Hi, I am new to electronics but experienced in programming. I have a RPi Pico 2 W that I have used to make (on a breadboard) a remote control for my Sonos audio system. Here is a picture:
It has 3 potentiometers that are each a volume control for a different speaker, as well as a Play/Pause button and a Skip Track button. Also a mini OLED screen. I want to turn it into something nicer based on a 3D printed case that I will design and using the “Makerverse Protoboard for Raspberry Pi Pico” as the starting point for the project. I will also add 3 extra buttons.
Here is a rough diagram of what I want it to look like…
The trouble is, that apart from the protoboard, I don’t really know what components to buy, or how to connect them to the protoboard - or even how that particular protoboard works. I have basic soldering skills, so could connect wires to the potentiometers, but I don’t really want to solder the other end to the protoboard. I would like to keep it modular.
Can anyone offer advice on the questions I have asked on the last image? They mostly pertain to connection options between the protoboard and the user controls. I would also need to know how to wire the protoboard.
The typical arrangement is to run power and ground through the centre strips, and then mount the components so they straddle those strips. But there are many varieties of board available with different patterns.
You would mount the switches and pots to the protoboard tabs and run wires from each tab to the Pico board. I can’t see what you currently have for the display, but the usual method of mounting it to a protoboard is to make a ‘stake’ from a short length of tinned solid copper wire. Depending on how modular you want to make it you can cut the protoboard into pieces and mount individual parts, or groups of parts, to each section. Parts that do not match the protoboard spacing can be made to fit by soldering longer legs to them and bending the legs to fit.
One problem in putting those parts together is getting them at the right height. The display should be flush with the front surface, the pots will probably be below the surface and the switches could be either on the surface or below it so that only the button protrudes (as in your diagram). If you are 3D-printing the case then you can make supports in the base (or the face) that set everything at the right height, but if the support face is flat then you will likely need separate pieces of protoboard and a variety of standoffs.
Note that caution is require in mounting the display - if the surface that you are mounting it against is not perfectly flush with the corresponding surface of the display there is a risk of breaking the display as you tighten it down. I prefer to 3D print a small frame that matches the display exactly, then mount the frame to the case.
I agree with Jeff on this one, using the perma-proto breadboard that is similar to your breadboard is going to be the easiest option for this one, using something like Jumbo Jumper Wire Kit for Solderless Breadboard 350 pcs is going to be the best way to replace the jumper wires that you have for the permanent version. For the Pots I would recommend switching out to something like Rotary Potentiometer it will mean that you can throw an easier to use knob on it rather than needing a screwdriver to turn it (especially once its in the 3D printed case).
Hi David, Jeff
You might be better off getting panel mount potentiometers and buttons and mount them straight on the front panel. I don’t know what your existing pots are but if they are “volume” controls they should probably be Curve “A” or as sometimes called “audio log”.
Just how are you planning on connecting if no soldering is envisaged. No matter which way you go there is going to be quite a bit of soldering, either wires direct or some kind of connector. Don’t quite know what you mean by “Modular” or how far you want to go. Don’t lose sight of the fact that every time you introduce a removable connector of some description you add another potential problem.
I would suggest you hone those skills a bit before you get into the final build as I stated above you have quite a bit of this ahead.
Cheers Bob
Hi everyone, thanks for the replies. I don’t think I was clear about what I wanted.
I had in mind something like this for connecting the buttons, pots and display to the breadboard:
But what are the bits you attach to the protoboard called? And the connectors on the end of the wires? Essentially I would like to be able to unplug the pots, buttons and display from the protoboard.
I don’t mind soldering on the protoboard to attach these connectors. I have made a diagram of what I was thinking…
I would need 5 (2 pin) of these connectors for the buttons, 3 (3 pin) for the pots and 1 (4 pin) for the display. In the picture I have marked where I think I could place the connectors in maroon and the wires I think I would need in green. Ignore the white lines - they were mistakes.
I have called the connectors headers, but I don’t think that is the right word.
Also, I fully intend to use panel-mount pots. Are panel-mount buttons a thing?
Headers. They come in long lengths that can be cut to size. The matching connectors are Dupont crimp pins. There are many other ways of achieving the same result.
The pins require a crimping tool. I would not recommend cutting your existing Dupont jumpers and trying to solder them as the wire used for those connectors is usually not suitable for soldering: it might work - it might not.
Yes. Lots of styles, contact arrangement and colours available.
Headers. If you use male pins on the board they can come in strips of 40 pins. Just cut off the length required, the wires should have female socket connectors of course.
For the potentiometers there are 3 pin female connectors available with wires crimped in them already which would do this job. I think sometimes they come in the guise of servo control wires. I think Core stock something suitable. It is a good idea doing what I think you suggest, put the power pin on the centre, that way if you happen to get one accidentally reversed no real damage will occur.
If the buttons are a simple make contact reversal won’t matter.
I think the connector for the Display should be polarised or some provision made so that reversal is impossible. Make sure it has a 2.54mm pin pitch to match the board.
