📟 Patchworks

This project consists of a set of custom electronics prototyping boards designed for testing and monitoring purposes. Each board features:

• An LCD display
• Voltage, current, and power (V/A/W) gauges
• 3.3V, 5V, and VCC rails (5–12 VDC) for the dual 830 tie-point breadboards
• A main ATmega328P Arduino Uno R3 for system monitoring (e.g., temperature and fan control for the regulator)
• A bare ATmega-based Arduino Nano for breadboard-level microcontroller experimentation
• A bare PIC16F887-IP for similar breadboard-based development (MPLAB X + PICkit 3)

These boards supplement a larger bench setup and include Wi-Fi extensions and additional prototyping space.

📐 A schematic (KiCad 9) has been uploaded so I don't forget the circuit. 🙂

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⚙️ General Operation

• Only one power source should be used at a time (battery or DC input)

  • It is safe to power the Arduino units via USB, regardless of which external power source is selected

• A pushbutton is used to:

  • Initiate a POST (Power-On Self-Test)
  • Verify the regulated VCC before engaging the power-on latch

• Holding the button after POST completes will engage the power-on latch

• The power-on latch is managed by the main Arduino Uno, allowing it to shut down automatically under certain fault conditions (currently based on temperature)

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🧰 Bench Layout Overview

• Front row (to back):

  • 7Driver
  • Squarely
  • Two Patchworks (this repo), featuring Wi-Fi extensions and the bare PIC MCUs

• Left side:

  • Wattson

• Right side:

  • Christmas tree

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