v0.5 (PCB + Mechanics)
This is the latest design using hall-effect sensors (rather than IR reflectance sensors), and also includes a slightly refreshed controller PCB design.
Note that the controller PCB changes are considered minor and unrelated to the sensor change. That is, you can use the new hall-effect sensors with older controller boards, and likewise, the new controller design will still work with the older IR reflectance sensors.
Major changes:
- PCB for sensors is now a separate, panelized design, rather than an alternate configuration on half of the controller PCB. For small quantities, they're available in inexpensive packs of 4 on Tindie so you don't have to order a full panelized pack of 200 of them. You can also now omit the sensor PCB entirely if desired, as documented in the wiki
- Mechanical design updated for hall-effect sensor board and magnet
Minor changes:
- Controller PCB now has a jumper to optionally power the Arduino from the Motor supply (so it can be used without being plugged into USB)
- Controller PCB now plugs into additional Arduino pins for better physical stability
- Controller PCB now has better mounting holes, including holes to optionally attach it to the Arduino using standoffs
- Controller PCB now has a pull-down resistor on the sensor input shift register to avoid phantom inputs when expansion boards aren't connected
- Mechanical design now includes inter-module connector pieces for optionally joining adjacent modules