Thread: Automated Router table

Mike thank you for the reply, please take care of yourself, i'm in no hurry personally at the moment, a mile of things on the go but when you are back i would really appreciate the software as i'm 100% locked into building an automated table now. I've gone right through the excellent manual you have already done, far better than anything i could have turned out and it will be of major help....
I am thinking that if i can remember enough PCB design stuff and my design software still runs i'm thinking about doing up a full connection interface board ... maybe i'm kidding myself
I didn't realise this was a ST Micro board but they seem to have dropped me off there list of developers.... it's been a few years
I just ordered a H743zI2 direct from STI, a few dollars more than element14 but st ship direct via DHL and i don't currently have an element14 account.
Again take care
Thanks
Phil

Apart from the CPU board, there are two circuit boards needed to allow a wireless connection between the LCD Display and CPU board, one is a tiny adaptor board to connect the LCD to a "Back pack board". The adaptor board is available with connectors for very low cost. The complete Gerber files for the Back Pack PCB are free and can be uploaded to a Circuit board supplier to produce a low cost blank PCB. The backpack board has nothing on it apart from the connectors, it mates the CPU connectors to the LCD adaptor. So everything just plugs together. That only leaves the Router table control interface board. I made this on Vero board, so you would have no trouble designing an interface board, this would be the ideal situation as you would be bringing it down to almost a kit form construction.

The CPU board sits between the Back pack PCB and the Interface PCB. Both boards plug into the same CPU through board Plug/Socket connectors. I can supply an enlarged overlay of the CPU connectors with all connections labelled, this ties in with the interface board connection circuit in the Manual, it should be relatively simple to come up with an interface PCB.

Mike.

Thanks Mike, i'm quoting below just to leave context for when you get some keyboard time again.

Originally Posted by MandJ

Apart from the CPU board, there are two circuit boards needed to allow a wireless connection between the LCD Display and CPU board, one is a tiny adaptor board to connect the LCD to a "Back pack board". The adaptor board is available with connectors for very low cost.

The initial though is if this is easy to source then it's better just left as it's own board.

Originally Posted by MandJ

That only leaves the Router table control interface board. I made this on Vero board, so you would have no trouble designing an interface board, this would be the ideal situation as you would be bringing it down to almost a kit form construction.
The CPU board sits between the Back pack PCB and the Interface PCB. Both boards plug into the same CPU through board Plug/Socket connectors. I can supply an enlarged overlay of the CPU connectors with all connections labelled, this ties in with the interface board connection circuit in the Manual, it should be relatively simple to come up with an interface PCB.
Mike.

Shipping info tells me that DHL will deliver the newer H743ZI2 later next week and i'll grab the datasheet today, meant to download last night. The enlarged overlay would be great and i can do a compare to the newer board. My initial thought would be to ribbon cable the boards together allowing for some flexibility in mounting. This could also open up adding the backpack board into the design so we drop to a single real word interface board.

I hadn't realised that you had a wireless connection between the CPU and LCD - is there a wired option as well? Thinking about wireless noisy environments ... I've been heavily involved in xmas light control and the use of wireless for control has generally been a no go for control between the controller and the lights

anyway the brain is just trying to determine potential connections and connector types as well.

Cheers
Phil

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

I hadn't realised that you had a wireless connection between the CPU and LCD - is there a wired option as well? Thinking about wireless noisy environments ... I've been heavily involved in xmas light control and the use of wireless for control has generally been a no go for control between the controller and the lights
Cheers
Phil

I used wireless instead of wire less, as in no connecting leads. As I said, the 3 boards just plug together. that only leaves the interface board (vero in my case) which also plugs into the CPU board. No inter connecting ribbon cable or leads. It's that simple interface board that should be converted to a PCB design.

You cannot successfully connect the CPU board to the LCD display with a ribbon cable, the image will be corrupted (even with a very short lead) hence the need for the backpack PCB and the tiny display adaptor PCB.

Mike.