`  Trainer4Edu.com  SmallPICO.com   Nanoboy.com   Flappy Bird
 

 

NanoboyPICO-V3-02  assembly instructions:

The NanoboyPICO-V3-02 board is pre-loaded with a test sketch and it will blink all output pins including the user LED (GPIO13).
Before soldering 2 male headers make sure that the NanoboyPICO-V3-02 board can blink the GPIO13 LED with your Arduino IDE.
If it can't, troubleshoot the problem first before going further.
If you can't blink-a-LED before soldering, you won't be able to blink-a-LED after soldering. 

  1.  Parts included in the package:

One NanoboyPICO-V3-02 board.
Two 1x17 right-angle male headers
.
Two 1x14 female headers.
One 2-pin JST connector, 2mm pitch.
 

     
  2  Place the shorter end of the 1x17 right angle male header on a prototype PCB.  The length of the pin is longer than 1.6mm. So flush cut the 16 pins to the PCB to make the length shorter.

See the video clip

     
  3 Bend 3 pins on each end of the 1x17 male header and make them straight.
place them on a table as shown on the picture.
Be sure to place the long pins in the middle.

Use a pair of pliers to pull out 2 pins next to the right-most pin out of each header as shown on the picture.
The right-most pin is a helper-pin for securing the header position during soldering. It will be broken off after soldering is done.

See the video clip
 

     
  4. Place the 2 modified male headers on a breadboard 0.6" apart as shown on the picture.
     
  5. Place the NanoboyPICO board over the headers. Press it down and make sure the board is leveled.

Solder 4 corner pins first.  When soldering the first corner pin, press down the board at the middle so the board will be leveled even you apply pressure on a corner pin during soldering. After soldering the 1st corner pin make sure the board is leveled. Check it as shown on the next picture.

Finally solder all other remaining pins.

     
  6. After soldering all pins on the top you should see the side view of the board like this.
     
  7. Take out the board from the breadboard and flip it over.

Add a lot of solder flux on all remaining pins at the bottom, then solder every pin.

     
  8. All pins at the bottom are soldered and water soluble flux residual is cleaned up.

In the recent 30 years I use water-soluble flux only. because it's much easier for soldering. The solder joint is also very shining.  For production quantity I can wash away the flux residual with a dish washer. For small prototypes I just brush some water to clean the spot.  After that I will shake off the water and use napkin to wipe water away. Make sure use a heat gun or a hair dryer to dry the board if you need to test it immediately.

If you use non-clean flux, you need to use 90% Isopropyl Alcohol to clean up solder residual.

 

     
  9. Flush cut two battery connector pins at the top. Use 90% Isopropyl Alcohol to remove solder residual of non-clean flux or just water to remove solder residual of water soluble flux.

Then solder the JST connector. After soldering one pin check if the connector is perfectly in the horizontal position. If not, you can adjust it when heating the pin. When the connector is perfectly in the horizontal position, then solder the other pin .

 

     
  10. Cut the helper-pins away and break off 2 small pieces of the PCB.

Then break off the extra plastic body on the male headers.
See the video clip

 

     
  11. This is the final assembled board. 

Take care of the LiPo battery connector. When you need to unplug a battery cable hold the connector with one hand and unplug the cable with the other hand.

Since the board has a power switch, you can turn off the switch instead of unplugging the battery cable and USB cable.  The power switch only disconnect the power to the LDO. So it disconnects the battery but not the USB 5V. The 5V LED will still be ON as long as the USB is plugged in, but the current from a USB hub is very insignificant when the power switch is in OFF position.

     
  12.  If you want to play the Flappy Bird game, you need to solder an active buzzer and a 0.96" OLED.

Most DIY makers probably already have a 0.96" OLED display.

     
  13. Cut off the tab on a battery cable connector.

Sometimes the the battery connector is too tight and hard to pull the cable out. You can cut off the tab in the middle, otherwise you may pull out the connector from the PCB.

 

     
  A makeshift test jig (for both NanoboyPICO-V3-02 and NanoboyS3)

The NanoboyPICO-V3-02 is preloaded with a test sketch that will flash all output pins.

After you receive it, you should try to upload the Blink-A-LED example sketch before soldering all male pins.

 

 

Schematic

 

 

Example Programs