Wiring a ceramic capacitor

Other Hardware General Electronics
21

the only reason anyone would use them for anything that was not temporary is that they can't solder.

6 hours sounds pretty temporary to me so that puts your case in the "Dupont-allowable" category.

22

The reasons why it's hard for me to abandon the idea to use Duponts are basically two:

  1. the cost of providing to someone the starter kit (PCB with all the components that must be soldered and eventually already soldered) has a cost of 1/10 compared to the same PCB with Nano, RTC, TIP120, Buck converter. Who gets the starter kit can assemble the whole system only using a screwdriver. Most of the time the final user has already one or more of the required components and he can save money.
  2. the components are easily replaceable in case of a fault.

Ok, I'm going to mentally divorce by Dupont. I don't mind anymore about replaceability and merchandising (sigh). I have bought sockets with 3-4-6-16 pins but now I will use them to make bracelets and I will solder everything (including Nano!?) directly to two oz of copper.
The 7808 will be replaced by a buck converter. It occupies less volume than a TO220 with cooler ad capacitors and it is much more "cool".
TIP 120 for the moment stay there. I wish to replace it with a MOSFET, but I feel confident with the TIP120 because I tested and it works like it is supposed to be.
I don't have more question, for now, because before I have to somatize the previous answers :slight_smile:
Thank you a lot for all the replies!!

23

Ipposnif:
The reasons why it's hard for me to abandon the idea to use Duponts are basically two:

  1. the cost of providing to someone the starter kit (PCB with all the components that must be soldered and eventually already soldered) has a cost of 1/10 compared to the same PCB with Nano, RTC, TIP120, Buck converter.

Then you either use a ridiculously expensive PCBA house, or your volume is really small.

Concern 2) just doesn't happen.

24

Yes both of them :slight_smile:
This project doesn't have the presumption to be an industrial project. It is to build something useful that lasts long for me and for my friends. The Gerber file, the software, everything will be shared.
After all, you can buy from eBay an irrigation system with the solenoid valve nestled in the body and smooth waterproof buttons for 50 euro.

p.s.
2 words on the software that is already done. It uses the wonderful library GitHub - dmkishi/Dusk2Dawn: Minimal Arduino library for time of sunrise and sunset.
Once you have inserted in the system (edit mode likewise Casio) the longitude and latitude of your garden/terrace, the watering hours (1 at dawn and 1 at dusk) and the amount of water will automatically adjust along the year.