Sunday, 15 June 2014

My LCD kickstarter notifier

A member of the pi community boeeerb recently wrote a script for viewing kickstarter projects on a cheap 20x4 LCD screen. The coding etc can be found at these links



Many thanks Jason a project many a kickstarter will want to use


To view the kickstarter the LCD display is watching go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1059145052/mypifi-led-board

Saturday, 14 June 2014

Kickstarter MyPiFi LED Board assembly guide


Firstly thank you for purchasing this excellent budget board.

We will start by placing the pcb on the table with a GPIO header, button, three LEDs and four resistors (220 ohm).


First job is to solder the GPIO header, being extended you will find it near impossible to solder last, which is why I have chosen the beginning.

Put the pins through the bottom holes so they protrude like this.


Then push it all the way.


Next solder each of the header, to do this place the hot soldering iron tip touching the pin and the gold ring on the whole after a second touch the solder to the tip of the soldering iron and pin and allow solder to flow round feeding the solder as it melts, this should take two to three seconds for each pin, as each pin is filled stop feeding the solder and then remove iron and let the solder cool which will take about a second.

You might find a bit of blue tack under the pcb board where 2014 is to keep board straight and flat so the GPIO sits flush to the board.


Next we will putthe resistors in, it doesn't matter which way round they go, but I find it looks tidy if they all face the same way.


Bend the legs like this to keep them in place.


Then solder them touching the leg where it meets the gold ring on the whole then touch with some solder to look like this.


With a pair of electrical pliers cut away the legs as close to the board possible without breaking the solder off the joins.


Next is to add the three LEDs the negative leg is the shorter and this needs to go on the GPIO side of the two holes whilst the positive furthest away.  On the picture of the LED on the board there is a flat bit by the word LED 1 LED 2 LED 3 this in the electronics world the information to tell you negative sits that side.  You will also notice looking at the LED that it's all round apart from the side the negative leg is which is flat, this again is in case you cut the legs on a different project that you can still work out the negative and positive. If you put them in wrong this WILL NOT WORK so to save on tears please double check.


Bend the legs out underneath to stop the LEDs falling out and repeat the same process you used on the resistors to solder the LEDs in, once done feel free to cut the legs off like you did with the resistors.


Lastly we have the button, this is slightly rectangular to stop it being placed into the board the wrong way. Again if it is not placed in correctly it will not work.

So by looking at the picture here we can see that we want to put the button on so the legs are showing their slightly zig zag shape this way.


 The top to pins of the button fit on the bottom to pins of the square like shape and the two pins resting on my bench here will go in top two pins to look like this.


Solder these four in and then you are done, it should look like this.


Now it's time to plug into the pi and program, enjoy.

Friday, 13 June 2014

Mypifi LED demo

As the kickstarter gathers pace and now nearly a third funded I'm able to show you this teaser clip of the LEDs in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqPH1cl_5Qs


Please support this great project on kickstarter linky is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1059145052/mypifi-led-board

Many many thanks to everyone who has backed the campaign so far I really cannot express my gratitude to you.

Thursday, 12 June 2014

Mypifi led board now live on Kickstarter

Launched at 4pm today my kickstarter project for the mypifi led board http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1059145052/mypifi-led-board


Please help me make this a reality and back the project and share with your friends, many many thanks in advance I will be so grateful.




Tuesday, 10 June 2014

Saturday, 7 June 2014

Mypifi led board back from ragworm

Got my first prototype back today and already one snag, the button resets the pi :( meaning I need to solve it or remove it. So I think I will go with the option of removing it.


However a quick play and all the LEDs work, so do I add an extra led or just make the board simpler with just three LEDs ? 





Without switch and a forth led in its place.


Update.

Since posting I've found that the packet I bought as 220 ohms was not that so have since re soldered two boards with correct ohms and now solved the reset problem, so I'm very happy with it now.

Monday, 2 June 2014

Hapi robot kickstarter



Although no kits are available at time of writing this blog, I have backed a great budget robot kit all British made by the guys at the little British robot company.  


It's ideal for beginners and schools, a kit that's cheap enough to not worry if anything happens to it, but more importantly a kit a child could take home to show his family what he or she is doing at school.


As soon as I can get a kit to review please be ensured I will post all about it on this blog, for the moment take a look at the link and back this great little British project.