After RaspberryPI foundation released the Pin outs for the main connector on their site. I couldn’t wait to get a PCB made up to facilitate the easy hacking/adding of hardware on to the ‘Pi. All the more important considering the ‘Pi’s aim of providing a cheap platform for people to learn all about hands on computing. The MoPI allows you to connect directly to the ‘PI and prototype designs using both through hole and surface mount components. Secondly it provides locations for stand offs or feet to allow the user to keep the board off the wire infested desk or mount it in a case. Thirdly it provides several ways of powering either just your project or also the ‘PI it’s self, we use a very common “Jelly Bean” regulator available cheaply from EBAY good for 2-3A. The regulator is adjustable allowing for many different uses, other than powering the ‘PI. Alternatively you can power your design using the DC Jack or 0.2″ Screw terminals. We have gone to great efforts to be as general as possible allowing people to do what they want.
MoPI Prototypes
This is a good example of what can be rapidly prototyped using home/keen amateur PCB manufacturing techniques like those we hope to demonstrate at our February meeting.
Hopefully this will be the start of much more Linux Hardware/Software hacking.
Is your image showing the top or bottom side of the protoboard?
The GPIO connector on the Raspberry Pi is on the upper left hand
side.
This is a small prototyping board it actually was meant to fit underneath the ‘PI and provides a location for an additional DCDC regulator and also some feet or stand offs to keep it’s tootsies off the deck
. This is the underside of the Board and that’s why the connector is in the “wrong” place. It’s not that big but enough to put some through hole chips or modules down or at least one SMD device.
Since we have a little time before the ‘PI turns up I’m more than willing to take on board constructive criticism and Ideas. This should save folk from soldering too much directly to the ‘PI and a consummate hacker could have several projects on the go each on one of these with out having several ‘PIs which I don’t think will happen soon with the large response and limited volumes
Good Idea!, putting the protoboard underneath the “Pi”. That gives
one the most area to put components on. Have you thought about
doing and showing a mock-up of your protoboard with components on it, connected to the “Pi”? I believe it could inspire potential users of your
board.
Good Idea, not that I’m that good with Photoshop or Cad. i’ll see what can be done cheers!
Photoshop? The Gimp, surely!
PCB a great Idea, good work!
If layout is in eagle you can use eagleup to pull design to 3D with components, see – http://eagleup.wordpress.com/
Indeed Chris, I was looking at that unfortunately it’s not in Eagle and Richard uses EasyPCB or similar so probably won’t be using Eagle although I wanted to get into Eagle for ages. May be this is the excuse
[...] may be of interest to folks in Edinburgh. It’s the first revision of our prototyping board for the RaspberryPI [...]