I’ve been hunting for an older Arduino Serial v2.0 for ages, and I’m starting to accept that finding an original might not happen.
I noticed the CAD files for the Serial boards are available, so in theory anyone could build one. I’m also aware of the old Mouser PCBs, but those don’t seem to be obtainable anymore.
…but KiCad reports the schematic is in EAGLE’s older binary format (not the newer XML format it can import). I also tried installing the free version of EAGLE, but I’m running into version/compatibility issues and can’t get the files converted.
Does anyone know a reliable way to open these older binary EAGLE files and export them into something open (ideally KiCad-compatible)? Even just converting them to EAGLE XML would be a big step forward.
That’s the last push I need to get this build started. Happy to share what I learn along the way.
Cheers
PD. And if someone does have an original v2.0 board and would like to sell it, id be happy to hear
Perhaps this could be a starting point? KiCad 6.0 files...
An Arduino clone with an RS232 serial interface.
In 2013, I bought a board call "Freeduino Serial v2.0", which is an Arduino clone having an RS232 serial interface using a MAX232. But it seems that it is not available anymore now and I could not find the original files of the "v2.0". So I decided to create my own based on some information about the Freeduino I found in the internet and having a look at my "Freeduino Serial v2.0" board...
I was able to open it in Eagle 7.3 and when I saved it, it warned me and saved it in the newer format. Then I was able to import it into EasyEDA Pro online edition.
I don’t think the conversion was perfect, the layout and silk screen look a little different compared to the photo of the Arduino Serial on the Arduino website. So some adjustments would be needed.
many thanks, your replies make me feel as if it was xmas already. Many thanks, I will look into this. And of course I'd be very curious to hear from @stievenart
The omission of the trademarks present on the silkscreen of the official boards from the published CAD files is intentional.
Even in the case where hardware designs are offered for use under an open source/Creative Commons license, Arduino does not make the same offer of use of the company's trademarks. If the trademarks are included in the silkscreens of the published board files then this could result in community members inadvertently infringing on the trademark by leaving these silkscreen elements in place when producing their own boards based on the provided CAD files.
Of course there was a much less formal approach to the management of the infant business in 2005, and so we do indeed find the "Arduino" trademark on the silkscreen of this published board file.
Yes, of course. I was assuming as much, both from an "exact clone" prevention standpoint, as well as the legal issues letting your legalese get loose (certifications, too!)
But it will present problems to anyone who is trying to re-create a "collector" edition of some long-obsolete board. If they care about those parts, anyway.
On this particular board the wording of the Arduino page seems to indicate it is either a kit, and/or a manufactured board and/or Eagle files to make your own board, and there you would have an Arduino. So the less formal approach seems to have been an offering for make your own genuine Arduino. I wonder if assembled boards of this version were also available at the time this was published. The Older Boards webpage seems to support the idea at that time and Arduino was often made from a kit or the option was there to use Eagle files and documentation to completely roll your own genuine Arduino.
The photo of the assembled Arduino has the voltage regulator folded flat against the board and the Eagle file doesn’t support that, but I can see how with minor tweaks it could be made just like the picture. If I were interested in that board I would probably make adjustments and populate it with parts and call it “genuine enough” for nostalgia collection purposes.
But to me more interesting early board would be ARDUINO USB v2 240
web site says: The second version of the Arduino USB corrected the USB connector pinout and updated the URL to "arduino.berlios.de"; it was labelled "Arduino USB v2.0". (Eagle files, schematic, assembly instructions, photo of an assembled board).
Looking on wayback machine the text in parentheses, (Eagle files, schematic, assembly instructions, photo of an assembled board), used to have links, but perhaps the repos were cleaned up of some ancient stuff over the years and only the photo was retained for historical purposes. I would be interested in getting the file release_arduino_usb_v2.1.zip having that stuff in it, used to be at webzone.k3.mah.se/k3dacu/arduino/releases. Somebody somewhere probably has the zip files for various old boards stashed.
Version 1 of ARDUINO USB is less interesting because it has a problem with “incorrect pinout for the USB connector” that I would imagine was a major problem for those trying to put the kit together. The Old Boards page says it was the first one with the Arduino name. westfw I saw an older post of yours where you discussed problems with USB leading to development of Freeduino. I find that stuff interesting.
SEVERINO (S3V3) is also interesting, a single sided board that you can etch yourself.
(Note that this may be from the timeframe when the published files still had the error in the USB connection. There was some speculation during the "freeduino" arguments that this was left wrong "intentionally.")
Thanks, that will be fun to examine. So downloader beware, the design needs to be vetted before relying on it! I would probably make some other tweaks on the board anyway so I may not stay exactly true to the design.
The Freeduino board designs are still out there as well.
In addition to the through-hole version that NKC got some traction with as a kit, we also did SMT versions in three different sizes (that no one ever released as products)...
Thanks for that info. I had a look at Freeduino a couple of years ago briefly and like you mention Freeduino is no longer necessary, but it is interesting. I didn’t realize you were the Freeduino designer, how fun! I didn’t come into the hobby until year later, and there were no longer Freeduino kits available but cheap PCBs are available and free and easier-to-use PCB design software are now available.
I also did some googling of A. Akashi (Adilson Akashi). He is the first name on the above PCB image. He has a Flickr account with pictures he took making one at: Adilson Akashi | Flickr
It's not a choice. EAGLE just changed their file format (sometime around v5 or v6?) from a binary representation to something XML based.
If you open a file in an older format, and then save it, it will be in the new format.
(Windows EAGLE will read somewhat older file formats than MacOS. I had to convert a bunch of my designs on a windows system before by MacOS EAGLE would read them.)
The KiCAD (and other packages) "import" function requires that the file be in the newer format.
(no one likes my single sided board :-( It was specifically designed to make home fabrication methods (CNC, Toner Transfer, etc) work better.)
