Author Topic: $50 help with electronics (Read 12967 times)

Joesavage1 · « **on:** February 15, 2009, 08:32:30 AM »

Hi, i have just printed off a perf (its called something like that i think) diagram of the PC board for $50 robot. I have bought everything on the list of instructions but on the diagram it says 9v battery here, why would i solder a component in a PC board that may need to be later replaced??

Please Reply Soon, as i really want to get started.

Thanks

Joe

cosminprund · « **Reply #1 on:** February 15, 2009, 08:45:00 AM »

You don't solder the actual battery, you solder the wires that go to the battery clip / battery holder.

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 15, 2009, 08:48:08 AM »

on the parts list there is not a 9V battery holder though.

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #3 on:** February 15, 2009, 10:19:55 AM »

You can mentally add it to the list

Also you could just skip the 9v battery. It's a hassle to use two batteries so for my board I just used the 4 AAs.

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 15, 2009, 10:36:45 AM »

how do i just use the 4x AA 's ?? What will i have to modify? i have a perf board diagram (or something) will this change? I REALLY want to get started on the $50 robot so please reply soon.

Thanks

Joe

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #5 on:** February 15, 2009, 11:05:33 AM »

Just connect the red wires from the 4 AAs to where the 9v should have gone.

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 15, 2009, 12:34:36 PM »

but then what happens to where the 4 x AA batter pack origionaly was?

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #7 on:** February 15, 2009, 12:40:09 PM »

That stays connected - just add another wire from positive of the battery to where the positive of the 9v should have been.

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2009, 01:24:09 PM »

i only have 1 4x AA pack, i thought you ment only using one, so i guess ill just use the 9V, i suppose you just wrap the wire around the terminals.

Thanks

Joe

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2009, 01:45:37 PM »

No, this is only using one. Connect the 4AA as it is shown in the diagram, but add another wire from positive of the 4AA to the positive of where the 9v should have been.

cosminprund · « **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2009, 01:47:10 PM »

Can't you get some clips for that 9V battery? Wrapping wires around the terminals is not a very durable solution, not even for a prototype. You should at least try soldering the wires to the battery, but that requires good luck, good technique or powerful equipment (I bought an 100W soldering thingy from the hardware store, the kind used by plumbers! Dirt cheap, but grate for soldering to batteries. Still requires some technique)

Trumpkin · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2009, 03:05:19 PM »

Or you could just connect the 4 AA battery pack like an NiMH pack.

SmAsH · « **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2009, 02:49:17 PM »

battery pack? what happens when you run outta juice? man, i highly suggest you get a battery holder of some sort.

Trumpkin · « **Reply #13 on:** February 16, 2009, 04:52:52 PM »

Quote

what happens when you run outta juice?

You recharge the batteries.

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2009, 12:59:49 AM »

Well im gonna wrap the wires round terminals. But now i have a few more questions.
1) I understand that GND stands for ground, but how exactly do i ground a wire? what do i do with it?

2)In The Perf Diagram it shows were everything goes on the PC board; but do i solder everything to the board as it is? Because the n wouldnt the all connect to each other beacause the bottom of the board is made of copper?

(sorry i wont be on SoR in a while a couple of things have poped up; but ill try to fit it in wherever i can)

Thanks

Joe

Jdog · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2009, 01:18:46 AM »

Quote from: Joesavage1 on February 15, 2009, 10:36:45 AM

how do i just use the 4x AA 's ?? What will i have to modify? i have a perf board diagram (or something) will this change? I REALLY want to get started on the $50 robot so please reply soon.

Thanks

Joe

Follow the instructions for making it with a rechargeable battery pack and where you would normally plug in the battery, solder the + and - wires of the battery to their respective pins.

SmAsH · « **Reply #16 on:** February 21, 2009, 03:03:29 AM »

wait, did you etch the board? or are you using a predrilled board that you bought? and to ground a wire you have to go outside and shove it into the dirt....im joking (thats what i used to think) pretty much everything that is called ground you have to connect together as with the $50 board. and one thing im confused about is negative the same as ground? and what you guys were discussing before doesnt the $50 robot use one 9v? or are you using the modified circuit?

MrWizard · « **Reply #17 on:** February 21, 2009, 03:36:49 AM »

Hello just building my first robot now ...

Is there a problem in the 50 D project if I use 5v-5Amp Linear Regulator ?

SmAsH · « **Reply #18 on:** February 21, 2009, 03:51:40 AM »

i dont think so but wait for someone who knows to confirm, well do circuits only draw the current they need? if so yes. if no it will burn it out.

madchimp · « **Reply #19 on:** February 21, 2009, 04:14:23 AM »

The amps on the regulator simply tells you how many amps the regulator can handle before the magic smoke escapes. As long as the circuit calls for 5v and the amps the regulator can supply is over the amps required by the circuit you should be safe. There might be other reasons to not have a regulator that is way over kill like efficiency but for prototyping efficiency isn't as important as does it work.

SmAsH · « **Reply #20 on:** February 21, 2009, 04:31:17 AM »

so the circuit will only draw what is needed? so for example if the regulator is 7805 (5v 1amp) it can only take in one amp and give out one amp?

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 21, 2009, 04:55:44 AM »

Ok i sorta get the ground thing. but what about my second question?

Thanks

Joe

SmAsH · « **Reply #22 on:** February 21, 2009, 05:01:38 AM »

is the board your using a board like in the tutorial (the one with individual solder pads for each hole)? or has it got strips of copper? or is it one big sheet of copper with no holes?

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #23 on:** February 21, 2009, 09:33:56 AM »

2)In The Perf Diagram it shows were everything goes on the PC board; but do i solder everything to the board as it is? Because the n wouldnt the all connect to each other beacause the bottom of the board is made of copper?

The botton of the board has copper circles around each hole. If the entire bottom of your board is made of copper than you've bought the wrong kind of board. On the diagram you just put in the components and solder them to the copper cicle. If the diagram shows that two things should be connected, use wire to connect copper circles to each other.

SmAsH · « **Reply #24 on:** February 21, 2009, 06:53:58 PM »

yes lol i was thinking of a copper 'clad' board because he said he printed off the diagram. if you have the board with the individual pads for each hole nothing will connect unless you bridge it with solder( or a wire...)

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #25 on:** February 22, 2009, 02:54:18 AM »

i just bought the one of the UK list of parts; it probably has circles, its just from expriance in tech we used PC boards with all copper.
OK so it has holes, were do i solder the stuff onto, the holes or what? also if all the GND have to be together do i have the lead wired of the terminal to be grounded to one big ground wire bunch and then solder the wires together?

2) Also which ones negative and which ones posotive (red/black) because i found myself a 9v battery holder! (out of some old tech project)!

Thanks

Joe

SmAsH · « **Reply #26 on:** February 22, 2009, 03:43:11 AM »

ok, the component should be on the side with NO copper the legs should be sticking through the holes so they are on the side WITH copper then you solder the legs onto the side with copper making sure not to make two pads connect unless you need to like for the power buses. and your second question, im pretty sure all ground go together but the wiring diagram will say. im working on the $50 board right now too

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #27 on:** February 22, 2009, 07:40:04 AM »

Quote from: SmAsH on February 22, 2009, 03:43:11 AM

ok, the component should be on the side with NO copper the legs should be sticking through the holes so they are on the side WITH copper then you solder the legs onto the side with copper making sure not to make two pads connect unless you need to like for the power buses. and your second question, im pretty sure all ground go together but the wiring diagram will say. im working on the $50 board right now too

How did you know the power busses needed to be soldered to the pads and not the the components next to them (i assume this is what you are saying although i dont fully understand what you are saying)

Thanks In Advance

Joe

Razor Concepts · « **Reply #28 on:** February 22, 2009, 10:50:03 AM »

Whatever components you put in, always solder them into their own little pads. This is to make sure they are mounted securely on the board. Then, when you need to connect things together (like all the Grounds together), you can use solder or wires to connect the pads together.

Just look at the pictures Admin took for the $50 robot, should clear things up.

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #29 on:** February 22, 2009, 12:12:51 PM »

so everything is soldered to its own little pad and is only connected by wires. So in this picture:

nothing is acctuly connected, there just all soldered onto the board?

Thanks

Joe

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Author Topic: $50 help with electronics (Read 12967 times)

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