Experimental Incubator/ei prototype designing
One of the most important things which we have to decide on is "how do we want to do it?" meaning mostly in this case the practical way of building up a prototype. Below are suggested strategies.
Short time goal - next event - 30c3
I (Algoldor) will give "official" talk on the project of Experimental Incubator build up at 30c3 at the end of December. We need to have some prototyping models present, we will also give a workshop on what we are up to. So for now next step is to make a list (below) and order the parts which we need to build one or two "models/kits" and test them, ordering larger quantity for 30c3, 5-10x. We have around 30 days to take care about all of that, page below is mostly about that.
- Industrial prototyping
Inspired by my (Algoldor's) friend Arnd I would suggest to go what he explained to me as an "industrial prototyping". Simplified: get well supported and functional parts for bit of extra cash and build up the first functional prototype from them. Afterwards when the prototype is working, start to break it down part by part redesigning them or using another cheaper/more feasible variants shaping the incubator to your like, bringing the costs down. This approach seems to be bit more expensive to start with but it ensures that even less experienced contributors to the project would be able to build their functional experimental machine having than what to work with which I think is crucial. For more info please check this page created at Techinc hackerspace by Arnd.
Parts suggested for ei prototype build based on industrial prototyping scheme
| Component | Function | Model Specifications | Amount | Cost (€) | Purchase links | Component Suggested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atmega328P-PU | brain of control unit | ??? | 1x | 4 | Amazon | Arnd |
| Arduino prototyping shield | for easy prototyping | ??? | 1x | 6 | ??? | Arnd |
| LCD Display | display data | ??? | 1x | 7 | DX | Arnd |
| button-switches | set input/output values | ??? | 6x | 0.60 | Amazon | Arnd |
| Power-supply-logic | connect to power | ??? | ??? | 4 | ??? | Arnd |
| Connectors for temp-probes | connect the temp-probes | ??? | 2x | 1 | ??? | Arnd |
| Temperature sensors | to measure temp. | ??? | 2x | 4-9 | DX | Arnd |
| PCB board | to mount the parts | ??? | 1x | 3 | Amazon] | Arnd |
| Solid state relay | switch on/off 220V elements | ??? | 2x | 6-10 | ??? | Arnd |
| Bread board | to set up prototype | ??? | 1x | 6 | Amazon | Algoldor |
| Jump wires | connect components | ??? | ??? | 5 | Amazon | Algoldor |
| Arduino Ethernet shield (optional) | connect to Internet | ??? | 1x | 20 | Amazon | Algoldor |
So what is missing and what is unnecessary?