How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
1–10 of 22 posts
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#2Are there any books for non-engineers, that go from basic concepts up to PCB design?
UPDATE: Not sure if it's going up to PCB design but apparently this one[1] seems to be the most praised on Amazon UK.
[1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0071771336?psc=1&redirect...
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#3Are there any books for non-engineers, that go from basic concepts up to PCB design? UPDATE: Not sure if it's going up to PCB design but apparently this one[1] seems to be the most praised on Amazon UK. [1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0071771336?psc=1&redirect...
I learned a lot about the basics with "Getting started in Electronics" by Forrest M. Mims III, it's very (very) accessible and I find the drawings very amusing.
Or else you have the Bible of the trade, or "The Art of Electronics" by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill that just came out for a third edition. It's an incredibly comprehensive guide but you'd better have some free time ahead if you want to read through it all :)
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#4Next question is how to go from final prototype into production... that can be pretty hard in practice.
Indeed, calling a prototype "final" before looking at the manufacturing side of things might not be wise.
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#5Next question is how to go from final prototype into production... that can be pretty hard in practice. Indeed, calling a prototype "final" before looking at the manufacturing side of things might not be wise.
yeah I'm right in the middle of that problematic...if you have any advice I'm all ears (so to speak)!
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#6Are there any books for non-engineers, that go from basic concepts up to PCB design? UPDATE: Not sure if it's going up to PCB design but apparently this one[1] seems to be the most praised on Amazon UK. [1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0071771336?psc=1&redirect...
Check out Chris Gammell's Contextual Electronics course about board design with KiCad: https://contextualelectronics.com/ The KiCard course is now free and great at walking through how to use KiCad to design boards: https://contextualelectronics.com/course/kicad-tutorial/
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#7Next question is how to go from final prototype into production... that can be pretty hard in practice. Indeed, calling a prototype "final" before looking at the manufacturing side of things might not be wise.
Right. This is something that looks like the final product, but isn't ready for manufacture.
* If you run a 9V battery into a linear regulator to get 5V, there goes 55% of your energy and battery life. Consider 4 AAA cells. Work on reducing standby power consumption. When idle, put the CPU to sleep until IR is sensed. (An ATmega can do this.) Things which burn battery power when idle fail as consumer products.
* "I could (and probably should) use an ATtiny for such an application but I only had some ATMega328 in my parts bin."
* Prototype plastic things with 3D printing. Manufacture them by injection moulding. The little injection moulder at a TechShop could bang out about one box a minute. Any commercial shop can turn out thousands in a day. Making the mould is either work or expense, but you come out way ahead after a few hundred parts.
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#8Are there any books for non-engineers, that go from basic concepts up to PCB design? UPDATE: Not sure if it's going up to PCB design but apparently this one[1] seems to be the most praised on Amazon UK. [1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0071771336?psc=1&redirect...
I learned a lot about the basics with "Getting started in Electronics" by Forrest M. Mims III, it's very (very) accessible and I find the drawings very amusing. Or else you have the Bible of the trade, or "The Art of Electronics" by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill that just came out for a third edition. It's an incredibly comprehensive guide but you'd better have some free time ahead if you want to read through it al…
Agree with you. The Forrest Mims books are concise and written in a very simple manner without dumbing things down. His collection of the basics which is about four small volumes, will cost you about $50 in total. Money very well spent.
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#9Next question is how to go from final prototype into production... that can be pretty hard in practice. Indeed, calling a prototype "final" before looking at the manufacturing side of things might not be wise.
yeah I'm right in the middle of that problematic...if you have any advice I'm all ears (so to speak)!
Honest advice? Hire someone to do it. There are so many things that you won't know about how to make things manufacture-able it would be worth your time and money to just pay a contractor/employee to optimize things for you.
(shameless plug, my username @ gmail.com if you would like to discuss what services I can offer you)
Re: How to turn an Arduino-based proof of concept into a final prototype
#10Are there any books for non-engineers, that go from basic concepts up to PCB design? UPDATE: Not sure if it's going up to PCB design but apparently this one[1] seems to be the most praised on Amazon UK. [1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0071771336?psc=1&redirect...
I can recommend Practical Electronics for Inventors. It is very helpful in getting practical prototypes designed pretty quick. I sometimes still refer to it when I need something simple I haven't designed in a while.