As part of a project I undertook, I design a healthcare monitor system that includes wearable sensors to monitor certain biomedical parameters. I implemented this whole system with a central microcontroller and various development boards and sensors that are wired with the suitable communications protocols. However, my goal was to design this whole system on a printed circuit board so that it could be reduced in size and configured to function as a wearable device.
For this reason I would like you to inform me how we can do this and the procedure to be followed, as well as any other information you deem relevant. (any tutorial, the next steps). I have designed this whole system in fritzing software.
PCB design is none trivial - most teams have specialists for this task or outsource to external organisations
Start by drawing up a specification of the system, e.g. processor, interfaces used, sensors and other peripheral devices, communications, power requirements (battery backup?), etc
Once you have a specification a PCB designer can advise
also once you have an initial design it can take several itterations to get to production
A schematic will be a necessity. You can create one with KiCad which is available at no charge. This can later be used by you or your contracted PCB person to go int PCB layout. Eagle will also work but limited to what you can do with the free verson.
That is, the best way to put my entire system on a PCB is to draw the whole block diagram of my system with sensors, development boards, central microcontroller and batteries, and give it to a PCB designer ??
I have designed the whole block diagram of my system with the fritzing software program that contains all the sensors, the central microcontroller, the development boards as well as the cables with the necessary interfaces. Because I have not dealt with the KiCad program, is it possible to do this design with this program ??
Because I am an amateur§ in this field, during the design of this system with KiCad software, I have to have in mind some specific requirements or to follow some specific steps or just implement my system as I did in practice ??
So then I can send my block diagram to a contracted PCB person and implement my whole system on a PCB
From my point of view Fritzing is not considered a schematic, just a picture. There are no details such as power source, pin configuration, signals, part numbers just to name a few. You can send the frizzy picture but they will have to create a schematic, determine what footprints are needed for the connections, parts, cables, etc. Now add to that the support circuitry, needed, crysteal, etc needed for the microprocessor. Next you need to define which processor pin connects to what sensor ic pin etc. You can do what you want and send your existing picture but expect to pay for engineering to solve all the missing information etc.
also do you want an onboard programmer or will you use an external programmer.
generally to save PCB space and complexity I would use an external programmer such as a Microchip ICD4 or an STM ST-LINK/V2
The specific software program(fritzing), in addition to the above image, also gives the possibility of schematic as well as the corresponding diagram for PCB. But because as I mentioned above I am a beginner in this field and I do not have special knowledge, apart from the individual components of the system shown in the picture above and the battery that I have to add, what else will my system need to be printed on PCB and be functional ??
Do you know of any company or site that I can contact to design my PCB system?
First of all thank you very much for your observation and your useful advice. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a complete beginner in this field and I have little knowledge, so I do not know what are the necessary elements that my printed circuit board must have to be functional. As I mentioned so far I have implemented this system with cables, a microcontroller and sensors. My main goal is for this whole system to be integrated into a PCB and to work properly. The specific chip that you mention where exactly I have to place it and what is its usefulness.
In addition, apart from the external programmer, what else do I need to add to my printed circuit board?
The truth is that this microcontroller was already available in my laboratory, so I decided to first build my system with this microcontroller. I am thinking in the first stage to use this on a printed circuit board if possible.
Do you know anything more about this particular microcontroller and you ask if my final system will include it ??
You did tell us you were a beginner and I got the impression you will do more projects and designs in the future. You appear to have the ability to take an abstract idea and make it into something. My goal was to get you started on the correct footing and save you a lot of grief in the future. As you will find Fritzing is not accepted by many board houses. There is one in Germany that I know about. Try these links to get a feel of where I am coming form. Creating A PCB In Everything: Friends Don’t Let Friends Use Fritzing | Hackaday - The Future Of Fritzing Is Murky At Best | Hackaday
I am really a beginner and I still have little knowledge. My main priority is to design this system on a printed circuit board in the context of the project that I have undertaken with a predetermined deadline. However, I would generally be interested in this whole field in order to deal with and do more projects and designs in the future.
So you suggest me to design my complete system in Eagle or KiCAd ??Is there anything else that I should know before starting designing in these software programms??
First of all, thank you very much for the information because I did not know.
Next do you know how I can fix this problem ?? I have to take it into account or the solution can be given by the PCB designer ??
Are there other tips like the one I should know ??
Start with some simple design with maybe a few leds and a shift register with resistors. Launch KiCad or whatever you are using and capture the schematic, (insert the parts and connections). Then do the same design again, I bet it only takes about 1/10 the time of the first. This will be like learning a new language, it will not happen overnight. There are a lot of tutorials etc out there watch a few of them. Once you get comfortable doing the schematic, then start and go through the process of doing a PCB. Create the rats nest then you can place the parts etc. When you get that finished (the footprints will be a real pain) print it and see if the footprints work for the parts. When you get through this, you simply do exactly what you have done to this point and generate the gerber and drill files and save (I add a directory labeled Gerber). The software will do all of this for you. You will have to go through some variation of this with other CAD programs. I have been using KiCad for several years, maybe 6 or so boards a year and each time I learn something new.
Sorry for my late reply,
First of all I would like to thank you very much for your answer and your valuable help. All this time I have been trying to get acquainted with the KiCAD software and because I have little knowledge on this subject, I have had particular difficulty and do not know how to proceed. I have seen several tutorials so far
Thank you very much for your useful tips but I also have a basic question to ask you. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my goal is to make a wearable biomedical device for monitoring of healthcare. That's why I would like to ask you if you know if I will need anything extra in a component other than the main microcontroller, the sensors and the battery (of course I include all the connections between them). That is, I will need something that will be necessary and may be missed by me at the moment ??
