Project Backgrounds Some background information about my projects

Physical properties

Mounted flush within a galley wall

One of the main properties of an electronic design is its housing. Most electronic products are designed with some kind of container around them. But I always disliked this kind of designs. Here are some reasons:

• A "boxed" product leaves the wires in sight, which might be acceptable for an engine room, but less desirable in a nice "navigation corner".
• Many "boxed" products have the wires leaving the container "on the wrong side".
• Often the wire terminals are somewhere inside the box, you have to open it to access them (which often means you have to dismount the entire thing).
• It makes the whole thing more bulky. And "space" is a thing on many yachts.
• A proprietary box makes the product more expensive.

So I came up with a design which is more "open", where the circuit board is attached to a front panel that is larger than the circuit board. This leaves a "flange" all around for mounting.

Now you have more options for mounting my products:

• If you want to mount the product inside a cabinet or in the engine room, or prefer to have a box around it for some other reason, you can just buy a generic "electric installation box" at any hardware shop, cut an opening on the front which is large enough to get the circuit board through, and use four screws on the corner of the front panel to secure it and cover the cutout. You can then drill holes for the wires, exactly at the side where you want them to leave the box, and optionally use rubber grommets to waterproof the whole thing.
• If you want to mount the product inside a panel, you just cut a hole in the panel large enough to get the circuit board through, and have the front panel flush with the panel, and have the flanges cover the cutout. You can either use screws or some glue to secure the product.
• Some of my products which don't have a display can actually be mounted reversed by using the "front panel" as a mounting base which you just screw against the wall or wiring board or something.

Your benefits are:

• More versatility, more mounting options.
• A tidier installation. I use the "panel" style wherever possible, even in the engine room, and have all the cables out of sight.
• Cost savings, you don't have to pay for a especially designed box when you don't need it.

Note the mounting flanges. On the rear of the front panels there are drill marks, in case you want to use screws to secure the product.

Touch buttons

Over the years I lived on board, I discovered that may electronic products fail at some point because one of the buttons becomes unreliable. It should not come as a surprise, after all it is a mechanical part with a limited lifetime, with an opening around it, often operated by wet salty fingers.

Another failure mode is that the button, although it sticks through the front panel, is actually mounted on the circuit board, and every time you press that button, you put pressure on the circuit board, which bends the tinny copper traces and solder joints until they give up the smoke.

So, in my designs I use touch buttons. They are waterproof, any pressure is released by the front panel instead of being transferred onto the circuit board, and there is no mechanical wear. My products should last a long time.

Open Source

Some of my projects are open source projects. Open source means sharing the entire project recipe with the rest of the world. Yes, this means that everybody can duplicate my design, and I even assist you in doing so!

Why open source?

• I used knowledge shared by others to learn what I needed to learn to create these projects. This way I forward the favor.
• I want you to trust these projects. Everyone with some technical knowledge can verify that my design is doing indeed what I claim it does, and is free of errors.
• There might be people who can improve and/or contribute to a project. That would be a win for all of us. At least my products would be an example of "how to do it right" for others who want to design their own product.
• Writing code is a piece of art, but usually nobody sees the code. I want to proudly show it to the world.
• I don't want anyone to file a patent for my (or similar) ideas. I hereby deliver proof of my concept and by this secure it for the future, free for all to continue to build upon.
• In the end, I still can benefit from these projects, because you might choose to buy a pre-assembled, calibrated and tested sample from me. Or one of my other electronic marine products. Or just simply buy me a beer.

Then why are not all projects open source?

• Some of my projects contain microscopic parts that are impossible to hand solder, for which there exists unfortunately no DIY alternatives. It is not worth the effort to publish an open source project that nobody can duplicate or home build anyway.
• Some of my projects interface with other equipment via a proprietary protocol, which can not be disclosed.

Kit versions

If you have some basic technical knowledge and skills, like to tinker, but still want to end up with a tidy installation, buying a "kit version" might be the way to go. It is fun to build and you save some $$$ too. I know many cruisers live on a tight budget; Instead of paying someone to do the end assembly, I'm giving that money to you as a discount.

The kit contains the circuit board with all small (SMD) components already professionally soldered onto it, and all the necessary hardware like front panel, LCD, etc.

All you need to do is to attach the self adhesive mounting feet onto the marked positions of the panels, click the LCD onto the circuit board and solder its pins, solder the LED, attach the front panel, upload the software into the processor with the Arduino-IDE, and you are ready to go. Of course you are free to modify the provided open source software if you wish so.

I provide a detailed assembly instructions page for every kit. You might look at the associated page first to see what it entails to build the kit.

Typically, the screw terminals are not supplied in a kit version, as you might opt to solder all wiring directly onto the circuit board for more reliable connections, or want to use some multi pin quick connect connector instead. And my savings on the screw terminals is another reason why I can give you the discounted price for the kit.