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A project log for New PCB For Calculator Watch

I like to call this my smart watch, as it can calculate numbers and show the time

davedarkodavedarko 07/25/2021 at 12:314 Comments

The original footprint of the keyboard buttons comes in these interlocking C-shapes. New to KiCad I wondered if it would be even possible to generate something like this. Turns out you can create custom shaped footprints like this in the footprint editor. One catch, you have to work around a standard pad and add to it. At first I was drawing the complete shape and had a 2mm x 2mm right in the center.

I still need to design and replace footprints here and there, but I wanted to see some renders, so I gave everything a fitting part. The USB micro-B is a storage driven choice. Since all this is open source you're free to change it to whatever plug is to your liking! There are copper bits in the drill holes, I need to fix that.

Discussions

Xasin wrote 07/26/2021 at 08:08 point

That's a cute little thing - I think I still have a very similar calculator wristwatch somewhere, perhaps I could pull off something similar...
Not sure what for, but... Why not :P

One note BTW, perhaps this footprint is a good candidate for the #SOICbite Programming/Debug Connector Footprint 
I
 used it on my recent SmartHome project, and it's quite compact and works well so far. Perhaps it'd let you save a bit of space here as well?

And I gotta see and hope that you get IrDA or similar working, because my smart home has a 40kHz receiver so... Could mess around with that a bit >:3

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davedarko wrote 07/26/2021 at 08:32 point

that's a cool footprint for programming, definitely, but I might have no room for it and have to stick to small pads and poky probes :D I could maybe shift the IR module or add that footprint at the bottom. Will think about it, thx

I'll see how far I get with everything and then think about sending some boards to people, but that might be far in the future :)

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Xasin wrote 07/26/2021 at 09:21 point

Poky probes are cute too ^^

Oh don't worry, I'd probably just solder things up myself, maybe modify the PCB shape a bit in case it doesn't fit in the watch I have here ^^'
And I wouldn't even need a receiver, just a small IR LED as transmitter.

Heh, maybe it could serve as an auxiliary keyboard for my #TapV2 badge since it has an IR receiver...

Oh, and if you do manage to fit an IR transmitter in there, I bet one super useful application would be a universal TV off-switch :P

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davedarko wrote 07/25/2021 at 13:23 point

In case anyone noticed, the buttons for 7 and 9 are now fixed

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