Team 116 OI Adapter board

[whytheheckme]

I've always been so fascinated with the possibilities for the OI...

Last year (call me crazy), I tried designing a micro-controller that hooked to the dashboard port, which decoded the SERIAL and put it out to a CPLD, which then put it out to 7-Seg displays and a couple of LED-Matracies. This failed when I ran out of time, and my team told me that it was more important that the robot could move and stuff than have a cool OI (go figure?)..

Now you may be wondering: Why don't you use a laptop with Dashboard?

I wanted to try to develop some hardware to be able to do this instead of relying on a super-over-qualified computer to do the job. If I was able to do it, I was planning on submitting the designs up here so that other people could try it (The whole thing cost under 100 dollars.. Much more affordable then a laptop, let alone extra batteries...)

Anyway, getting back to the topic of this thread, this year I am thinking about running everything through ribbon cable. Essentially having boxes with lots of sockets in them accessible from the outside, and soldering ribbon cable to each pin, home-running it all to a box with a bunch of DIP switches on the outside to set which sockets are currently in use, with 4 DB-15 cables coming out of the box to the OI. This would allow for hookup of almost anything. They I could create adapters for parts that could allow them to simply be placed or removed from the sockets, in essence *Hot Swappable*...

OK, I'm rambling, and if you actually read this whole post I am surprised, but I love this kind of stuff.

Jacob

[ECarlson]

Originally Posted by whytheheckme

I've always been so fascinated with the possibilities for the OI...

When you complete the development on either project, I'd love to see the photos and the write-ups.

My original idea was to use some sort of connector for each OI device (switch/pot/LED/etc.), like perhaps 1/8" audio plugs and jacks, so items could quickly be swapped, but it is essentially just as quick with the design we ended up building, and you don't need connectors, and you only have to solder the wires at the device end.

[sciguy125]

We just finished etching this year's version of our boards. The layout is essentially the same, but we tried photolithography this time. Much cleaner than the toner transfer method. They still need to be drilled, cut, and soldered though.

[ECarlson]

Originally Posted by sciguy125

We just finished etching this year's version of our boards.

Very nice. Here's a photo of our circuit board for 2007. I also updated the information page with the photo and a couple details.

[Pavan Dave]

That is actually pretty brilliant. While I was wiring the OI I was trying to keep it neat but it was still a mess in a way. I think that this way is much more organized and maybe I will try something more similar next year.

[Billfred]

The 2006 board was already pretty awesome, but the circuit board this year is just awesomeness to the extreme.

[ECarlson]

Originally Posted by sciguy125

We just finished etching this year's version of our boards. The layout is essentially the same, but we tried photolithography this time. Much cleaner than the toner transfer method. They still need to be drilled, cut, and soldered though.

Anything new this year? We're using the same board design as last year.

[eeeeweeezeee]

the prototype OI switches that I hook up have lately consisted of the 15pin connector, a piece of pwm signal wire with the connectors clipped off, random "switches"* and paper plates and bowls with holes poked in them for mounting. this is an extremely fast way to add the exact switch and potentiometer combination that the programmer wants, but I get some odd comments and have to explain that it isn't anywhere near the final revision. I had the idea for these ultra cheap and fast IO setups from being bored and trying to make a hovercraft out of spare muffin fans and paper plates, bowls, and cups. i'll post a picture if I get around to it.


*what ever i find first that conducts electricity and strikes my fancy, and some times has solder tabs

[ECarlson]

Originally Posted by eeeeweeezeee

. . . random "switches"* and paper plates and bowls with holes poked in them for mounting. . . . but I get some odd comments and have to explain that it isn't anywhere near the final revision.

I think that should be the final version, it would be kind of cool and original.
Some switches can take a lot of effort to toggle: How do you keep the paper plates from bending and tearing?

[ECarlson]

Here is the 2008 Team 116 OI adapter board. You'll notice that the pushbuttons were removed this year. I also added the photo to the OI adapter board web page on my site (link in sig below).