Designing a basic circuit board

[nz_climber]

All you want to do is a simple Analog to Digital Converter, these come in a single chip with a built in LCD display driver. Like the ICL7106 or similar (see the link below gives all the information and details)

http://www.intersil.com/products/deviceinfo.asp?pn=ICL7106

They are really cheap, all you need is that chip a LCD display, a few resistors, caps and 2 pots etc to set up the circuit, build it all on a small section of prototype PCB.

No programming required.

Edit:
Just searched Farnell electronics
ICL7106 Chip: $5:11

[Adoom]

1 x Arduino Prototype Board $US18.99
1 x 16x2 Serial LCD $US14.99
1 x Sensor Shield $US6.99 - not really necessary, just make it easier to wire up.

Postage $US11.00
Total $US51.99
~$NZ75
Add a box to house it, a couple of resistors and some wire should cost under $90.

I bought my Arduino stuff from http://www.mindkits.co.nz/
WAY easy to use.
They have a prototype board here http://www.mindkits.co.nz/_product_3624 ... Shield_Kit
$10 freight though.
Stuff arrives in a couple of days.

Every time I see stuff I want thats way cheaper in the US, the freight almost always makes it cost the same or more than if I bought it in NZ........
How long will it take to get here if the freight is only $11?

[Adoom]

Hang on! your first link isn't a prototype board!? Its an Arduino. $54.90 from MindKits.....or anywhere else in NZ

[sergei]

1 x Arduino Prototype Board $US18.99
1 x 16x2 Serial LCD $US14.99
1 x Sensor Shield $US6.99 - not really necessary, just make it easier to wire up.

Postage $US11.00
Total $US51.99
~$NZ75
Add a box to house it, a couple of resistors and some wire should cost under $90.

I bought my Arduino stuff from http://www.mindkits.co.nz/
WAY easy to use.
They have a prototype board here http://www.mindkits.co.nz/_product_3624 ... Shield_Kit
$10 freight though.
Stuff arrives in a couple of days.

Every time I see stuff I want thats way cheaper in the US, the freight almost always makes it cost the same or more than if I bought it in NZ........
How long will it take to get here if the freight is only $11?

Man this is awesome, it looks like I was doing it hard way.

[fivebob]

I bought my Arduino stuff from http://www.mindkits.co.nz/

That's where I bought my first one from too, then I started looking on EBay, way cheaper, I got a Mega1280 for $US33.50, and they're over $100 in NZ, (even found a source in China that sells them for around $US10, but that's in lots of 100). Most of it is made in China rather than the genuine Arduino stuff that's made in Italy. That said I haven't had any issues with the stuff I've bought.

How long will it take to get here if the freight is only $11?

About 5-10 days, it's shipped from Hong Kong by registered airmail post.

[fivebob]

Hang on! your first link isn't a prototype board!? Its an Arduino. $54.90 from MindKits.....or anywhere else in NZ

Technically it's known as a prototype board. You're supposed to use it to design the circuits then make you own PCB, but why bother when it's so cheap.

[pidge]

How about a 3 1/2 digit meter?

only catach is they measure 0-200mv, or 0-2V with the correct divider network.

http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=QP5570
http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=QP5580
http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=QP5585

[ChaosAD]

Or for the same price you could buy this
http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=KC5485

[Adoom]

I bought my Arduino stuff from http://www.mindkits.co.nz/

That's where I bought my first one from too, then I started looking on EBay, way cheaper, I got a Mega1280 for $US33.50, and they're over $100 in NZ, (even found a source in China that sells them for around $US10, but that's in lots of 100). Most of it is made in China rather than the genuine Arduino stuff that's made in Italy. That said I haven't had any issues with the stuff I've bought.

How long will it take to get here if the freight is only $11?

About 5-10 days, it's shipped from Hong Kong by registered airmail post.

So off topic..... did you make anything cool?

[fivebob]

So off topic..... did you make anything cool?

Not really, the main use I had for it was to take a transponder signal and use it as a lap timer for high speed models. I added some temp, humidity & pressure sensors ,a couple of debounced switches for manual stopwatch input, an onboard real time clock, SD card datalogging, a serial LCD, joystick and buttons to allow for data input and control when it's not connected to a PC. If I can get the windows software finished in time it might get used at this years world champs to replace the old DOS based system.

Apart from that I haven't done anything with it yet, though I have plans to write some code to log data from an ECU and reverse engineer the timing and fuel maps, and possibly to turn it into a scan tool

[Adoom]

So off topic..... did you make anything cool?

Not really, the main use I had for it was to take a transponder signal and use it as a lap timer for high speed models. I added some temp, humidity & pressure sensors ,a couple of debounced switches for manual stopwatch input, an onboard real time clock, SD card datalogging, a serial LCD, joystick and buttons to allow for data input and control when it's not connected to a PC. If I can get the windows software finished in time it might get used at this years world champs to replace the old DOS based system.

Apart from that I haven't done anything with it yet, though I have plans to write some code to log data from an ECU and reverse engineer the timing and fuel maps, and possibly to turn it into a scan tool

Ahhhhh, I'm making a robot/tank/mobilewebcamserver....thing(I don't know what I'm doing ). My webcam/webserver is a Beagleboard running Xubuntu. STEEEEEEP learning curve to get that working.

[cat007]

I think I'm going to go with the JayCar kit for $70

Much less hassle than spending $50 on parts and then try and put it together and then code it lol

Thanks for your help everyone

[ChaosAD]

Or if you havent already purchased the lc1, for about $70 extra you can get the lc1 and DB gauge together
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Performance/Electronics/auction-273163530.htm

[cat007]

Yeah. Except I bought the lc1 a while ago. It wasn't that cheap when I bought it lol