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Initial_Prototype

Carl edited this page Apr 27, 2022 · 7 revisions

5.3 Prototype Construction

After testing the hardware on the breadboard and finishing the initial coding, it was time to make the project more permanent. Ultimately, I had planned to design a board and get the PCB fabricated (especially given Chinese made PCBs are so low cost these days) but, hey, being impatient, I decided to initially build the project on Veroboard and start using it! Version 2, if I ever get around to it, will be be PCB based.

If you are anything like me, it is easy to make construction mistakes when transferring the hardware from a breadboard to a row-based Veroboard layout. In fact, from bitter past experience where I've totally screwed up the layout, I actually took the time to digitally work out the Veroboard layout using Fritzing. I know that Fritzing has a less than stellar reputation with some (Hackaday's infamous article Friends don't let Friends Use Fritzing) but it actually has one of the few software tools I've found for breadboard and Verobaord layout.

I wasn't sure if the copper on the Veroboard under the ESP8266 antenna would create interference, so I scraped away all the copper under the antenna array. Despite all the time spent making a formal Veroboard layout, my prototype was not constructed to plan. Once I had the Veroboard together, it was certainly worth the time going through the Veroboard with my multimeter on continuity mode and checking connections against the schematic - despite trying to be careful with component placement, I still screwed up several items in the actual construction where I mistakenly jumped a few rows and columns and placed a few components wrongly. Some mistakes were easily fixed by simply desoldering the component and reinstalling it the correct place but I totally messed up the placement of the ADS1015 and it wasn't easily fixed. This misplaced ADC was a bit more tricky to correct, forcing me to cut traces and run a number of jumper wires to get things connected the way they were supposed to be.

I used Chinese clones of JST XH connectors to hook-up the off-board components like the LCD, rotary encoder and audio jacks to plug the thermistors into. All the hardware was installed it in an Adafruit data logger project box I had purchased several years ago, giving the project a clean professional look. I decided at the last minute to add a barrel power jack and once soldered onto the power inputs, I just hot glued the jack into place. To tart everything up even more, I printed out labels and the cloudSmoker logo onto vinyl stickers and affixed these to the project box. All and all, I'm quite happy with the hardware presentation and function.


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