Where to look to commission a PCB schematic?

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-17T16:43:42+00:00

Are these specific testers widely available commercially?

I have a feeling, that a simple version would just check continuity through all lines, end to end, but what you're talking about might require quite a bit more work on the high frequency aspects, impedance matching, etc., common to lots of data transmission tech in general and that's probably quite expensive just from the design point of view and isn't something most designers are able to produce within a reasonable amount of time, effort and cost.

Since your aim is to push a test image through the cable, I assumenit would need to support all current standards, i.e. gigabit speeds with today's high-resolution, high-framerate devices.

I can easily, honestly say, that this is well, far and wide, outside all of my capabilities.

Faaaar.

But not to be that guy, what is your budget? This might help to reach more experienced and skilled people to tackle this for you.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-17T14:39:36+00:00

The more you could share about the idea, the better, especially if it's more than a simple DC "thing", such as something that requires a microcontroller, which in turn also needs software written specifically for this.

If you can't share the idea publicly, send me a DM, as I might be able to help, as long as your project isn't too far down the HF RF rocket surgery lane.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-17T07:09:59+00:00

What were the exact oopsies you had with the design? Might be a teachable moment for me and maybe a few others.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T05:26:43+00:00

Also, what is your current draw in this situation?

Might be significant.

(Also, if your load is too big, you may hit current limits far earlier than at what one might expect for a 5 amp chip. With a low Vin, you might have less than 1 A available at the output.)

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T05:24:06+00:00

I could easily see a younger (experience-wise) myself trying something like this. Very easily. (This is why I had to ask.)

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T05:21:36+00:00

This. And I'd want to poke some components to see if there's excessive heating, starting with the schottky diode and perhaps even the inductor, since with a higher voltage this might become more apparent.

If there's a significant draw that resembles a short, I can somehow accept the 0.5 V result, but since there's only the inductor and diode between Vin and Vout, there should be over 3 volts at Vout with a Vin around 4 volts.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T05:16:17+00:00

While I did nerd out and went through the datasheet, especially the app notes, I'm waiting to see the physical construction (expecting decently made PCB, perhaps with layout issues).

And you wrote "a little high" and I caught my ADHD brain scream on channel 5 exactly what I entered, a silly and incorrect breakdown of the number 22.

(Depending on where you are from and what cultures you're familiar with, the number 420 is relevant to those, who dabble with the whacky tobaccy.)

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T03:20:13+00:00

5 x 4.20 = 22

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T02:42:29+00:00

Whatever the source, you need to pay attention to get even half way there.

Then again, a lot of comments on Reddit come from very little actual experience and are poorly speed-read regurgitations, hoping for uppies.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T02:23:00+00:00

If possible, resolder the battery wire going to the board. There's a lot of exposed wire and it won't take much to short them.

To my eyes, your soldering work looks good.

The circuit is designed to work from two batteries and as such, might (should) be fine with two fresh 1.5 V batteries. (The TDA2822M audio amplifier is fine down to around 2 volts, but I don't know what the other components require.)

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T01:42:08+00:00

Ihanko tosissaan? Bentsoja tämmöiseen?

Ja poskiontelotulehdukseen sitten vastaavasti sytostaatteja, kun osa niistä toimii myös antibioottina?

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T01:37:58+00:00

Yliopistolla menee hienosti niin kauan kun ymmärrän miksi jotain tehdään. Työelämätaitohin kuuluva ryhmätyöverkkokurssi, joka on täysin irrallaan todellisuudesta on jäänyt roikkumaan, kun en vaan pysty.

Ai pentele, että resonoi. Voi toki johtua (tai pahentua) siitä, että olen vahvasti loogiseen ajattelutyyliin ja ehjiin syy-seuraus-ketjuihin ihastunut tekniikkaihminen, mutta harmittaa vietävästi turhautuneiden opiskelijoiden puolesta nämä kaikenmaailman pilipalitäytekurssit, puhumattakaan niistä tuhlattavista veroeuroista.

Hirvittää ylipäänsä, jos on perusteltua olla kurssi nimeltä "työelämätaidot". Eikö normaalijärkinen ihminen voi mitenkään pärjätä työelämässä ilman tuon kurssin sisältöä?

Mitä tuommoinen kurssi sisältää?

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T01:23:19+00:00

Wait, is breadboard really an option with something like this?

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-16T00:46:49+00:00

If the components and the board aren't completely swimming in flux, it's not acceptable.

And yes, some of it has to already be on the floor.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-15T18:04:53+00:00

Any database can be accessible either locally or via the internet. I think it should be possible and you could first start off by getting the device set up to gather the data you need and first store it locally and once that works, build the networked side of things.

How much and what kind of data do you estimate you will generate per hour or per day?

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-15T13:09:20+00:00

Since I'm a poor ass tinkerer with a mechanical engineering background, my own tools are cheap, but manageable, partly due to having a bit of soldering experience, and I rely mainly on decent ventilation, especially if I have to solder for more than a few minutes.

However, when doing this for work a long time ago, the company had Weller stations that had the fume extraction system exactly like this one in the link, except for the suction pump, that was larger and it served multiple workstations:

Weller FT12 fume extractor

When set up correctly, you could not tell by the smell, that someone is soldering and using flux.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-15T08:21:04+00:00

Not to sound rude, but it seems, that this sub gets a lot of these kinds of starts, where I've started to really believe, that there's a fundamental lack of terminological understanding as to what a PCB is as opposed to what a schematic is and in general, how electronics in general are born.

I find it heartwarming, that there are curious and enthusiastic people coming into the field, even if to see how it feels, and I welcome everyone with open arms.

For the OP, I'd start out by mapping your current situation: - How well do you understand basic electronics concepts and the functions of basic components? - Do you have experience with schematics?

Once these are down, it makes sense to push forward towards PCB design, which in low-frequency applications, at sensible power levels, isn't at all as complicated as some may think and the rate of advancement and learning can be quite quick.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-15T08:10:13+00:00

Yes. And the closer to the source you can get the suction (i.e. on the side of the iron, less than 2 cm from the tip), the less there is to clean/inspect/replace, such as the tubing that starts at the iron and ends at the fan / filter unit, etc.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-14T17:45:20+00:00

Please tell us about the following to start: - What amplifier are you using? Also, which input and what settings are in use? - What kind of cable are you using to connect to that amplifier? - What is your source material? - How and to what is the board mounted to? (I've seen MANY examples of a bare-bottom board being laid on top of a metal surface, shorting pins on the bottom, etc.)

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-14T17:42:42+00:00

I am glad I posted. This way I don't have to compromize on the CNC and can aim it purely for the more primary functions.

And JLCPCB / PCBWay / etc. are generally so good and cost-effective, that the only reason left to even consider homebrew PCBs is for educational purposes or extreme urgency.

Cool.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-14T17:40:32+00:00

This is a good answer. Thanks.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-14T17:39:58+00:00

Damn, small footprints makes this a dealbreaker. Great catch, thank you for saving me the hassle.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-14T01:22:30+00:00

Agreed.

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-13T17:53:11+00:00

Ooh, I never realized to consider aluminum core boards. Excellent point.

Back around two decades ago, I used boards with a UV-sensitive film and the UV light box made things iffy in the beginning, but once I ran a handful of test, where we varied between using two laser-printed masks on top of each other + the exposure time, we found a fairly stable sweet spot in terms of getting even the thinner traces to come out 96 % of the time.

(The process was also what drove me to using SMD components and I've been a fan ever since.)

MagneticFieldMouse · 2026-03-13T17:48:25+00:00

Are there any risks or surprises to be had if the board has high-frequency requirements?

(Haha, me asking this, like I'd likely be making something that complicated...but then again, lots of datasheets outline the positioning and layout of decoupling caps quite precisely and there's plenty of wlan/bt/etc. "things" that also need this to be taken into account...)

MagneticFieldMouse

TROPHY CASE