiring with soldered in wires.

For instance: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12699

I like that, ill see if I can maybe find a smaller version! Thanks for the links! You guys are really helpful!