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2 layers119 × 92 mmGps A, the printed circuit board in 3D

Blinking lights to tell time

Size
119 × 92 mm
Copper layers
2
Thickness
1.6 mm
Parts
90
Nets
111
Pads
318
Tracks, vias
1,292, 115
Pours
3
Routed
Yes
KiCad
KiCad 8.0 (file 20240108)
Created
13 Mar 2023
Updated
15 Jun 2025

Overview

Gps A is an open-source printed circuit board by fluffy, from the fluffy/blinky repository on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board of 119 × 92 mm with 90 parts on 111 nets, routed with 1,292 tracks and 115 vias.

It is built around the CH340C, SN74LVC1G14DBV and AMS1117-3.3, with the M24C02-RMN6P, TLV3603DCKR and USBLC6-2P6 among its other parts. Its parts include 38 resistors, 23 capacitors, 10 ICs, 3 transistors and 3 connectors. It belongs with the radio and wireless boards and the STM32 boards of this library.

Main components

9

README

README.md

blinky

Blinking lights to tell time. And it beeps.

Build and flash

Build with:

text
mkdir build ; cd build ; cmake .. ; make

Note when programming the GPS board, the GPS must be unplugged while programming.

Program flash using stlink with:

text
st-flash --reset --format ihex write build/blinky.hex

Can program using Stm32CubeProgrammer with RTS=1, DTR=0, baud at 115200, Parity Even, data bits 8, stop bits 1, flow control off.

Program flash using USB serial with:

text
stm32flash -w build/blinky.hex -v -b 115200 -m 8e1 -i "-dtr," /dev/cu.usbserial-31110

If this fails, try the following reset then try to flash again. This will not work on a brand new uninitialized board, the board needs to be programmed for the first time with st-flash.

Can reset the board with:

text
stty -f /dev/cu.usbserial-31110 hup

Monitor output connect with Serial program. Use 115200 baud with 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. Set the RTS and DTR both low. Screen fails to do this. It sets RTS and DTR both high it will not work.

To use python miniterm (replace usbserial-31110 with number on your machine):

text
pyserial-miniterm -e --parity N --rts 0 --dtr 0 /dev/cu.usbserial-31110 115200

Can exit the miniterm with CTRL+]. This will cause board reset when it starts.

Tools and Dependencies

Set up a mac to be able to build by installing:

  • TODO
  • pip3 install pyserial

Features

Blink Timing Board

On the Rev A hardware 1.0 software have:

  • Timing board with TXCO, LTC Sync in, LTC Sync out, LED grid, battery power, USB debug, audio in/out

  • Display 120 fps tick on 10x4 grid

  • 3.3V LTC Sync Out

  • PPS out is hold sync button while booting

  • Jitter of less than 1 ms

  • Jam sync to 3.3V Sync input

  • Time drift of < 5 ms in 1 hour

  • USB port for serial data

  • read calibration from EEPROM

  • audio out of beep

  • headset monitor of audio out

  • usb upgrade of firmware

  • Status LEDs: error(red), external synced (green), not sync ( blue ), have sync (teal)

  • audio input to detect beep

  • battery with 2h life and USB charger

Clock and GPS Board

On the Rev A hardware 0.2 software have:

  • GPS board with GPS, OCXO
  • LTC sync out, LTC sync in
  • Does not have audio or led display grid
  • 10 MHz sine wave output 1V p2p into 50 ohm, 3 channels
  • Sync to GPS PPS
  • Show current PPS offset from GPS PPS
  • Compare PPS accuracy to GPS over 24 hours
  • read calibration from EEPROM
  • USB serial display of: Time, GPS Error, SyncIn Error
  • Aux input of 10 MHz signal to compare
  • PPS jitter of about +/- 20 ns and error less than 10 ns
  • USB upgrade of firmware
  • USB 3A power for gps board
  • USB output serial data for computer time sync

Light GPS Board

On the Rev A hardware 0.2 software have:

  • GPS board with GPS
  • LTC sync out
  • Does not have audio or led display grid
  • Sync to GPS PPS
  • USB upgrade of firmware
  • USB power
  • USB output serial data for computer time sync

Wishlist

  • time into browser measure computer time offset
  • software upgrade from browser

Parts

90
QtyValueFootprintReferences
15100nCapacitor_SMD:C_0402_1005MetricC1, C11, C30, C31, C32, C36, C38, C39, C45, C47, C48, C50, C56, C57, C58
141K0Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR2, R3, R5, R6, R22, R41, R51, R52, R54, R55, R57, R60, R61, R62
547KResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR27, R28, R76, R77, R78
5SolderJumper_2_BridgedJumper:SolderJumper-2_P1.3mm_Bridged2Bar_RoundedPad1.0x1.5mmJP1, JP2, JP3, JP4, JP7
44K7Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR32, R33, R34, R36
4MountingHoleMountingHole:MountingHole_2.2mm_M2H1, H2, H3, H4
4SN74LVC1G14DBVPackage_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-23-5U2, U19, U20, U21
32N7002Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-23Q1, Q9, Q10
210uCapacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608MetricC2, C42
21K5Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR58, R59
2270RResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR25, R48
22u2Capacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608MetricC35, C40
233pCapacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608MetricC28, C29
247RResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR73, R74
25K1Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR37, R38
1100RResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR1
1100nCapacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608MetricC27
110KResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR50
1130KResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR21
1150RResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR70
116MHz Crystal:Crystal_SMD_3225-4Pin_3.2x2.5mmY2
1200RResistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR4
122R0Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR26
13K3Resistor_SMD:R_0603_1608MetricR35
147pCapacitor_SMD:C_0603_1608MetricC4
1AMS1117-3.3Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-223-3_TabPin2U11
1B5819W SLDiode_SMD:D_SOD-123D4
1CH340CPackage_SO:SOIC-16_3.9x9.9mm_P1.27mmU14
1KH-BNC50-3511blinky_footprints:BNC_Amphenol_B6252HB-NPP3G-50_Horizontal-CJJ10
1LED_ABGRblinky_footprints:LED_RGB_MHS110FRGBCTD5
1M24C02-RMNPackage_SO:SOIC-8_3.9x4.9mm_P1.27mmU13
1RJ45blinky_footprints:RJ45_Amphenol_RJHSE5380J1
1STM32F405RGTxPackage_QFP:LQFP-64_10x10mm_P0.5mmU10
1TLV3603DCKRPackage_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-363_SC-70-6U8
1USBLC6-2P6Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-666U15
1USB_C_Receptacleblinky_footprints:USB_C_Receptacle_HRO_TYPE-C-31-M-12J4
1~TestPoint:TestPoint_THTPad_D1.5mm_Drill0.7mmTP7

Questions

How big is the Gps A PCB?

It measures 119 × 92 mm and has 2 copper layers, 1.6 mm thick.

What parts does the Gps A use?

90 parts, built around the CH340C, SN74LVC1G14DBV, AMS1117-3.3 and M24C02-RMN6P. The full list of its parts is on this page, with links to each part's symbol and footprint where PCBKit's library has them.

Where can I download the Gps A KiCad files?

From the fluffy/blinky repository on GitHub, at the commit this page was made from: the board is hardware/gps_A/gps_A.kicad_pcb and its schematic hardware/blink_A/blink_A.kicad_sch. PCBKit opens the board in the browser, with nothing to install.

Can I use the Gps A design in my own project?

Its repository states no licence, so its author keeps all rights: ask fluffy before reusing the design.

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