My self-made MPGuino with self-made casing
 

Hi,
I just wanted to show my MPGuino.
I made casing from thin cardboard (about 1mm thick), glued it and covered it with tape. Between PCB and LCD I made supports - little rolls of cardboard and glued supports to PCB (they are not in pictures).

Maybe others get some good ideas from my design :)
Chip is Atmega 328 - programmed it in freeduino and then put it to my custom board.

Unfortunately my car is broken so I cannot test it in the car :(
At least it looks neat and compact...

enjoy!
Meelis

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2140034.jpg

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2140036.jpg

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2140037.jpg
LCD disconnected, front view

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2140038.jpg
LCD disconnected, backside view

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2140039.jpg

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2140040.jpg
Between PCB and LCD I made supports - little rolls of cardboard and glued supports to PCB (not in the picture).

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2140041.jpg
Casing is made from thin cardboard. Unfolded

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2170046.jpg
Casing is folded, glued and covered with tape

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...0_P2170047.jpg
on the backside I kept some 3cm extra cardboard lip for fastening it on the top of the steering column.

Very nice! I'm glad someone else has gone the cardboard route. I covered mine with some scrap brown vinyl and black tape. Here's mine:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-mo...vinyl-wide.jpg

How much did it cost you to make it yourself? I am thinknig about doing one because it seems to be out of stock at FundamentlLogic and others have posted placing orders back in like Aug. 2009 and still do not have anything.

Could you possibly write up a parts list with where you purchased them and instructions (if you programmed it yourself)? On that note, did you program the chip yourself (did not see a USB port)?

Any help is appreciated. I have done lots of electronics stuff before, but nothing quite like this.

Looks pretty nice! I really like how your boards mount up together nice and flush with each other.

Ok... I reread your post and looked at a few things and think I am starting to understand a bit more. Correct me if I am wrong (I numbered them so you can confirm or correct my statements easier).

1. Freeduino is the programming board and you programmed the chip on it before putting it in your MPGuino.
2. The MPGuino (V2.0) kit basically comes with the Freeduino/programmer and MPGuino all on one board as found here: Fundamental Logic
3. The Iduino and Arduino boards you can buy to make the MPGuino yourself are (like the MPGuino V2.0 kit mentioned above) the programmer and MPGuino all in one.
4. If I buy an Arduino or Iduino, I would basically attach that to my custom made board and screen to make the MPGuino (so basically I would have the Arduino/Iduino, a screen/board that comes with it, and my custom MPGuino board (that I would make from the item in the parts list found in this post: MPGuino release one workspace)


Also, is there any reason thsi screen should not work: White on Black 16x2 5V LCD
http://static.sparkfun.com/images/pr...x2-Black-2.jpg

Kinda eerie. That is pretty much exactly how I made my first mpguino enclosure for the Celebrity. Except I used leftover coroplast. I guess I edited the thread when I made a real enclosure, but still have a pic somewhere of the original.

This screen probaly works, sparfun is good place for other components also (transistors, Atmega 328 chip, crystal 16Mhz, buttons...)

1. Freeduino is arduino clone, bought it from seeedstudio depot
Freeduino USB complete KIT(Arduino Duemilanove Compatible) Freeduino USB complete KIT [ARD107B1P] - $22.00 : Seeed Studio Depot, Boost ideas, extend the reach
* when I bought, it included Atmega 328 instead of Atmega 168
I bought extra Atmega 168 chip (they did not sell Atmega 328) - when I program Atmega 328 and move it to custom MPGuino board, I still have spare chip for freeduino.

2. yes (to be exact - freeduino/arduino is development board, not just programmer)

3,4. to make MPGuino, you need:
* LCD
* Arduino/Iduino
* some extra parts, like resistors, buttons, zener diodes...check wiki page
MPGuino - EcoModder

I decided that I make custom board so I can keep freeduino for making other stuff and when using custom board, I can make it smaller.
So basically what I did was:
* took breadboard arduino schematic
* added there stuff what is needed for MPGuino (used Iduino schematic)
* put these together in Eagle PCB design program.

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb..._schematic.jpg

http://www.snap.ee/static/user_thumb...PGuino_PCB.jpg

I gotta say the cardboard is oddly inspiring :) I'm envisioning printing something like that on the inside of the shipping boxes now, a-la cereal box.

"Enclosure now included! Cut Tab A, insert into Slot B. Fold on crease AB."

Sorry for my ignorance... But when you mention that the Freeduino/Arduino is more than a programmer, it is a development board, that means that you need it to program the chip, but that you also need some of the connections to run everything. So if you only use it to program, you still need to follow the connections needed on it on your custom board?

By the breadboard arduino schematic you mention above, that is the Iduino correct? Just a bit confused because you mention both and thought the Iduino was the breadboard arduino.

When combining the 2 schematics or whatnot, does that mean I need more parts (resistors/diodes/etc.) then what is mentioned in the wiki page to do what you do and create a slimline, custom board?

Again, sorry for any ignorance, I catch on fast once I get past some of the "stupid" questions, I promise.