Custom electronic device with PCB?

[1etherer]

Hi,

I dont know where to look etc...

But I want to buy all parts or for someone / company to make the entire device that will operate a blind type shutter with 2 positions, open / close.

The reason I want a custom one built is because it will be a custom size (around the size on a ipad air) and will require custom fittings and a wiring to power it..

Anyone have any idea where to look / who to ask please let me know

I live in London

 

[carnageX]

Looked into Arduino boards? Raspberry Pi + Arduino + custom programming

Element14 should have most of what you need.

 

[Joe C]

Somebody's done that
Hunter Douglas Window Treatments
There's an app for Apple and Android

 

[TheDrunk]

Flex PCB Manufacturing Process - Material Preparation to Fabrication

 

[setishock]

@TheDrunk
Unless you're going to buy 10K or a 100K of those boards, farming it out is serious money.

@i2D
Running with CarnageX's suggestion, Adafriut has scaled down size wise Ardruino's. Sparkfun has some of the same. Parallax has the Basic and Basic II boards. They also carry a more powerful board called the Propeller. All of those boards will need motor driver breakout boards. You're going to need some programming skills in the languages they use.

The programmable boards would be the way to go IMO as not only are they inexpensive, but you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

 

[1etherer]

Thanks everyone,

Is the programming lang easy to understand, just to set a open / close function? Im not really into PCB so a complete newb to making my own etc..

So was hoping for prebuilt parts what i can put together, e.g. circuit board with attached wiring etc, motor to control shutter (allows say a blind to roll down to a certain length then back up to default ... The frames and materials for my device I can source and build myself, its just the electronic side of it...

Am I asking to much? will I need to most likely build it all myself and learn the programming?

 

[setishock]

Got to start somewhere. Check over at Adafruit. She's got all kinds of tuts.

 

[carnageX]

Thanks everyone,

Is the programming lang easy to understand, just to set a open / close function? Im not really into PCB so a complete newb to making my own etc..
<snip>
Am I asking to much? will I need to most likely build it all myself and learn the programming?

Depends on the board you get really. Something like an RPi will be in C, C++, or maybe Python (or something similar). If you us an FPGA, you'll most likely need to learn a HDL (Hardware Descriptor Language) like VHDL or Verilog, where you make digital circuits on the FPGA.

 

[setishock]

I'd stick with the Arduino's then. There's sketches you can get all ready to load and run. And there's world wide support for the board. Plus there's more programmable I/O pins than most boards. And they're inexpensive. If you smoke one it doesn't break the bank to replace it.

 

[root]

But I want to buy all parts or for someone / company to make the entire device that will operate a blind type shutter with 2 positions, open / close.

The reason I want a custom one built is because it will be a custom size (around the size on a ipad air) and will require custom fittings and a wiring to power it..

what's the function?
you mean open the blinds in the day when it is light and close them at night / when dark? open close on a time schedule?

Or you just want a button for open and a button for close?

When you say blind shutter, you mean like in a home? roller blind or Venetian blind?
Or are you talking about shop front security shutter type blinds?

You want it wired in? wired into what? mains? battery?



if you don't want to keep intellectual property rights on the design the open source hardware park do multilayer boards small volume / cheap (ish)

https://oshpark.com/

That's $5 per square inch, (around $20-$30 for a (3 copies) credit card sized board) plus delivery to the UK...

or, you can make your own boards,
Maplin sells plain copper board, etch resist pens and ferric chloride. (they also sell prototype strip board.) if you want to get more pro about it. then for your minimum.