Uzebox DTV

Topics regarding the Uzebox hardware/AVCore/BaseBoard (i.e: PCB, resistors, connectors, part list, schematics, hardware issues, etc.) should go here.
CunningFellow
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by CunningFellow »

PCB etched, cut and drilled.

Next up tin plating, mechanical vias and then solder all the components.

Not feeling great today, but hopefully can stay out of the bathroom long enough to get it together.
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UzeDTV_Test_Fit_Front.jpg
UzeDTV_Test_Fit_Front.jpg (41.22 KiB) Viewed 7051 times
UzeDTV_Test_Fit_Back.jpg
UzeDTV_Test_Fit_Back.jpg (49.93 KiB) Viewed 7053 times
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uze6666
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by uze6666 »

Wow, didn't knew self etched PCBs could look so good...it's gorgeous! 8-)
Not feeling great today, but hopefully can stay out of the bathroom long enough to get it together.
Sorry to hear about that pal, you take medications that makes you sick?
CunningFellow
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by CunningFellow »

uze6666 wrote:Wow, didn't knew self etched PCBs could look so good...it's gorgeous! 8-)
Thank you for the compliment. However it's hardly my best work. I can do traces/spaces about half that size across a whole board if I take care.

I'll post some more piccies of the boards below.
uze6666 wrote:Sorry to hear about that pal, you take medications that makes you sick?
I take medications to stop me being sick, but they make me tired and fuzzy in the head so I don't take them so often and just deal with the very frequent pit stops.
Attachments
Close up of PCB where the 4021 chip goes
Close up of PCB where the 4021 chip goes
CloseUp.jpg (106.5 KiB) Viewed 7012 times
The front of the PCB tinned and ready for solder
The front of the PCB tinned and ready for solder
FrontPCB.jpg (180.96 KiB) Viewed 7016 times
The back of the PCB tinned and ready for solder
The back of the PCB tinned and ready for solder
BackPCB.jpg (183.23 KiB) Viewed 7012 times
CunningFellow
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by CunningFellow »

The three photos above are of the PCB after the tinning process. A whole shot of the front and of the back. Then there is a close up of the position where one of the 4021 CMOS shift registers is that emulates a SNES controller.

The below three photos are

1, The back of the case showing the slot cut for the ISP header and the hole drilled for the recessed reset button.
2, The top of the case showing the 3.5mm socket that carries 5v, audio and video AND the slot cut for the micro SD card.
3, A shot of the PCB with the two sockets soldered on. Yay they fit first go :)
Attachments
Both sockets on the PCB
Both sockets on the PCB
Both_Sockets.jpg (147.21 KiB) Viewed 7008 times
uSD and AV/Power socket
uSD and AV/Power socket
USD_Slot.jpg (88.55 KiB) Viewed 7006 times
ISP and reset button
ISP and reset button
ISP.jpg (92.07 KiB) Viewed 7011 times
CunningFellow
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by CunningFellow »

Finally have myself a real uzebox

bit of excitement to start with the picture was all purple. Did some continuity testing, checked the signals on a scope. Then realised "AH port c - JTAG"
Attachments
All soldered together
All soldered together
complete.jpg (95.02 KiB) Viewed 6975 times
Ta Da
Ta Da
working.jpg (46.02 KiB) Viewed 6975 times
old_chmee
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by old_chmee »

Wow, this looks great!

This really gets me in the mood to create a design on my own.

Did you design the packages for the buttons yourself or did you find a library for them?
hpglow
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by hpglow »

That is pretty damn sweet. Those are some tiny resistors on there. I've soldered some surface mount chips without a soldering station but I don't know if my eyesight is good enough for the resistors.

You rocked that pcb like a boss. Was that a laser printer transfer?
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D3thAdd3r
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by D3thAdd3r »

Epic work there.
Laundry list of questions here: Is the design basically finalized, what brand of controller does the board fit, do you have eagle/gerbers, and are you planning to have a short run of PCBs made? Reason is I want one now and someone might as well order 50(~$80 heretotal if the estimate is right?) and sell the rest at cost. Maybe the price of a case of beer for assembled ;) Controllers look to be about $150 for 50 controllers if you wanted to go the whole package route.

Edit-25 total might be more reasonable, and assembling that looks like a nightmare
CunningFellow
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by CunningFellow »

old_chmee wrote:Wow, this looks great!
This really gets me in the mood to create a design on my own.
Did you design the packages for the buttons yourself or did you find a library for them?
Thanks.
I cheated. I actually used a 1612 resistor as the footprint, and the button is drawn on the copper layer. For sending off to a board house I will have to make a real footprint.
hpglow wrote:That is pretty damn sweet. Those are some tiny resistors on there. I've soldered some surface mount chips without a soldering station but I don't know if my eyesight is good enough for the resistors.
You rocked that pcb like a boss. Was that a laser printer transfer?
The resistors are all 0603. There are some 0805 capacitors and THREE 0402 capacitors. Here is a photo showing all three sizes together. The two resistors in the background are 0603, in the foreground are an 0805 inductor and a 0402 capacitor. I try my hardest to avoid components smaller than 0402. Everything on the board was soldered with an iron apart from the SD socket and the crystal which I hot air reflowed.

The PCB is printed with an inkjet onto special transparency film (about $1 a sheet) then UV exposure for the PCB. Finally plated with "cool amp" silver. The traces here are 10thou. I can do 6 thou myself, but wanted to make the PCB big and easy for other people to make if they wanted.
D3thAdd3r wrote:Epic work there.
Laundry list of questions here: Is the design basically finalized, what brand of controller does the board fit, do you have eagle/gerbers, and are you planning to have a short run of PCBs made? Reason is I want one now and someone might as well order 50(~$80 heretotal if the estimate is right?) and sell the rest at cost. Maybe the price of a case of beer for assembled ;) Controllers look to be about $150 for 50 controllers if you wanted to go the whole package route.

Edit-25 total might be more reasonable, and assembling that looks like a nightmare
The design is prototype ONE. I have a few changes I would make if I am going to do another at home for myself. There are a LOT of changes to make if I am going to do a small production run.

I will release the gEDA files and gerbers after I have fixed some bugs. They are not mistakes as such, just annoyances that make assembly harder.

I am planing on doing a kickstarter or indigogo campaign with a "successfully funded" target of 10 units. I am going to keep some myself to give away to "novices" in next years UCC (if that happens).

The BOM from digikey + PCB + case comes in at $36 (10up). I was going to price them on kickstarter at $50 ish. That way if 10 sell I am sweet. If 50 sell and I have to pay for someone else to assemble them, I am still not out of pocket. If 500 sell I will be into real profit and be able to afford a new computer to do my game development on :)
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Three different sized Passives
Three different sized Passives
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uze6666
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Re: Uzebox DTV

Post by uze6666 »

Wunderbar! :mrgreen: I'm in too for 2 or 3 units! The kickstarter is a great idea, I'll back you up for sure (would they be assembled?).

ps: There's a spot on the controller for a logo....what about a uzebox logo sticker in there? I'd gladly contribute that if you like the idea.
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