Kickstarter

Electrimod Mini is a 1.5" x 1.5" stackable electronic platform. 

Why another electronic platform?  When I started working with electronics and I needed a system to run a rocket engine we had been working on.  See http://www.exoge.com to watch the video.  Nothing was available the had exactly what I needed and nothing more.  The project frequently changed requirements and that made it difficult to keep up with when using prototypes.  I decided I needed something modular that I could easily add on sensors, input, output, and communications.  We have many more platforms in things to do but this is the first due to its simplicity.

Electromid Mini Specs:

• 1.5" by 1.5"
• 1 x I2C Bus
• 5 x Analog Lines
• 1 x UART
• 7 x Digital IO
• 12V, 5V, and 3.3V Lines

No board can block the access of another board.  I saw this a lot on Arduino shields.  It is a simple rule but very helpful.  The stacking configuration and boards are released under a Creative Commons open source license.  Compoents like regulators and relays are rarely soldered on, unless they are surface mount, so that they can be easily removed from their socket and replaced.  This allows the boards to be re-used.  I have toasted plenty of boards when working on projects.  Currently only one boards uses a surface mount IC and that is the VN920 high current solid state relay.

Supported Microcontrollers:

The size of the module does limit our choice but currently we support the PIC18F25XX 28 Pin microcontrollers and any PIC that is pin compatible.  We also have a module for the ATMega328P.  The stack can also be managed with an XBee module.  This allows you to make wireless devices and control them from your PC using serial communications and no microcontroller programming is required when you configure your stack this way.

Library:

I currently have a library for Microchip C18 that provides easy access to most PIC hardware functions and any module I make.  Single line commands can operate most modules.  The library is also open source and will evolve to include more microcontrollers.

Development Tools:

I am currently working on two development tools for the platform and future platforms. 

ElectriFlow:  This allows you to write software for the platform without doing much programming.  It is a work in progress but will soon be finished.  Programs can be written by drawing a flow chart.  Commands are selected from available commands in each flow chart symbol.  C18 code is automatically generated.

ElectriSCADA:  This nice little piece of software is being re-written using .NET.  SCADA standands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition.  In this program you build a grid of controls.  They can be switches, dials, guages, sliders, and other things I haven't thought of yet.  The program parses comma seperated data from your project and sends the data to its assigned control.  The control can then display the data but also act on the data if you set threshholds.  The can send commands back to your stack or sound an audible alarm.  A simple project would be to monitor the temperature in your garage and if it gets over a set temperature turn on a fan to exhaust until the temperature goes back down.  The data can also be stored in a CSV file or in a database and be replayed.  It can easily be imported and graphed in your favorite spreadsheet.

Current Modules:

• PIC18F2525
• ATMega328P
• Optically Isolated Input
• Optically Isolated Output
• H-Bridge DC Motor Controller
• Analog Output
• Buffered Analog Input
• INA125 Instrument Amplifier
• Real Time Clock
• MAX3232 RS-232 Transceiver
• XBee
• Dual Tactile Switch
• Dual Toggle Switch
• Potentiometer
• 500ma Solid State Relay AC/DC
• High Current DC Solid State Relay
• 3.3V and 5V Power Supply

Pictures of some tested modules:

Manufacturing Process:

Out boards are hand soldered.  We order the boards from several overseas PCB fab houses in panelized format.  They are then depanalized and we insert all the components and solder all electrical connections.  Once the soldering has been completed we install the socketed components, which typically come with the board, and then we test the boards functionality.  Most components that can be used in a socket are in a socket.  This helps the end user easily replace them if they make a mistake.  Items like resistors, capacitors, and light emitting diodes are directly soldered since they are very unlikely to suffer damage.

What we need:

Most of the modules are ready for production and we woul like to place the order but we want these boards to be very competitevly priced.  Each board will need to be under $20 USD.  To do this we need to order the components in bulk.  Most of them have a 1000 piece minimum order.  In turn we will also sell most of these connectors for far less than other online stores.  As an example the stacking connector we use is the same as the Arduino and on many sites it is over $0.50 USD.  We plan to sell this for $0.32.  The same thing goes for all the nice pluggable terminal blocks and whatever else we need.  We also need a large production run to offset the initial fees for doing board production.  In a small order the fees can be a significant portion of the overall cost. 

We can't wait to get these boards on the market and help others with their projects.  We would like to thank you for your consideration.