The Problem
I want to create some simple circuit diagrams that look nice and can also be used to create a circuit board. Most layout programs either cost big bucks or run on the PC only (and still cost big bucks). I found a tool aimed primarily at Arduino called Fritzing but I found that the parts catalog is fairly minimal (except for Sparkfun parts) and making new parts for it is quite a pain. Additionally, Fritzing provides a board layout service but their terms for shipment to the U.S. are pretty terrible.
I then found a package called EAGLE which seemed like a very capable package but unfortunately for me I could either use the hobbyist version which produced tiny boards or I could use the professional version which produced huge boards but cost over $1,000. I can see paying for a tool like this if I spent most of my time (or even alot) making boards but I don’t so that seemed a bit steep.
I found a really nice tool (so far) called pcbweb. It is tied into the Digi-Key catalog which I personally find to be an advantage. Since I’m doing breadboarding they don’t have a lot of parts built into the library using the through-hole form package. This however is mitigated quite a bit by the fact that making new parts is way easier than any other tool that I’ve used. It’s very sensible and doesn’t require you to use a bunch of external programs.
Yet Another Pivot
I’ve been looking at my current circuit for driving the display and it seems to me to be not really that great. It’s expensive with the drivers alone costing $27 a piece and each will require an SPI connection or a bus mechanic which I’m not fond of. I would like to keep an intelligent interface, preferably RS-485 based and put a lot of intelligence into the board itself. Therefore, I’ve decided to do a different design using a PIC16F684 chip and some discrete drivers.
An initial challenge is going to be using the PIC chip since it only has about 12 I/O lines to play with. I’m going to take a bussed approach where I use the relatively high current drive capacity of the 16F684 to put a lot of chips on a bus and do some clever things with clocking.
Next Steps
I need to create a circuit for one LED to prove the concept. I’ll also be writing some PIC16F684 code. I haven’t decided if I’m going to do it in assembly or C. C would be easier but assembly might be more interesting.