MichaelMeissner
Senior Member+
I tend to spend some amount of time designing Teensy designs for solderable prototype boards, bringing out various pin combinations, for example having 3.3v, ground, pins 0/1 for Serial1 all in a row to connect a serial device. But usually I get distracted in soldering up the large board with all of the connections, verifying that all of the connections are correct (and of course re-soldering connections that aren't), etc.
I've been wondering how hard it would be to design simple PCBs that I could place the Teensy on. I would typically want to solder female headers into the board, so that I can move the Teensy to the next board.
For example, this is one of the layouts I did for the 4.1:
The idea is to bring out several areas:
I've been wondering how hard it would be to design simple PCBs that I could place the Teensy on. I would typically want to solder female headers into the board, so that I can move the Teensy to the next board.
- I only use Linux (currently Fedora 33). Windows or MAC solutions are not interesting to me.
- I don't anticipate large designs, figure maybe 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) or 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm).
- At least initially, I would prefer free to use design tools.
- Auto-routing.
- Easy for a beginner to use.
- Produces designs that fabs like OSHPARK can make PCBs easily (preferably US fabs).
- At least initially, I would primarily want through hole support, but over time, I might want support for SMT areas (SOIC, etc.).
- While I don't need fancy graphics, I would prefer the ability to at least label the pin holes, etc.
- External pinout libraries would be nice.
- I don't anticipate needing more than 3-5 boards in a run.
- Typically these days, I am only looking at Teensy 4.0 or 4.1 designs, but I do have some amount of Teensy LC, 3.1/3.2, 3.5, and 3.6s.
For example, this is one of the layouts I did for the 4.1:
- PDF from my layout spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j9Ks6mCqjd939dDJzy-k61OxFDPk9eaA/view?usp=sharing
- 2x4" prototype board: https://www.tindie.com/products/drazzy/2-x-4-prototypingproject-boards/
The idea is to bring out several areas:
- Serial1: UART, PWM, possibly CAN in the future
- Serial3: UART, PWM, S/PDIF, or two analog pins
- Main I2C bus
- SPI0 bus, with toggle switches to either use fixed pins, or allow me to use other CS/Reset/etc. pins.
- SPI1 bus, with toggle switches to either use fixed pins, or allow me to use other CS/Reset/etc. pins.
- I2S1 bus
- Each of the UART, I2C, SPI, and I2S pinouts have a pin to bring out VIN as well as 3.3v.
- Two sets of analog pinouts so I can plug standard POTs in them
- Two SN74AHC1G125DBVR level shifters for neopixel outputs (connecting 2 serial TX's for use with WS2812Serial)
- Two leds
- Two buttons
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