pmw
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| posted on 26/8/08 at 03:33 PM |
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Any electronics experts out there (PCB building)
I've been looking to snoop CAN-bus messages between by dash and engine ECU. Have got software done to do all this via a borrowed USB<->CAN
interface, but now looking to get hold of my own device. Having looked on the web they're pretty expensive, but have found a design here
http://www.mictronics.de/?page=can_bus
Does anyone have a feel for how complex it would be to build?
Just a case of getting bits from RS, the PCB printed and a bit of soldering ?
cheers
[Edited on 26/8/08 by pmw]
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tegwin
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| posted on 26/8/08 at 03:46 PM |
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It doesnt look too complicated....at quick glance...
But getting the microcontroler to talk to your USB controler might be a PITA....
Have you looked on ebay?.....The USB-CAN bus connector I bought to link to my old mans Toureag didnt cost very much!
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Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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nick205
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| posted on 26/8/08 at 03:54 PM |
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Looking at the PCB info it's a double sided surface mount design. Getting a low quantity of PCBs made isn't cheap and hand soldering
surface mount components can also be difficult to do without experience and the correct soldering tools.
Don't know how much the devic costs, but on balance it may be cheaper and more reliable than building it yourself.
If you weren't fussed on looks you might be able to build a thru-hole vero board version, but even that might be tricky as some components may
not have a direct equivalent in thru hole format.
That said, it is quite a rewarding process to get PCBs made and then assemble by hand - especially if they work first time 
Edit to say...
02GF74 on this forum seems to have some electronics and circuit design knowledge, might be worth a quick U2U
[Edited on 26/8/08 by nick205]
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rf900rush
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| posted on 26/8/08 at 04:42 PM |
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PCB's from Here
Will cost approx £40 + vat + Del for one
and £55 +vat + del for 5
Note their express service is PCB only no silk screens or solder resist.
Soldering not easy as mentioned above.
Plus you need to check you software will work with their system.
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tegwin
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| posted on 29/8/08 at 01:05 PM |
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Good god thats expensive!!
If you have the artwork all drawn up, or a straightforward schematic I can manufacture single sided boards for a lot less on a small scale!!!
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Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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Rod Ends
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 posted on 29/8/08 at 04:05 PM |
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quote:
Incidentally, our sister magazine Elektor will publish a design for a USB/CAN converter (compatible with both Windows and Linux operating systems)
soon.
Thanks to a special USB chip and a CAN transceiver, the circuit stayed nice and compact. The recommended software Tiny-CAN View turns sending and
receiving data through the bus into a breeze, thanks to its user friendly interface. Filtering and saving data from the CAN is also a piece of cake.
It goes without saying that the USB/CAN adapter also takes care of a decent galvanic separation between the CAN-bus and the PC environment.
If all goes well, the adapter should appear in the 2008 September edition of Elektor. The hardware will be available as a Do-It-Yourself kit, with all
the SMD components pre-mounted. So make sure you don't miss the Elektor September edition 2008!
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 29/8/08 at 04:29 PM |
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http://www.olimex.com/pcb/index.html
They will do a double sided 160mm x 100mm board with silkscreen for 30 euro. You could panelise your PCB and get several out of this size board and
flog them to others to recoup some money.
Soldering the larger surface mount parts (i.e. nothing smaller than 0603 resistors/caps, and SOT23 packages etc) is quite easy as long as you have a
fine tipped soldering iron and you use the correct liquid flux (not using flux, or using fluxed solder makes things much more difficult). An
illuminated magnifier is a great help, but a stereo microscope makes things even easier.
Even soldering the IC that have fine pitch legs is not too difficult, the flux helps stop any bridging.
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Bob C
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| posted on 29/8/08 at 11:35 PM |
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My mate makes PCBs at home using laser print on photo paper - this contact prints onto copper clad board if you iron it & the toner makes an
excellent etch resist.
He has also made double sided but it's a lot of faff & you have tosolder wires through vias on both sides + it's really tricky to get
alignment good.
Soldering surface mount - as said above use a magnifier & fine iron & good old lead solder (lead free is pants). Bridged joints on chips are
easily made good with the solder wick braid stuff
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