Help with simple PCB design

[Luften]

Hi,

I am looking to design a PCB to connect the electrodes from two camera parts. I’ve never done this before so I’m a bit lost, and I was referred to this site by a PCB manufacturer that I contacted. The camera is a DJI Action 2 camera, and there are two modules. Normally they’re positioned above each other with their electrical connections in contact per the original design, but I’d like to position the battery unit behind the camera unit, and so I need a PCB to connect the two. See the attached pic. Would anyone be able to help with this, and what type of pin connectors would I need for the PCB?

Thank you!

[jmk]

Hello @Luften

This is a big project.
The connectors are spring loaded and probably an in house product not available to the public.
If they are available and are suitable to mount on a PCB, you could then make that PCB,
HOWEVER
the PCB will need to be placed in a robust mounting tray designed to support the PCB and connectors and also clip into both parts of the camera and hold everything securely.

Most of this is well out of the scope of Kicad.

If you can source the connectors and organize the design and building of a support tray, when you need help with a PCB please revisit us.

[paulvdh]

Those connectors look like pogo pins, so I did:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pogo+pin+connector&t=ha&va=j&iax=images&ia=images

And that finds lots of similar connectors, and it’s up to you to find a connector that matches the pitch of your pins.

The “flat” side is quite simple, That can be a gold plated PCB. However, that PCB is not in the same plane as the part for the connector. I can see a few options. One option is to make a bigger PCB and then cut it into two pieces. One for the male, and one for the female connector. I would make the part for the female connector smaller, so you can glue it on top of the bigger PCB.

For combining everything together, maybe 3D print some bracket, or just use hot glue to semi permanently glue the PCB to this camera. Quite often got glue can be removed without a trace if needed, but there is always a chance you damage the plastic a bit with the hot glue itself, or pull of some paint when taking it apart.

[Luften]

Thanks for the responses. The maker helping with the case has found a standard component which has the pogo pins on:
https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/adam-tech/PH2-3F-08-FVP-24415-C1/10324955

Here is the data sheet:

ph2-3f-xx-fvp-24415-c1-data-sheet.pdf

I’ll need to confirm the exact dimensions between the two pogo pin pads with the case maker, but I think it will be 33.2-34.2mm (distance between the center of the furthest two electrodes).

Is the PCB easier now given we can use this component and just have two of them spaced apart in a straight line?

[JohnRob]

There are a number of considerations as stated above, however one issue you should decide 1st.

1. What height restriction do you have above the connection surfaces? Pogo pins are not what you would call “low profile”

2. Since the rear module is the battery, Is it possibly you can get a dead battery module and cannibalize the connector? I realize there isn’t a real connector but that part of the body could be useful.

[Luften]

Hi. I don’t think I need to cannibalize a connector as we’ve found a standard part which fits (see the last post). The measurements are the same.

The case is going to be 3D printed, so we can design the space around the PCB. Looking at the schematic it says 2.4mm thickness for the unit only, and 4.15mm with the pins, which should be fine.

The schematic has a Recommended PCB Layout (page 2 on the right) drawn top down, basically the position of the drill holes. Looking at the side profile, would the PCB fit above or below the pin pad?

[der.ule]

I think that what you found is the pad to which the actual pogo pin is supposed to make contact with, that actually it is not super necessary because you can make the pad directly on the pcb (not rated for million of cycles, but I’m guessing that is not a problem), to me, it seems that the problem is more the pogo pin itself, more like this one (with a 1mm travel distance):

https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/adam-tech/PH2-3B-08-MVS-5375-C1/9831886

or any of the other options available:

https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/filter/contacts-spring-loaded-pogo-pins-and-pressure/311?s=N4IgjCBcoLQExVAYygFwE4FcCmAaEA9lANogCsIAugL7X4KSkDOAtgCYAETADugJYA7AOYdugqtSA

I hope this helps.

[Luften]

Ah I see now, makes sense, thanks. I guess what I thought were the pogo pins are actually static connectors on the backside, is that right?

The component above does seem quite deep now. There is a pad we can salvage from a SmallRig case - see the pic, step 2 on the right.

How would this one fit into a PCB? Would it be easier to get individual pins and solder them into a board?

[Luften]

Looks like these might be options:

https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/mill-max-manufacturing-corp/823-22-008-10-002101/1146974

or

https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/adam-tech/PH2-3B-08-MVP-3345/9831891

[der.ule]

Yeah, if the dimension fit, they seem ok, however, you’ll need to be careful of the height discrepancy. if you look at the picture below, there is a black plastic part that holds the pins together, the pins that are already in your device, need to be able to reach the pads in your pcb.

(sorry about the pixel art )

[Luften]

I see what you mean. Maybe the connector pad unit from my earlier post would level them up on the right hand side. I’ll check the measurements and look at some more components and report back.

Thanks for the help.

[Luften]

Ok I’ve found the components which I think are the right ones, and the height difference between them should be 0.09mm (i.e. small enough to ignore - the pins on each side have ~1mm movement).

–

Here are the pogo pins, part number 823-22-008-10-000101:
https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/mill-max-manufacturing-corp/823-22-008-10-000101/1146864?s=N4IgTCBcDaIBxgMwFoxmQBg3ZBGDmW%2BuIAugL5A

From the surface of the PCB to the top of the pogo pins when depressed, I calculate 2.49mm.

–

And here are the pin pads for the other side, part number PH2-3F-08-FVP-24415-C1, which basically level up the two sides:
https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/adam-tech/PH2-3F-08-FVP-24415-C1/10324955

From the surface of the PCB to the top of the pads, I calculate 2.40mm.

–

Does this look right?

[der.ule]

Be careful the pogo pins are imperial and have a pitch of 2.54mm, the landing pads are metric and have a pitch of 2.5mm, so they are not exact matches, for 8 positions it will work, but try to keep the offset to the middle and not to one side for the difference not too big.

EDIT: Nope, I looked carefully once again and the one with 8 positions has a pitch of 2.54mm indeed, sorry for the noise.

[Luften]

This is what I’m trying to do with the PCB. I tried creating it but I’m getting a bit stuck to be honest, this is as far as I got!

[der.ule]

What you are showing in the picture is the schematic of your board, in it you should define which components should it have and how are connected to each other, not really necessary and actually sometimes confusing to draw your components as they are going to be in the board

Here a screenshot of the schematic of the small test I did before:

Once you assign a footprint to all your schematic symbols, you should Tools->Update PCB from Schematic [F8], this way, you synchronize your design with what is going to be the layout of your final PCB.

Here the PCB screenshot of the same board:

I hope this helps!

P.S. Maybe you’ll like more detailed instructions, here some links:

Getting Started in KiCad | 6.0 | English | Documentation | KiCad

Getting Started with KiCad Version 6 : Beginner’s Tutorial to Schematic and...