COMPLETED - Arduino Development Boards

[granz]

The Female USB connector on the board is labeled "USB interface to power external device"; so it is an OUTPUT connector.

Ah, yes! You are correct; on this model the USB-A is for output. I missed that, just thought back to the ones that I purchased - on those boards the USB-B was for input. I would still like one like this, except for the USB-A output connector being replaced with a USB-micro input.

Of course, on this project, it is immaterial; the Arduino should provide power to the breadboard, or else you would need two power cords (or one with two connectors.) The Arduino accepts power through the USB connector, or the 2.5mm barrel connector.

The best way to power this thing would be to use the standard USB cable from the PC to power the system while developing. Then you would remove the computer's USB cable and replace it with the power pack's USB cable for unattended/unconnected operation.

Actually, if we have the USB power pack, and add in the super-capacitor (https://savagechats.com/index.php?topic=364.msg1892#msg1892) the program could even survive the disconnect of the USB power from the computer and to the power pack.

[granz]

Well, I just received the 18650 flat-tops. Still waiting on the carriers/chargers.

I just noticed that these do not say if they are over- under-charge protected.  I need to check on that.

[granz]

Okay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:

【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L

[JKnightandKARR]

Okay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:

【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L

Interesting, I thought the battery chargers did that, but nothing wrong with built in protection.

[granz]

Okay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:

【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L

Interesting, I thought the battery chargers did that, but nothing wrong with built in protection.

Yeah, some chargers do just that. But not all of them. Fortunately LiIon cell manufacturers apparently got tired of people not knowing enough to stop charging before the battery blew up. So, they started putting that kind of protection into the individual cells themselves.

[JKnightandKARR]

Okay, whew! I was able to find that they are protected:

【Battery Protection】 Built with six layers of protection – temperature control, short circuit prevention, overcharge safeguard, and overcurrent defense – our battery maintains stability and reliability. It's a high-performance, durable replacement for worn-out or faulty batteries. Store it in a cool, dry place for extended life.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR69WZ1L

Interesting, I thought the battery chargers did that, but nothing wrong with built in protection.

Yeah, some chargers do just that. But not all of them. Fortunately LiIon cell manufacturers apparently got tired of people not knowing enough to stop charging before the battery blew up. So, they started putting that kind of protection into the individual cells themselves.

That's a good idea.

[granz]

That's a good idea.

Agreed, I would rather not have my LiIon cells catch fire. Apparently, there have been a couple (or maybe only one) PicoCalc that had the battery catch fire. The guy plugged the charging cable to the wrong (unprotected) port, and left it in too long. Using the correct (protected) port, or using protected cells prevents fires (so, apparently not only I can prevent forest fires - sorry Smokey. )

[JKnightandKARR]

That's a good idea.

Agreed, I would rather not have my LiIon cells catch fire. Apparently, there have been a couple (or maybe only one) PicoCalc that had the battery catch fire. The guy plugged the charging cable to the wrong (unprotected) port, and left it in too long. Using the correct (protected) port, or using protected cells prevents fires (so, apparently not only I can prevent forest fires - sorry Smokey. )

Theres been alot of issues thats for sure.

[granz]

Theres been alot of issues thats for sure.

Yep.

[granz]

The power banks arrived:

Hah! I missed the part about these being power banks. There is no power switch, and (did not notice until I put the lid on one for the photo shoot ) once the lid goes on, it does not come off.    So, this is a no-go for this project.


And, double-hah! This thing is way bigger than I thought. There is no way that this is going to fit on this board. Need a bigger board, or a smaller power source. Even the 18650 bank without a case is too big.

I don't know, maybe I should just get a 7.5VDC wall wart, or something, and use the space for a tiny component box with some LEDs, resistors, etc.

Yeah, that may just be best for me to use a simple USB-B, or a 7.5 VDC, wall-wart for powering this thing. The USB-B would only work for an Arduino Mega, but if I swapped it out for a different Arduino, I would have to swap the power cord as well - not a big deal.

[granz]

I thought about turning the board 90°, but the breadboard won't fit that way. Next, I thought that the breadboard doesn't have to be the big 830-hole one, but could be the smaller "half-sized" breadboard. So, I snuck in a few of those smaller boards into one of my other orders. They came in yesterday, and now the board looks like this:

Nothing is glued down yet, but it gives an idea of what it could look like. If the breadboard is pushed all the way to the right, there is enough room for a tiny storage compartment (about 1.5" X 3") for components. Actually, I just tried it, and the breadboard can be rotated 90° and that gives room for a storage compartment of about 3" square. Time to fire up the old printer and make a small storage case - I like the sliding lid on the Tiny Breadboard Dev Kit. Maybe I'll copy, and enlarge that.

[granz]

I decided that I wanted to keep the Arduino Mega. So, there are now two Arduino Unos on order. In addition to them being pretty cheap, they are smaller, leaving a bit more space on the board. They are also a bit more standard, less differences for the beginner.

Will update when they get in.

[Chris Savage]

So, there are now two Arduino Unos on order.

I have UNOs on my development boards, however, for one-off or permanent projects I find the Arduino Nano is the best bang for the buck, since it is smaller and doesn't have all the overhead in connectivity / shield components. In terms of code compatibility, they're the same.

[granz]

So, there are now two Arduino Unos on order.

I have UNOs on my development boards, however, for one-off or permanent projects I find the Arduino Nano is the best bang for the buck, since it is smaller and doesn't have all the overhead in connectivity / shield components. In terms of code compatibility, they're the same.

Absolutely. There are several Nanos, but very few Unos, in my stock (thus needing to order them.) I actually prefer Nanos for my dev work, due to their breadboard-friendly footprint. I chose the Unos, for beginners, due to the shields, and the more unusual layout.

[Chris Savage]

Absolutely. There are several Nanos, but very few Unos, in my stock (thus needing to order them.) I actually prefer Nanos for my dev work, due to their breadboard-friendly footprint. I chose the Unos, for beginners, due to the shields, and the more unusual layout.

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I'm using Nanos here because they're going to be used in the prototypes. But for experimenting, I tend to use the UNO, since it's mounted to a board with a separate breadboard and power (and even a Raspberry Pi).