[General] How can I build my self boards with microcontrollers?

[rezaeee]

Hello!
I am newbie in electronics and my university study field is computer! But I'm very interested to build robots and make electronic boards and controllers for them.

My exact question is that: How can I learn to build a board for my microcontroller, sensors,motors,etc!
I mean, I choose a micro-controller for my robot, and some sensors, some motots, some modules(rf, ect), and then, I want to build a board with this particles. How can I do that? I want to learn building the board with a micro-controller! or better say, I want to learn interfacing micro-controllers with other electronic equipment(sensor,motor,etc) and building my board!

How can I reach to that point? which things there I should learn? Can you give me a Road-map to achieve my goal?

Thanks in advanced , and sorry for bad English!

 

[K33rg4t3]

1. project board with Eagle or something
2. create PCB with one of the common methods, there are a lot of info on google, what's exacly the problem?

BTW: you can also pay somebody to create boards according to your schematic
BTW2: you can use proto boards and create circuit without soldering

 

[rezaeee]

1. project board with Eagle or something
2. create PCB with one of the common methods, there are a lot of info on google, what's exacly the problem?

BTW: you can also pay somebody to create boards according to your schematic
BTW2: you can use proto boards and create circuit without soldering

I know something about programming the micro controllers, and have discovery(stm32) board. But I want to know, if I want to build something like discovery board(of course, a simpler thing I mean) what knowledge should I get?

I want to get the knowledge that I can build any board with any microcontrollers I like! what is this knowledge? which book(s) i should read? which topics I must learn?

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

what's exacly the problem?

Yes, that´s the question. You didn´t answer.

Datasheets, schematic, PCB layout, interfaces and protocols, software....?

For every device you want to use you need the datasheet, and you have to read it carefully.
This tells you a lot.

Klaus

 

[K33rg4t3]

Well I think I know what you ask.
You need to know MCU well and start with BASIC CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS (see datasheets, the power supply, the capacitors for filtering, and communication - ICSP or bootloader connection).
Then you can choose other peripherals at your will, idk, maybe you need a LCD, or something on your board.

 

[rezaeee]

Thank you guys! My electronic knowledge is not good, also my English too! So maybe I can not explain my request good!

My exact question is this: If someone wants to learn building electronic boards like stm32 discovery, which knowledge he should have? (from base to advanced).

although I don't want to make an advanced board like discovery, but I want to know the steps to reach that point I'll be a advance designer!

- - - Updated - - -

Is there a document that teaches how to choose a micro controller, how to interface it with other parts, and finally how to build your board? (I know this is a very wide area question but I'm looking foe simple- complete step-by-step tutorials to do that in beginner level(or maybe middle level)

 

[K33rg4t3]

Not really, there are multiple tutorials but there are many ways.

But my suggestion is:
- buy proto board (the one you don't have to solder)
- buy atmega or PIC
- buy or create programmer tool (for AVR it's usb asp or LPT port if you have old pc, for PIC it's JDM or Pickit2 / 3, but the latter are expensive)
- create a simple blink LED on the board and then learn other things whatever you want, LCD, 7segment

https://www.electroschematics.com/9529/atmega8-basic-input-output-interfacing-1/
https://www.micahcarrick.com/tutorials/avr-microcontroller-tutorial/getting-started.html

example of simplest atmega blink led schematic:


If you want to be able to use your board like arduino you can try pinguino project (but you need jdm/pickit2 anyway for first bootloader burn):



you need to know things like:
- what is ICSP
- what is hex burning/programming
- C programming
- how transistors and protocols works
- what is bootloader
- etc. a lot of stuff

 

[rezaeee]

Is there a document that teaches how to choose a micro controller, how to interface it with other parts, and finally how to build your board? (I know this is a very wide area question but I'm looking foe simple- complete step-by-step tutorials to do that in beginner level(or maybe middle level)

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

Is there a document that teaches how to choose a micro controller, how to interface it with other parts, and finally how to build your board? (I know this is a very wide area question but I'm looking foe simple- complete step-by-step tutorials to do that in beginner level(or maybe middle level)

I don´t think there is a document, exactely because this is a wide area.

***
How to choose microcontroller...
It is about impossible to specify a microcontroller in a way that you find the one that perfectely fits to your application.
Either you describe it to vague and find hundreds, or you descirbe it too exact and find not a single controller.
While some parameters are relatively clear, like * supply voltage = 3.3V * internal I2C interface,
... some others are unclear, like * processing power, * program memory requirements, * data memory requirements

And often it is some kind of taste and skills.
* while one person needs 16kBytes of program memory, 1kBytes of SRAM and 95% processing power,
* the other person needs only 2kbytes of program memory, 128 bytes of SRAM and 5% processing power. For the same application/result.

**********
My advice: You already have experience with an STM32board. Now look for all those periferals you want to connect. Draw a schematic where you connect all the connections to the STM board.
Connect them and program your application.

If finished, then go back and see what pinsand periferals of the STM are used and what are unused. Also check how much processing power and memory you need.
With this informations you could look for other microcontrollers.

Then you can start to design your own PCB.

After you did some projects this way you will get a feeling about the requirements. Then you can try to build a PCB before all hardware and software is working.

***
* Start with writing down as much as possible specifications of our new project.
(Power requirements, periferal hardware and also speed - how fast do you need it to work. For measurement or regulation applications it is urgent to specify input ranges, output ranges, accuracy, resolution, sample rate, control loop speed befor you start to decide what hardware you use)
* then select hardware according the above specifications and the interface to the controller
* then draw a complete shematic
* start PCB routing (after schematic is complete) with rough placement of the periferal hardware modules. The module - let´s say ADC - should start with the most importent parts first, like power supply capacitors, then the less important parts. You can start with routing the trace of the modules.
* then try to move all the single modules to fit on your desired PCB area. And finish the routing.

***

I hope this helps..

Klaus

 

[K33rg4t3]

My advice: You already have experience with an STM32board. Now look for all those periferals you want to connect. Draw a schematic where you connect all the connections to the STM board.
Connect them and program your application.

If finished, then go back and see what pinsand periferals of the STM are used and what are unused. Also check how much processing power and memory you need.
With this informations you could look for other microcontrollers.

Then you can start to design your own PCB.

After you did some projects this way you will get a feeling about the requirements. Then you can try to build a PCB before all hardware and software is working.

is there a STM MCU in DIP package ?? If not, I would NOT recommed it to the beginner! The TQFPs are hard to solder.

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

You are true, TQFPs are hard to solder for a beginner. Not recommendable.


But i never said he should use a TQFP.
Instead he should start with a known board.
Then later - with his experience - he could select a controller. It can be a STM, PIC, an AVR or any other. In DIP or SMD case, according his skills and taste.

Klaus

 

[K33rg4t3]

Well it was actually a question, I know only those MCU s in DIP:
1.atmega avr - nice DIPs
2. PICs - DIPs for many as well
3. 8051 legacy (do not use them, they are pretty old)
Are there any other good MCUs in DIP?

I think he should target DIP ones from the start if he insist on doing the board himself

BTW: rezaeee - you should know what is DIP and TQFP, search on google