IPDM56

Getting started with the iPDM56 VCU

Note: all documentation is under https://github.com/celeron55/ipdm56

Connect the board to USB and power it up

This is a sanity check before you start soldering and chase your tail troubleshooting.

Use a good quality micro USB cable and power the board up through it via a charger or computer.

both LEDs are lit after the initial Arduino sketch has started

Solder the connector onto the board

Before you start soldering, test fit the PCB to see if the remaining holes line up with the threaded mounts of the enclosure.

Apart from soldering equipment you will need two small screws and nuts to secure the 56 pin header connector to the PCB so it is secured during soldering.

If you're in a rush, you should alternate between the two sections to avoid overheating the board and reduce stresses on the joints.

Connector PCB screws (borrowed from ATX mainboard mounts)

Connector secured for soldering

Alternating between both sides

all 56 pins soldered

Wiring in the pins

(starting with the USB connection)

Plastic grid removed, note different numbering

Numbering scheme of connector can be different!

Perforate the seal with multimeter probe, put the 4 wires from the USB cable through the grid.

Front view, note different numbering

Square and kerb a chopstick for pushing the crimped pins

Push the pins through

For powering the board from 12V DC it makes sense to use either Pin 3 or 4 for ground but only Pin 2 for +12V. Pin 1 was +Vbat on V1.0, it's M11 on V1.1. An automotive fuse is recommended.

12V connected

If you want to use high side outputs, you have wire the supply into Pins 55, 56 and 33 for HOUT 1-9. This can be a different voltage? HOUT10 is supplied by Pin 2?

First program - blink LEDs

Set up the Arduino IDE. The ATMega 328 is also used on Arduino UNO, Arduino Pro Mini and Arduino Nano, so programming should be familiar. See https://docs.arduino.cc/hardware/uno-rev3 for some tips.

As the iPDM56 uses a CH340G USB-to-serial converter, the choice of bootloader will be ignored, just choose the correct serial port.