• Casing update and: What license to choose?

    Alex365 • 12/10/2014 at 22:28 • 0 comments

    I have updated the casing to it's final state (until now). Since I haven't found any suitable hinges (easily available), the lid will be attached with fabric tape.

    The PCB will get a buzzer, for audible notification, that the exposure is finished and maybe a led row in green/red in the bend-wood part of the casing, to see the state of the machine from a distance.

    One problem I have encountered, while publishing the .dxf files, is an appropriate license. I want everyone to use the designs and replicate them for private or educational use, but I'd like to have control over, wether someone earns money with it. All licenses I have found so far are quite restrictive. It's mostly all or nothing. Is there a license, that gives me the possibilites I want?

  • Custom PCB finished

    Alex365 • 11/27/2014 at 23:37 • 4 comments

    This is the Arduino Shield for the UV Exposure Unit. It should be the first PCB you create on the UV Exposure Unit and from there on you can use it to create even more PCBs; )

  • Git, Casing update, custom PCB

    Alex365 • 11/26/2014 at 17:13 • 0 comments

    While my initial goal was to create a UV Exposure Unit to produce a custom PCB for a beamer, which I have achieved, it's now time to make the entire unit available for everyone.

    I have set up a Git repository for the project. I will upload the .dxf files for the casing and the code, that I've already uploaded here.

    Furthermore I'm planning to create a custom PCB for the UV Exposure Unit. While a Arduino is quite nice, a custom PCB saves space inside the box and makes it more compact.

    EDIT: DXF-Files uploaded. I'm still searching for a proper license for the project...

  • First exposure:

    Alex365 • 11/23/2014 at 14:26 • 0 comments

    The right most exposure time was 13 minutes. It still seems to be underexposed. The letters on the left have sharp edges, so the distance of the leds to the board seems to be sufficient. I'm currently using H2O2 + HCl for etching.

  • The Box is working - time to finish it!

    Alex365 • 11/21/2014 at 14:45 • 0 comments

    The Exposure Unit is working as intended! New Case and a clean PCB for the electronics and it's finished. Once everything is finished, I will release all files.

  • Programming finished!

    Alex365 • 11/20/2014 at 23:13 • 0 comments 

    /*
Platinenbelichter V0.1 (UV Exposure Unit)

Acts as a timer for PCB exposure. The leds are controlled by a FET.
Furthermore a 16x2 Character LCD and three push buttons are connected.

The circuit:
* LCD RS pin to digital pin 12
* LCD Enable pin to digital pin 11
* LCD DO4 pin to digital pin 5
* LCD DO5 pin to digital pin 4
* LCD DO6 pin to digital pin 3
* LCD DO7 pin to digital pin 2
* LCD R/W pin to ground
*Push button to digital pin8 / 9 / 10

Copyright: Alexander Kroth 2014

*/

//include LCD library
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

//include Debounce library
#include <Bounce2.h>

//LCD initilization
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);

//Button pin definition
const int MinButtonP = 8;
const int SecButtonP = 9;
const int StartButtonP = 10;

//FET pin definition
const int FetP = 13;

//Timer variable
unsigned long current_time;
unsigned long termination_time;

int Min_Set = 0;
int Sec_Set = 0;
int Min_Cur = 0;
int Sec_Cur = 0;

boolean running;

//Initialize button objects
Bounce MinButton = Bounce();
Bounce SecButton = Bounce();
Bounce StartButton = Bounce();

void setup() {
  
  //Pin Setup
  
  pinMode(MinButtonP, INPUT);
  digitalWrite(MinButtonP, HIGH);
  
  pinMode(SecButtonP, INPUT);
  digitalWrite(SecButtonP, HIGH);
  
  pinMode(StartButtonP, INPUT);
  digitalWrite(StartButtonP, HIGH);
  
  pinMode(FetP, OUTPUT);
  
  //Button debouncing using Bounce 2 from thomasfredericks
  
  MinButton.attach(MinButtonP);
  MinButton.interval(100);
  
  
  SecButton.attach(SecButtonP);
  SecButton.interval(100);
  
  
  StartButton.attach(StartButtonP);
  StartButton.interval(100);
  
  
  
  //Row and columns setup of LCD
  lcd.begin(16,2);
  //Startup Screen
  lcd.print("Platinen-");
  lcd.setCursor(0,1);
  lcd.print("Belichter");
  lcd.setCursor(0,0);
  delay(2000);
  
  //Prepare Display
  lcd.print("Dauer           ");
  lcd.setCursor(0,1);
  lcd.print("Min. 00 Sec. 00 ");
  
}
  
void loop() {
  
  //Button Updates
  MinButton.update();
  SecButton.update();
  StartButton.update();
  
  running = false;
  
  
  
  //Info Screen
  if(MinButton.read() == false && SecButton.read() == false && StartButton.read() == false) {
    lcd.setCursor(0,0);
    lcd.print("Hackaday.io     ");
    lcd.setCursor(0,1);
    lcd.print("Alexander Kroth ");
    delay(2000);
    
    lcd.setCursor(0,0);
    lcd.print("Dauer           ");
    lcd.setCursor(0,1);
    lcd.print("Min. 00 Sec. 00 ");
    
    Min_Set--;
    Sec_Set--;
    running = true;
    
    if(Min_Set < 10) {
      
      lcd.setCursor(6,1);
      lcd.print(Min_Set);
    }
    else {
      lcd.setCursor(5,1);
      lcd.print(Min_Set);
    }
  
    if(Sec_Set < 10) {
      
      lcd.setCursor(14,1);
      lcd.print(Sec_Set);
    }
    else {
      lcd.setCursor(13,1);
      lcd.print(Sec_Set);
    }
  }
  
  
  //Reset time
  if(MinButton.read() == false && SecButton.read() == false) {

    
    Min_Set = -1;
    Sec_Set = -1;
    lcd.setCursor(0,1);
    lcd.print("Min. 00 Sec. 00 ");

  } 
  
  
  //Increment minutes
  //Check wether exposure is running and rising edge was detected
  if(MinButton.rose() == true) {
    //Increase minutes to expose
    Min_Set++;
    
    //Maximum of 99 minutes, seriously, no one needs more?
    if(Min_Set > 99) {
      Min_Set = 99;
    }
    
    //Move cursor to position the numbers
    if(Min_Set < 10) {
      
      lcd.setCursor(6,1);
      lcd.print(Min_Set);
    }
    else {
      lcd.setCursor(5,1);
      lcd.print(Min_Set);
    }
  }
  
  
  
  
  //Increment seconds
  //Check wether exposure is running and rising edge was detected
  if(SecButton.rose() == true) {
    Sec_Set++;
    
    //Seconds overflow and Cursor correction
    if(Sec_Set > 59) {
      Sec_Set = 0;
      lcd.setCursor(13,1);
      lcd.print("00");
    }
    
    //Move cursor to position the numbers
    if(Sec_Set < 10) {
      
      lcd.setCursor(14,1);
      lcd.print(Sec_Set);
    }
    else {
      lcd.setCursor(13,1);
      lcd.print(Sec_Set);
    }
  }
  
  
  //Start exposure
  if(running == false && StartButton.rose() == true) {
    //Calculate end time of exposure
    termination_time = millis()/1000 + Min_Set * 60 + Sec_Set;
    
    //Inform user of exposure
    lcd.setCursor(0,0);
    lcd.print("Belichtung      ");
    lcd.setCursor(0,1);
    lcd.print("00:00 / 00:00    ");
    if(Min_Set < 10) {
      
      lcd.setCursor(9,1);
      lcd.print(Min_Set);
    }
    else {
 lcd.setCursor(...
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