**Unnamed Project** USB Hub stick

brolly759

Good evening everyone! So as a disclaimer prior to reading the post, this is a product I am building and briefly mentioned to the admin's. I am not selling it yet but would do so as an affiliate of MySensors in the future. This is just an introduction and asking questions/idea's of what the community thinks/likes/dislikes.

This is a USB stick that has the FTDI, Arduino, NRF all in a single flash drive size package.
USB Stick.png

There is also a special 20 pin connector in the center to allow programming an external sensor node that I will develop next. There is a switch that allows programming between the "USB Stick" and the "Sensor board" (Depending on what you want to burn sketches too). You can also use the USB Stick to burn different bootloaders on the "Sensor board" if you wanted too.

The board is still a work in progress but It is almost finished. If you have any idea's, questions, concerns, feedback, I would love to hear them!

Thanks

Anticimex

Could you please consider support for the MYSX connector. Future official MySensors hardware will use it in one version or another.
The spec is here

tbowmo

Also, add atsha204 to the board, so it can do signing of messages

(Haven't seen schematics, so don't know if it's added..)

Have you experience in RF design? could be some caveats there to pay attention to. (4 layer pcb's to get a known decoupling for the RF paths for example..)

brolly759

Anticimex, I am reading the MYSX connector. Each revision looks like it adds more pins? I dont like this MYSX connector because of the footprint it uses. Here is the connector I am using:product

tbowmo, I was reading a thread on this last night, the new model is now atsha204a I believe. It does not have it currently but I can add it in there. I need to check what the specs are on the power consumption. At the moment my prototype sensorboard is at 20-24uA in sleep mode using the switch sketch with sleep. Though I am trying to figure out how to put it in shutdown mode rather than sleep... (If you know how please tell me haha) The hub doesn't matter on power usage as its always plugged in. You can also use this as a router and plug it in directly to a usb wall charger as well which is cool.

On a side note, the Sensor board will have these sensors plugged in and you specify in programming which output pin to turn on to power the sensors:

-Temp/humidity
-Barometer/pressure sensor
-Reed Switch
-Light Sensor
-XYZ sensor(accelerometer)
-port to plug in any type of switch you want ( I was going to add mercury/tilt ball switch but in real use applications I have gotten so many false positives that I decided not to use it.

Anticimex

@brolly759 the MYSX connector uses the standard 100mil pitch header so it is easily available, usable for all users without regard for soldering experience. It is also usable without a female connector for single cable connections for discrete sensors. We are aware of the drawbacks of such a large connector but the philosophy of MySensors is accessibility for everyone, so we cannot really assume all users are able to use finer pitch SMD connectors.

brolly759

@Anticimex I have used this connector before, you have examples of this on ribbon cables on iphone cell phones. They are pretty simple, I even have it omni directional so you can plug a "sensor board' in either direction. Its really just a difference of opinion and no one is right or wrong. My assumption is, if you can handle a soldering iron, you can plug in this type of connector. I have exposed every pin on the standard 100mil pitch on the Hub on the edges like the Nano board if someone wants to be creative.

I look at it this way. The hardware is all set for you. If you want to tinker, go for it but you don't need to. You can have a shelf ready product that you program and not worry about all the hardware configurations because its already assembled for you. Though there are exposed pins if needed. Keep it small, simple, battery powered and awesome!

Anticimex

@brolly759 I agree but we also have to assume there are users who, for various reasons cannot or don't want to do soldering. Personally, I would also prefer a smaller connector, but we do want to keep both scalability (MYSX is backwards compatible) and simplicity in usage and sourcing.
I completely understand that the MYSX concept is less than ideal in your application. Perhaps you could include the footprint for one of the smaller versions of it and keep it nonmounted for those who may have daughterboards with MYSX connector at the lower edge or something like that. I think it is @hek that have to decide the amount of fragmentation we want in MySensors affiliated board offerings.
I also want to be clear that feedback on the MYSX concept is always welcome. If there are other connectors suitable we will definitely take them into consideration, but whatever connector we use has to be scalable. So a daughterboard with a small connector should be attachable to a motherboard with a bigger connector and so on, so connectors which are terminated at the ends won't work.

brolly759

I added the 256 encryption on A3 using the SOT23 package.

@Anticimex the "daughterboard" is only to add extra sensors? What I am building was supposed to be a limited hardware but still expandable "sensor kit" that's main focus on pre-programming, low power, small size and snap in place ease. I guess you could have 2 product lines... Polished all set hardware and just program and set in place or a tinkerer set. Wonder what could sell better on kickstarter ;)

Anticimex

@brolly759 No, the "daughterboard" is also potentially a power source or an other processing unit. I agree that it is a somewhat different product line, but I also maintain that we should try to collaborate with all hardware affiliated with MySensors. It serves no one that we try to compete with each other ;)
And besides, I am not sure kickstarter approves projects capitalizing on open source hw/sw projects ;)

And what do you mean by adding 256 encryption? The atsha204a is a signing/hashing device, not an encryption device.

hek

@brolly759

Just to verify, you plan to release your board under a OSH license right?

brolly759

@Anticimex Yes I meant the atsha204a. Typing too fast while I am at work :)

@hek welcome to the discussion! OSH would require me to source all files I am assuming. What other alternatives are there besides OSH. Obviously these business discussions can be discussed in private ;)

BulldogLowell

@Anticimex said:

I also maintain that we should try to collaborate with all hardware affiliated with MySensors. It serves no one that we try to compete with each other ;)

No one except the market! ;)

Anticimex

@BulldogLowell True, but MySensors is not about profit. It's about fun and learning :)

hek

@brolly759

Not sure if you've misunderstood the ideas behind the MySensors project.

MySensors is centered around sharing open source and hardware. We try to help the community members to build cheap and tinker-able home automation components here.

All MySensors hardware is and will be released under an OSH license. This gives everyone the right to create their own derivate work of it if they want. Any company can take our designs and produce large batches if they want. But they cannot use the MySensors logos or trade marks on them.

To pay for the expenses we actually have when designing new boards (component, prototypes), scouting new sensors and the hosting the servers, we rely on donations from kind community members, affiliate links on the "shop" and a tiny margin on the MySensors-labeled stuff sold through ITead.

We're simply not in it for the profit. Just for the fun of it.

That said, you are free to create whatever you want. But you're not allowed to promote it here if it is closed hardware/commercial.

If you do want to co-operate with us, that is, share components and designs, there is a special git-repo with parts and KI-cad goodies here:
https://github.com/mysensors-kicad/