# Electronics Design



## Janger (Feb 17, 2020)

I see Fusion 360 has a new electronics design and layout capability. Any of you electronics types look at this yet?  @Johnwa @JohnW you guys come to mind. It has something called Eagle built in? 

https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/january-27-2020-product-update-whats-new/
See for youtube and talk...


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## Tom O (Feb 17, 2020)

I tried for a long time last night trying to program a tapping cycle for a 1/4 20 tpi finally gave up for the night.


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## Janger (Feb 17, 2020)

Maybe this thread should be called Fusion 360? Or do we want a new forum section called Fusion 360? Is there enough interest to warrant that? 

Are trying to program your CNC mill for a thread mill tool or rigid tapping?


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## CalgaryPT (Feb 17, 2020)

Is this a Fritzing hack John? 

I love Fritzing and think it has become industry standard at least for PCB design. Probably because it is free.


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## Johnwa (Feb 18, 2020)

Eagle has been around for 20 to 30 years as profession  pcb design software, I think it was a German company,  it was likely the first one that offered a free limited version for home use.  
you create a schematic adding parts from some VERY extensive libraries. The schematic information is transferred to the pcb board design window.  you then place the components on the board.  The connections you made in the schematic are shown as “air wires”.  You can then choose to route these manually or use the built in auto router.  You can go back and forth between the board and schematic to make changes.
It would create files that you could send off to get your pcb made.  In my case I printed out the copper layer on a transparency and created my own boards using photo presensitized boards from places like Radio Shack.
There was a CAM option that allowed you to make boards using a CNC router.
Autodesk bought them a few years ago and it was available as a separate piece of of software.
I‘m in the process of relearning how to use it.


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## Tom O (Feb 18, 2020)

I was trying to rigid tap a few holes. The last time I rigid tapped there was no problem and was easy.  The hole is .201 for 1/4-20 and it was asking for a offset number. I’ll try again but switch it to a 1/4 hole? Who knows! Lol


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## Johnwa (Feb 18, 2020)

CalgaryPT said:


> Is this a Fritzing hack John?
> 
> I love Fritzing and think it has become industry standard at least for PCB design. Probably because it is free.



Conceptually they are the same  but they are worlds apart in terms of capability.  That also means their ease of use and learning curves are worlds apart.


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## CalgaryPT (Feb 18, 2020)

Johnwa said:


> That also means their ease of use and learning curves are worlds apart.


That's probably why I gravitated towards Fritz. I could easily live out the rest of my life without having to learn yet another complicated application.

Bring back MacDraw. Those were good days.


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## Perry (Feb 19, 2020)

One of the things that brought me into metal working.    Many years ago (prior the Internet as we know it.....BBS days)  I use to do a lot of hobby electronic  stuff for myself. At one point drilling all my self made PCBs was getting too much.

I built a CNC table to drill the holes.   This is way before what we have today.   I made my own stepper drivers and controllers from scratch.  The table used drill rod and teflon sliders.  Ready rod and spring loaded nuts.    (High tech stuff)    It turned out so good I was able to mill PCBs.  However etching was still faster with better results.   I was able to speed things up by stacking and drilling a few boards at a time.  

What I learned back in the day was useful in my transfer over to my CNC mill I built. (converted).   


Ok, enough reminiscing.....lol........

I've tried a lot of different software over the years.   From high end commercial stuff (at a development shop) down to the hobby level.

I think for hobby use (and possibly into professional stuff) the free program on easyeda.com can not be beat.   Easy learning curve.  Fast. Acurate

Send your design off to PCBWAY.com     10 boards, for $5.00    (plus shipping)   How can you beat that?

The one negative thing about easyeda is that it is a cloud based app.   I'm not too happy about my design being out there.    I use a lot of microcontrollers in my designs.  Without the code, the circuit is basically useless.






This is a little project that I did recently.   Etched, drilled and a mask.   It's crazy what we have access to these days.


For the record, I tried Fusion 360  (PCB and CAD)  just didn't work for me.   I use Solidworks for most of my machining stuff. It also has a PCB designer.  Just not as quick and easy as the easyeda designer.


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## Janger (Feb 19, 2020)

CalgaryPT said:


> That's probably why I gravitated towards Fritz. I could easily live out the rest of my life without having to learn yet another complicated application.
> 
> Bring back MacDraw. Those were good days.



MacDraw! Yes and Claris CAD! I loved that one.


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## jcdammeyer (Feb 22, 2020)

Eagle has been around for quite some time.  I started with Protel which eventually became Altium after the Protel-99SE license keys were hacked and it started showing up all over the world for free.  The advantage of Altium and/or now the Eagle bundled with Fusion is that it's possible with both to model the entire PC board complete with the parts.  That can then be modeled into the box you design and build.  So you can fit the PCB into the box without spending any money.


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## CalgaryPT (Feb 22, 2020)

Perry said:


> View attachment 7714
> 
> This is a little project that I did recently.   Etched, drilled and a mask.   It's crazy what we have access to these days.
> .


OK, so you're not allowed to tease like that without telling us what the boards do. I can't see the chip very well...is it an XBEE?


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## Perry (Feb 22, 2020)

ESP8266 

The back side of the board has a battery holder for one 18650 lithium ion battery.  That will give you an idea of the size of the total unit.  Not much bigger than your finger.

If you look at the top left hand corner of the boards a couple have solder in the drill thru holes, a couple do not.  The one with solder have a magnetic reed switch soldered to the back side of the board.

These are used as security devices.  When triggered by the magnetic reed switch or what ever else you like to make a contact between the two solder points on the board, the unit will sent a text message and/or email to your cell phone.

I have security cameras, but they are only good after the fact.   This fine young man was trying to get into my garage well I was sitting at my kitchen table on the other side of the curtain.  It was a sunny morning  and I had closed the curtains to eat breakfast.






These little bombs are everywhere.   Open my gate bing!   Accidentaly kick the wrong can in my yard...bing!  Open my garage door.... bing!    Open a window...bing!

Had I known he was there and trying to get into the garage, I would have helped him.    It's kinda sad I missed him.


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## CalgaryPT (Feb 22, 2020)

I've got 9 POE CCTV cameras and love them. But you're right about "after the fact." Just before I retired I oversaw a multi-million dollar CCTV camera overhaul for a government building. We talked to a lot of British security consultants (UK has more CCTV per capita than anyone). One thing I learned from them is that CCTV can help you fine tune your physical security based on activity. The software I run on my NVR at home these days can count people, detect gender, eyeglasses, detect abandoned objects, and lots of other stuff I don't yet use. You can draw a line or box around an area and if a person enters it sends an email or text with a pic. Really amazing. The tech has come so far.

I love your boards and think that is a great idea. Hope you are selling them. Really, really good job...kudos to you.

This was last weekend's CCTV excitement on my street. Cops charged 3 kids.


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## Johnwa (Feb 23, 2020)

Perry
Are these on all the time or do they turn on just long enough to send the message?
I had one as a remote control for my Hue lights. Even though it supposed to go into a deep sleep between button presses it eats up AA batteries pretty quick.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Perry (Feb 24, 2020)

Johnwa,

 They are completely off until triggered. (Door opened)     Then they latch themselves into an on state and do their work. Last they check to see if the trigger is still present, (was the door closed?) if the trigger is still there they go into a deep sleep and wait for the sleep to end. (I have different timed cycles for different locations) When they wake up, they check to see if trigger is still present or has been removed (door closed). Send an update message and then power off or go back to a deep sleep as required.

I'm using the 18650 battery because most of these are living outside.  The li-ion is better in the cold.  

When I was testing things out, I ran one for 3 months in a deep sleep cycle, sending an update message every 30 minutes.  The update message includes a battery voltage level check.  At the three month mark I figured that this would be more than enough.   

We have a fair number of late night trolls in the summer trying car door handles.   This summer I'm thinking one of these sitting in the door pocket with a mercury switch will be enough to trigger it and send a message.  I'll just call  the police non-emergency number to let them know when the trolls are out.



If you are using an ESP8266 you should be able to get pretty good battery life out of 2X AA.   Are you using a voltage regulator?  What chip?  How many choices (switches) on your remote control?

There are three sleep modes,  Modem sleep, Light Sleep, and a Deep Sleep.   Deep sleep mode is activated by connecting the RST pin to the GPIO16.   See the little wires added in on my boards?


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## Perry (Jan 24, 2021)

So 18:50 last night Saturday evening, I'm down in the lab making some super small precision micro reamers.  (I felt like Clickspring himself.)     All the lights are off in the house except the lights in my workshop room in the basement.   I get a text msg from one of my security units.  South side gate opened.  Thinking about it I figure I should go investigate.   Blah bing .  Second text message. north side gate opened.   Now I'm heading up stairs and out into the back yard.   


The south yard back gate was open and nobody was around.  I closed the gate and headed to the north side gate.  It was open also.  I did not see anyone around.

I went back into the house and started to check the security cameras and seen a person running from the front door of the house.

I called the non emergency number to report the prowler.

I took a drive around the neighborhood to see if I could locate the person with no luck.

After reviewing the cameras I was able to figure out the chain of events.

The person entered into my yard on the south side between the houses.
He would have seen the light on thru the SW corner basement window, but would not be able to see into the basement.  

He entered the back yard thru the south side gate between the houses.   Crouched down behind the BBQ and looked in another basement window on the SE corner. (He spent approx 20 seconds looking into the window).  He would not have been able to see me working in my workshop, but the light I had on would have given him enough light to see the basement area and I'm sure he figured nobody was home.  

He then proceeded around the house thru the back yard to the north gate.  Opened the gate and headed towards the front door.    On this second alert, I headed up stairs and into the backyard to see what was going on.  I didn't find anything and headed back into the house.

From the video time stamps, it appears while I was in the backyard he was at my front door. He was at the front door for over a minute.  He had taken his back pack off and had it in his hand.  There is one small mark on the door frame that looks like he was about to pry the outside storm door.   I'm sure when I came into the house I must have startled him and he fled.

The interesting part is the front video shows my flashlight as I am searching around the south side of the house.  Then I go around the back and search the north side.  Flashlight again.  Both times I was within 10 feet of him.   He did not see me and I did not see him.   So close. 

Sooner or later I will catch one of these guys.  The question is...if I catch one can I keep him?


This got me thinking about my garage walk in door.   It has a lock on the handle and a dead bolt.   The weakest link is the door frame where the dead bolt goes in.  what have you guys done on your door frame?   Tips?  Photos?  Suggestions?


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## DPittman (Jan 24, 2021)

Angle iron screwed on to reinforce that part...or just flat plate for that matter.


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## Janger (Jan 24, 2021)

Steel plate sandwiching door and door jamb connected together with long screws


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## Tom O (Jan 24, 2021)

You can’t keep him but he’s yours till the police get there! I’ve always wondered about a pressure pad in front of the door wired to a horn or something to fire a nail gun blank.


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## Perry (Jan 24, 2021)

Tom O said:


> You can’t keep him but he’s yours till the police get there! I’ve always wondered about a pressure pad in front of the door wired to a horn or something to fire a nail gun blank.



Lol , too funny.  No need to be fast about calling the police. Just saying.

If I keep him do I have to feed him?    

Next question.....how to secure a garage door so you can't "break out"?  Asking for a friend.


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## Dabbler (Jan 25, 2021)

@Perry In my garage, I rebuilt the jam with a 4" long 4X4X3/8 angle iron on the door jamb.

On Bert's steel doors we bought commercial stainless wraps for the doors on the lock side.  Requires a big bang to break into, like a sledge hammer.


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## Perry (Jan 25, 2021)

Dabbler said:


> @Perry In my garage, I rebuilt the jam with a 4" long 4X4X3/8 angle iron on the door jamb.
> 
> On Bert's steel doors we bought commercial stainless wraps for the doors on the lock side.  Requires a big bang to break into, like a sledge hammer.



Just looking those up now.   Something like this I'm assuming?   

https://www.amazon.ca/Prime-Line-MP...ocphy=9001343&hvtargid=pla-429939119249&psc=1

I will have to check to see how much space I have around the door when closed.      The jam side is not flush and easy to just bolt a plate onto.  I will need to figure something out.  

A friend of mine has a bracket on either side of his door with a beam that pivots down into the brackets.  One end of the beam pivots, the other end is attached to a cord that runs across the ceiling and outside and down from his eave. Hidden fairly well on the side of his garage.  You would not look up and see it with the beam down.  Knocking that door down would not happen.


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## Dabbler (Jan 25, 2021)

yes, the wrap goes on the door - you need a jamb reinforcement also.


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## Perry (Jan 25, 2021)

Do you think it is required to reinforce the hinge side jam also?


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## Dabbler (Jan 25, 2021)

I've never bothered.  The hinges are a vulnerability, but would still require sledge hammer type effort. 

--- now for the bad news....

We have a law in Alberta the prevents extreme modifications on a legal basis.  It is called something like the Alberta Fortified residences act, or similar.  It was used to tear down the Hell's Angels clubhouse in Bowness, Calgary during construction.

If you fortify the door such as your front door such that a fire or police battering ram is resisted, you will lose your habitation permit and a court order will be issued to redress the door within only a few days.

The doors in question for the Hells Angels were the front and side doors, constructed to open only outwards, with steel jambs securely fastened to the structure.  This stops home invasion, but also the fire department.  oh the troubles!

The recommended door jamb reinforcement and wraparound doe not violate this law.  Please be careful to not fortify it too much, or you could face legal jepoardy.


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## Perry (Jan 25, 2021)

Dabbler said:


> I've never bothered.  The hinges are a vulnerability, but would still require sledge hammer type effort.
> 
> --- now for the bad news....
> 
> ...




Does this apply to a garage walk in door also?  I could see it applying to a house.


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## Dabbler (Jan 25, 2021)

As far as I know, (and I'm nto a lawyer)  It is fine to fortify your garage door.  I did mine.


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## CalgaryPT (Jan 25, 2021)

I think the legislation you guys are referring to is Part II (Fortified Buildings), S37 and S43 of the SAFER COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS ACT (2007). For the record, it can be _any building_, not just a house. Also, even a house with window (security) bars can be included. But the building _first has to be designated as such under S43_, before any orders can be issued.

In Calgary the history of this legislation goes back as far as December 20, 1974 (nicknamed Black Friday) when Detective Boyd Davidson was killed by a man from a fortified position inside a garage in Ramsey. The police had to get special permission from Ottawa and brought in an armoured vehicle from the military to breach the building. There is still a park in south Calgary in his memory I believe. The article is here: https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-black-friday-siege

Detective Boyd Davidson was my father-in-law's partner. Two calls came into the downtown precinct at the same time that day. My father-in-law took one call, Detective Davidson took the other. It was his last call ever. For those of you that remember the old Crown Surplus Military Store in Ramsey, the property where the tragedy occurred can be seen across the tracks from behind the store. It backed on to the unused triangle land sliver next to the railway tracks on an embankment.

It's one of those pieces of legislation rarely used unless the police are regular visitors to your property and you have gang affiliations. (This forum doesn't count). It is a bigger deal for fire department access in a _house_, and might be flagged by an inspector during renovations. But it would be rare. Technically window bars fall into the same category. There is a huge difference between someone strengthening their door jam and someone using plate steel on the entire door. If beefing up your garage door jam is what makes you feel better, I wouldn't lose sleep over the legislation. But I would also have an alarm system. As satisfying as it may be, booby traps of any type are asking for trouble. Expect a glitter bomb Amazon lawsuit to be in the news at some point.


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## Dabbler (Jan 25, 2021)

-- Booby traps are covered under federal legislation BTW.

The very best thing you can do for a door is to buy a Grade 70 or a Grade 90 steel door, and put a high quality lock on it.  These are industrial doors intended to resist attack for 5 or more minutes. They are always sold with steel jams and tamper-proof hinges.  Not cheap, but can be used in remote buildings quite successfully.

They are used on Compressor buildings for oil pipelines and remote buildings that have a long response time to inspect if the alarm goes off.


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## CalgaryPT (Jan 25, 2021)

Dabbler said:


> --
> 
> The very best thing you can do for a door is to buy a Grade 70 or a Grade 90 steel door, and put a high quality lock on it...
> They are used on Compressor buildings for oil pipelines ....


Sadly, there may be lots of these for sale these days. And lots of pipe as well.


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## Dabbler (Jan 25, 2021)

I really appreciate the link to the actual law involved  - I read about a third of it before I ran out of time.  

I once used a CoC buildings guidelines document on a renovation job to show why his door couldn't open outward.  I'm used to deferring to the City on these matters.

There seems to be more finicky laws that anyone can comprehend these days.  sigh.


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## Tom O (Jan 26, 2021)

Well here when in the house the alarm tells me when the garage door opens.
For when I’m in the garage I bought a chime the sensor goes on the back door of the house and the chime is in the garage.


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