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I rustled up a very quick PCB to take 2 OLED displays and a TTP223 touch sensor module, to be connected to an Arduino Nano, either on breadboard or a Nano breakout board.
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Good morning, all new printed circuit boards from jlc pcb, let's break the seal, i'll use a plectrum for this. Does it say on it done a lot? Oh platform's rubbish, i'll use a screwdriver for this much sharper implement right. What do we have in here? We have these and i don't believe, there's a free gift in here. No, there isn't right i'll have to throw one in there.

We are what have we here? Oh it's a jail piece, a jlc pcb dog. Actually that looks like a doge dogecoin jlc's dogecoin right that i can place to replace that actually that one's better, because the logo is at the bottom good right. Let's take a look at the boards. What if i can use this little tear nick in there? Oh yes, i can that's good, so they are these and they are dual oled and touch arduino nano dual oled and touch pcbs.

So, let's bring in my shared humidity and temperature sensor module. I've got my dual oleds and my touch switch on there does that. Do anything? No because i didn't actually complete the wiring of this green prototyping board to route the touch well to route power to the touch switch and then the touch signal runs out that way. Um well, there's not much point now, because i got these.

So, let's start making one of these up and see if i can replace this, let's just have a closer look at this um. Here are my signal tracks they're, quite thin. I normally do thicker tracks than that, but i had to root between the two pins of a 0.1 inch header there. So we've got sda and scl.

Now sda goes to a4 on the arduino nano and scl goes to a5. So they look the right way around. Sda is on this end one and that's correct, because sda is the fourth pin on the oled. These are the two oleds uh, the ttp223, simply routes, the signal, the output to a couple of pins, so that will have a flying cable, because that goes round to the other side.

What it does on this one i mean i could actually make it go to one of these pins along here. You can use the analog inputs as digital's. I think, and we've got the double header four-way links here, and i've marked it on here. If you put them vertically and that's vertically relative to the lettering, then it's for a vcc ground display, if you put them horizontally across then it's for a ground vcc display, so that all looks good on the rear side.

I've got power and i put a ground plane on here. It's not really necessary, but actually found that it enabled me to route the ground into these ground points here, a little bit more easily than tracking it. So, yes, that's why i've used that this one. That goes off in three directions is vcc, and then these two tracks running around here are to supply either vcc ground or ground vcc, depending on which way you put the links on there.

The there are two links here for the sda and seo l signals, because, if you put the nano in one of these boards got ta find it that one then a4 and a5 are not here. They're not at the end of the row here, they're, actually uh, scl and sda they're somewhere else on this board. So you would take these two links off and put flying leads on these two pins to wherever scl and sda are so, let's start making one of these up now, on my prototype board, i had a seven pin header here to go from a4, which is sda Up to ground um in easy eda, there isn't a sort of standard, a seven pin, pin array, so i've just used an eight pin. The eighth pin is v in on on here, and i think it's also v in on here.
It's that first pin there. Yes, it's v in it's not connected, it's not used, it won't matter. So eight pin! Oh! What's that aircraft going over eight pin, uh male dupont, header they're, often called, and of course that sits on the underside like so so, let's get that soldered in all right. Clean zip, tip and solder my eight pin array in there - and i discovered when i was laying this out - that if you do a two pin array male, it makes the pads and the holes larger anything over two pin.

It seems to make them smaller and if you do a female header, even though this is a male header, i actually set this to a female, i think um. Then the holes are a smaller size and i prefer the smaller size because i like the slightly tighter fit of the pins in these holes. But in any case, i'm going to do um a sort of tutorial on easy eda soon and probably for the other board. On here the radio tower board, because you can see that's a piece of prototyping board and i want to do it in such a way that it replaces this sort of intermediate board that the nrf um transceiver plugs into.

So that's going to be coming up. Let's just sort of the remaining three pins of this like so right. Next, i think i'll do the double row: uh pin header, it's just two, so it's in a square formation. So, let's do a square two by two another square: two by two: they are going to be the uh, horizontal and vertical link pairs to set the polarity of the oleds, because some of them are like these, which have vcc ground on the left and some have Ground vcc on the left, sc, um, scl and sd.

I always seem to be in the same positions but vcc and ground very i'll. Just touch a couple of these on so that they're fixed. This is going to be ten times quicker to make this up than the prototyping version, which had to have fiddly, wires, cut and rooted. I mean actually in terms of total time, laying this out and designing it and obviously not waiting for it to arrive, but um and assembling it.

I'm sure it's going to be quicker than the prototype board. It's just so easy to do all right. Let's get these on, then i can get my link pairs on there. Okay.

Now i need some of these four pin arrays, let's get three, because there is a fourth, a third one for the touch sensor there and that, of course on this pcb has a vcc and ground going to it and then a double pin where you can take One of those uh for the signal out and now all that's left are three double pin: male headers, which are for the sda link the scl link. I've separated these out slightly so that they don't get confused with these four pin arrays and the double header for the signal from the ttp two to three and that's it. This pcb only has headers on it. That was just ridiculously quick and simple, so sda and scl links uh, sort of square links for the vertical horizontal um configuration for the displays and the ttp 223.
That's not a link, that's um! Well, you could put a link on there. Wouldn't do anything. That's an exit point for the signal for that device. So let's plug the devices in and see if it works right, hoiking out these displays now they're vcc ground, so the links are going to go on vertically display number one.

This, oh that's a bit of a jaunty angle. Isn't it display number two? Oh, no they're fine and the touch switch now that shouldn't fit there, because the idea is that in that position it fouls, because you only need three pins for this touch switch. But i only had four pin connectors so clearly that goes in that position and i didn't bother to realign these. I agonized over it and i thought no, let's have them all on a line so that they will look natural if you believe that you'll believe anything right, um, so they're ready to go and just want to check.

Actually, that's clearly the positive line, and that runs down to what is now the middle pin, and yes, that's vcc ground is over. That end signal. Is there with the link headers immediately above it actually, of course, that link header. There is only just clear of the edge of this board.

I think it is clear, but uh yeah anyway right plug it in see if it works well, it won't work without link headers. Incidentally, i went for blue on this pcb because all of these pcbs are blue. The arduino nano is blue. I thought i'd, give it get everything matched so vertically mounted link headers for the vcc ground configuration let's put those in.

I also need these two links to link scl and sda up to the two end pins on this array. Now, as i say, that's only for a breadboard layout, if you are using one of these adapter boards like that, it will be flying leads over onto suitable s, cl and sda points on the board. So, let's get that link on there and two more vertical links for this vcc and ground polarity, swapping link that should be everything right. Let's take the power off this, lift this adapter board out and put my new board in now.

I'm lining up these pins, starting at a4 and a5 and ending at vn, which is actually the last pin along there, so that is the correct positioning for it just check. If anything underneath is touching anything metallic, i don't think it is okay. I think that looks good. Let's power it up, live no rehearsal powers come on to the touch sensor, the displays work, which is a relief.

Oh, that's, very good. So all i need to do now is run a line from the touch sensors output round. To my input over here somewhere, i think i put it on d2. Did i yes d2 and i should be able to do the touch switch as well.
Well, for the moment, i can only find this long blue one not quite sure where all my female to females have gone. So what i'm going to do is in one end, i'm going to poke one of these long reach pins, which are on this double header thing, but i've just been robbing these out of the plastic former. So that's a long pin that can go in one end of this and then that can go into my breadboard. That's flashing away, crazily, because it's picking up nonsense on this pin, let's plug that on to one of these header pins and now it should respond.

This um ttp223 has been hardwired into toggle mode, so it itself is toggling and yes, it just provides a toggling input into d2 and this blue led is on d3 and in the code there was a transfer d2 to d3 type thing, but also send it as Information over the radio wireless system to control the relay at other end at the transmitter end. Now, i'm just going to solder some sockets on this nano expansion board and then transfer this whole thing over onto here and just see how the links for seo and sda differ when we're on this board. Oh, that's annoying. Look, i discovered you can't put two four-way sockets next to each other to make an eight-way socket across there and i don't have any eight-way sockets.

So what i'm going to do? I only need 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 for the spi for the wireless radio. So i'm going to put a six-way socket in there and then at some later stage i'll buy some eight-way sockets pull the six out put an eight in that's a bit of a barge, but it have to do for now. So my new pcb with all its uh devices on it, will sit in this six-way socket um from this right-hand side. Now that's v in problem with this.

It means the sda and scl are sitting over the edge they're kind of going to be hanging over that reset button, and that's why i now need to take out the scl and sda links here. Oh, i can't get to them and now i'll disconnect power and take my arduino nano and the wireless tower i'll leave the vcc and ground connected to that arduino plugs into here. Is it the same number of pins? Yes, it is. My tower now will sit in that socket there.

Um pin d8 is not connected on the back of this little board, but 9 10 11, 12 and 13 are, and they go to 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 on here. So that should work. The only thing now is, i need to link with a couple of these link, wires, scl and sda from here across to suitable points on this breakout board right. I found these wires they're longer than i would have liked, but they will do uh.

Yellow is four. So let's make that sda, which case i'll use it that way around and they go here, scl sda! I think that's it, let's plug it in and see if it works, just wait for it to boot. Up. Yes, look at that, so that's with it implemented on a nano breakout board, fantastic.
So that's my dual oled and touch pcb for the arduino nano in different situations. Breadboard or one of these breakout boards um a very simple board. There are no components on here. Actually at all just header, pins and sockets, but that's it for the moment: cheerio.


By Julian

Youtuber, shed dweller, solar charge controller aficionado

15 thoughts on “New PCBs from JLCPCB – Arduino Nano OLEDs & Touch”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Sod Almighty says:

    Julian: Everyone should use EasyEDA, it's awesome!
    Also Julian: I had to use a 1×08 header and pretend the extra hole doesn't exist, because EasyEDA doesn't have a perfectly normal 1×07 dupont header footprint.

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Web Bot says:

    Ppl started bcm slave of china … Every electronics video promotes jlpcb … Lol idiots … Make own … Working of PCB is important not how beautiful it is

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars eDoc2020 says:

    My favorite improper tool for opening taped boxes is a US power plug. However that probably won't be as easy for you because they're much less common over there in the UK.

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Urban Resourcfulness says:

    Hey Julian. Why dont you use the Auto-router function on Easy-pcb. Its works flawlessly, and does a self check. Iv made many complicated boards with NO ISSUES.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Fling Monkey says:

    I got my first blue PCBs from JLCPCB yesterday, my company paid for them for me. This PCB is intended as a test fixture for stepper motors, and it has places for two Arduino Nanos and three A4988 stepper motor drivers on it. One Nano will be running GRBL, taking commands via USB and controlling three stepper motors, and the other Nano will be monitoring the current flow to each stepper via an INA219 plus monitoring the temperature of each motor and driver board (six sensors.) All communications to the Nanos will go to a PC app I have written for control and logging.

    I love EasyEDA and JLCPCB as a way to create PCBs. They are reasonably fast and easy and allow me to make more Arduino-based gadgets without manual wiring of the base electronics. I have been using a 7805 regulator to generate higher current 5VDC, but I think I need to switch to using a buck converter for more current and less heat (better efficiency.) I started out buying my own PCBs but my boss is getting more and more open to supporting my habit because of the gadgets I am creating for him to enable product and component testing. All my past boards have been green, but I figured I would switch things up and get blue this time. I probably should have gotten yellow to make it easier to write on them with a sharpie. 🙂

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Gregory Thomas says:

    You could have placed the two 4-pin sockets on if you would have lightly sanded the edges that meet in the middle.

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Lucas C says:

    it seems a bit silly getting a board made just for this. im sure most of us would've just used perfboard

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Irilia Neko says:

    This looks absolutely horrible, it the first time when I see the PCB I had think it's a joke, but to be honest I still think it's a joke xD this can be real.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars James Sharman says:

    You always seem to get more JLC free gifts than me, but I haven't seen you with one of the puzzles I received from them?

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars BRUXXUS says:

    YES!, I'm working on a fairly big project prototyping with the NRF boards and needing that power regulator board is so frustrating. Like, I'd much rather the the NRF board be a few mm bigger and not have to deal with a second whole module with a few passive components.

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars PicoNano says:

    3 ESP8266 or ESP32 on ESP NOW network is all you needed.
    The beauty of that system is you can also use your phone to see what's happening.
    Search YT for;
    "ESP-NOW Web Server Sensor Dashboard (ESP-NOW + Wi-Fi)"
    to see how.

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Marcel H says:

    Would be more interesting when you would switch to KiCad. Going the proprietary route is not very good. Being opensource assures to always have the possibility to open your schema and board files in the future. Time and time again, for some reasons companies close down tier apps with bogus limits, which causes you that you cant open you schemas due to licensing changes. KiCad is in the meantime a very mature package. When you know any schema/board editing package your learning curve for KiCad is very low.

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Paul Van der groen says:

    Kewl and affordable..
    I must get the latest version of Vutrax and turn some mad ideas into mad reality.

  14. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars donepearce says:

    a couple of moments with a file will let you use those two four-ways as an eight-way. It looks pretty tidy when you are done.

  15. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Fred Flintstone says:

    why did you not panelize them and get more??? and do the links for the SDA & SCl work horizontaly as the spacing looked a touch large?? well done on getting it working though:-)

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