Nano Experimenter's Board v3 from start to finish

Nano Experimenter's Board v3 from start to finish
Boards for just $5: www.pcbway.com/
Nano Experimenter's Board v3 Gerbers: www.pcbway.com/project/sharep...
Previous Videos:
V1: • Arduino Nano Experimen...
V2: • Arduino Nano All in On...
This is the final version of my Arduino Nano Experimenter's Board. It's a breakout board that allows you to experiment with an Arduino Nano and many different sensors and modules without having to worry about the wiring.
There are breakouts for I2C(3),SPI,RGB LED,DHT11. There are 3 LEDs all PWM cabale and one with an interchangable resistor. 3 pushbuttons with pullup resistors going to 3 different digital pins, a 10 pot on an analog pin and a light dependent resistor. It will run from the Nano's Vreg, but I have included an external 7805 regulator witch shares a common ground with the Arduino. this way you can bypass the Arduin's 200mA (MAX) total current by only running the switching through the Arduino and the power through the external regulator.

[@virgilharsell7463]

Thanks for the design insight. It was nice to see the process. I bet the temptation to constantly fiddle with the layout is tough to resist. Keep em coming, Paul.

[@tonysicily2687]

I am very interested in your board, but I am even MORE interested in the design and layout tutorial. Electronics are hard for me, but the design process of a PCB board is a TOTAL black art, worth watching OVER & OVER again. I wish you would create a VERY simple video on how to create a PCB for idiots. Explaining the most basic of fundamentals. I understand the circuit design, but do not understand terms like “Copper layer” and “Solder Layer”. I get really confused when, having laid out my circuit, it replaces my very carefully laid out connections with weird blue lines, that seem to short circuit each other. Subscribed, Liked & Saved. And when I can, I will download so I can watch it off line too. Huge huge thanks for including that part. The VO was very informative Again HUGE thanks

[@captainprototype187]

Same here. I never watched this before . It gives me a lot more insight into electronics.

[@learnelectronics]

I will make the video

[@alvarobyrne]

same here

[@tonysicily2687]

learnelectronics You are very kind. If I may suggest a few points. For instance, do you have to design the Solder mask, or does the design software cut the ‘holes’ for pads etc.. what do the ‘weird blue lines mean, and how do you check routing. Again huge thanks, I loved your keychain video. May you could simply add two components to it? A switch, led and a header block. Anyhow, I am embarrassed enough to ask, I do not feel experienced enough advise what should go in it. Just ask for it to be simple.

[@gerardregnier3457]

I think you need a better teacher.

[@opalprestonshirley1700]

Nicely done. Inexpensive and easy to use. Thanks, Paul.

[@georgechambers3197]

Very nice board Paul. I have one of those board holders and never did like it, went back to the flex arms. 😁 Thanks for the video!

[@petersnyder1642]

Very cool..... getting back into electronics and enjoy watching your builds ...... thank you stay safe !!

[@KissAnalog]

Great video Paul! I have the same PCB holder and I think it works pretty well.

[@donhiscock6933]

Nice job Paul

[@michaelpadovani9566]

I have that circuit board holder! It's my 'go-to' for almost everything! Anyway great board revision and I'll take a look at the Gerber file for future use.

So do I. Bought it 2 weeks ago.

[@DustinWatts]

Hi Paul! I downloaded the Gerbers to double check... and you did nothing wrong! And not only that... you made a great Experimenter's board!

[@learnelectronics]

Thanks. Followed your advice. It was much apreciated.

[@deankq4adj125]

Very nice looking board Paul! Sorry for the white lettering and logo. Again I appreciated the showing of the PCB design process, nice to see someone doing this that knows what they are doing!!! Great Job!!

[@backyardbasher]

All this needed was a set of IO pins/sockets down each side of the nano and it would have been perfect but as it is it's too limiting for me. Would happily buy them from pcbway as I did with your tone boards.

[@arthurfricchione8119]

Thank you for the. Quick reply Artie 😊

[@DavidMsg]

Enjoyed the video, but on the PCB routing, I think you should do a video collaboration with an expert in that area. Having someone explain what you did 'wrong', and how to fix would be cool. I put wrong in quotes, as the board still works, and thats whats probably most important, but implementing best practices in the design would be good to learn from!

[@deadly_dave]

Woo hoo, you took one of my suggestions :)

[@BrucesWorldofStuff]

I have one of the adjustable circuit board holders and after a while the end with the spring starts to dig a groove into the blue plastic end and make it hard to turn the board 360 degrees one way with out catching. Take the "C" (geese where did it go) clip and find a flat washer that fits the inside of the socket in the blue part and you will have to drill out the center hole of the washer to fit the shaft of the black holder rod. Then reassemble with the new washer in the blue part socket and the spring against it. Now the board will turn 360 both ways without hanging... :-) I use mine all the time for the big boards. The real little ones not so much... Lol I hope this helps.... Thanks for the video and showing the design process says the other crazy brain guy... :-D Someday I will send off for some boards... LLAP

[@johnstephenson4428]

I do like watching the design process, I use a different software package though.

[@weerobot]

Very Good...

[@jamest.5001]

HELLO! Hope allz well !

[@usnr1994]

Nice design and video. Still getting my head around design and layout myself. Question though with regard to the RGB LED; why not add a 3-pin header and use a jumper to determine common anode or common cathode?

[@learnelectronics]

You could

[@WagonLoads]

Here is an idea.. To help you get all of the resistors bent correctly, why not include a wire bending jig right on the PCB itself? If the resistor mounting holes are 0.7 inches apart, then include a bending jig hole 0.7 inches from the edge of the PCB..?? Also, you put the voltage regulator caps in the opposite positions. The one on the left should have been on the right, so the trace would be inline with the regulator pin.. But otherwise a nice job... Could you please make a video on how to use the software to make layouts for parts not in the list? Such as the esp8266 node mcu.. I have KiCad and I'm lost..

[@adamwade855]

Thanks for the upload

[@MrTheAgge]

I think it's missing a speaker or buzzer

[@arthurfricchione8119]

What pot did you use? Looks very compact to fit on the board nicely. Thanks in advance Artie. Thanks for sharing hope all is well 😊

[@learnelectronics]

10k

[@alexstone691]

Isnt autorouter a bit dumb to optimize the traces good enough??

[@ameenwaheed268]

Oh.. and congrats on 90k subs..

[@EdSym1]

What type of capacitors do you use?

[@learnelectronics]

Multilayer ceramic

[@EdSym1]

I had some PCBs made by JLCPCB and they sent me an email that the legends, logos, were shorting out traces. It appears that they got the logos on the copper layer like you wanted. They wanted me to fix the problem and resubmit the fixed gerber files. I told them that I only had the gerber files and not the schematics so I can't fix the problem. Could you fix it for me?

[@learnelectronics]

Just tell them to move the logos to the silk screen layer

[@rickmccaskill7888]

Why didn’t you added an array of expansion pins in the open area for expanding the circuit by the user? Thanks.

[@alvarobyrne]

same question. please.

[@jayosborne1147]

I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on controlling micro steppers with an Arduino nano do you need a driver?

[@alvarobyrne]

What do yo mean by micro steppers? Like a 28byj-48, some like that?

[@jayosborne1147]

@@alvarobyrne I do not know what you mean by a 28byj-48 I got these Machifit 2 Phase 4 Wire Stepper Motor 10mm Micro Stepper Motor Machine Tools & Accessories from Tools on banggood.com banggood.app.link/WNtAEN7nL8

[@eons_of_ions8651]

All you need to ask yourself: can the uC I am using supply enough current through the pin I am using to control the motor? Chances are, the answer to this is no. Even if the uC could, you should still have a protection/safety circuit which a good portion of driver circuits (IC’s) will provide.

[@alvarobyrne]

@@jayosborne1147 ok. thanks for answering, i learnt something from your answer: i didn't know those micro steppers, a 28byj-48 is a very popular stepper motor around (search for it in youtube for example), but is bigger than those machifit ones. I agree with @Vincent O'Reilly, you most probably will need a driver.

[@bblod4896]

Looks like a prototype launch controller 🤔.

[@learnelectronics]

nah, that's a special design

[@bblod4896]

@@learnelectronics 🙄🙄🙄

[@ches74]

What software is that? Did you auto route? Did the routing need any adjustment?

[@RapidBoss08]

He used EasyEDA. He did auto route. I am not sure if he made any adjustments.

[@ches74]

@@RapidBoss08 Thanks. I seem to remember mention in a previous video but I didn't take note.

[@blic-sx9ix]

Auto routing is OK but planing placement of components and routing the rat lines yourself can be a rewarding accomplishment. Here is one I just completed. I used arcs for the some of the routing keithlohmeyer.blogspot.com/2020/08/blog-post.html

[@alvarobyrne]

same question. please

[@firefoxik75]

Why are you driving NPN as PNP?

[@alvarobyrne]

same question. please. sorry that i asked the same question as other users many times. just want to "subscribe"/"turn-notifications-on" for those questions. thanks for your work.

[@gerardregnier3457]

Traces are too long and travel needlessly across the board. You need to pay more attention to the parts placement to reduce track lengths. Additionally, your pc-board could be made much smaller, probably less than half the size and cost.

[@blic-sx9ix]

You may be right if you were designing PCB,s professionally but this is a hobbyist channel. As far as size and cost PCB Way and JLC PCB both charge $5 for 10 boards for any size up to 100 mm to 100 mm and they don't allow v-scoring for multiple boards in that area. At $0.50 per board why not use the extra area for instructions like Paul has done.

[@gerardregnier3457]

@@blic-sx9ix The fact is, he did design that PCB. Just because it is a hobbyist board doesn't mean the designer shouldn't attempt to use reasonable discretion in component placement and try to minimize trace lengths.

[@blic-sx9ix]

@@gerardregnier3457 I get your points but in the end the board will do what it is designed to do. This makes it a success. Does the design use all the best practices... No. Will it work as well as a breadboarded Arduino hobby circuit... You Bet. Looking forward to your video series on how to do PCB design right! Until then lets celebrate those who are actually willing to make hobby videos like these.

[@gerardregnier3457]

@@blic-sx9ix Refer to "Kangeroo" Dave's posts on the subject. He has the right idea on common sense PC board layout and design.

[@mrmotion7942]

First viewer!!! :D

[@ameenwaheed268]

I am first..😃

[@mrmotion7942]

When I loaded it, It said no other viewers