HardLabs

Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1

bitfieldlabs·afterglow·afterglow_whitestar_pcb_v21/afterglow_whitestar.kicad_pcb

Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 PCB layout, top view — open source AVR/Arduino board by bitfieldlabs
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About the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 PCB

Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 is an open source AVR/Arduino PCB design by bitfieldlabs, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 81 × 181.5 mm, with 118 components from 23 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the Arduino_Nano_v3.x, from the AVR/Arduino family. Other key parts include the 74LS165, 5V_Regulator, 74HC595 and ULN2803A. By type, the board carries 71 resistors, 18 transistors, 9 diodes, 6 ICs, 5 capacitors and 4 connectors.

It belongs with the retro computing designs in this gallery.

From the project

Pinball retro afterglow

AFTERGLOW is a pinball machine extension board that aims at softening the hard lamp on/off transitions which are the consequence of replacing the original incandescent bulbs with LEDs. Reproducing the original light effects is a big part of preserving a pinball game's nostalgia.

It currently works with Williams WPC, Williams System 11, Data East and probably also with Sega games. The basic principle involves resampling of the original lamp matrix signals at a higher frequency. This allows for PWM LED dimming with additional brightness steps.

Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1

74LS1655V_Regulator74HC595ULN2803AArduino_Nano_v3.x

Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 bill of materials (BOM)

118 components, 23 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
2
74LS165
U1, U2
1
5V_Regulator
U3
2
74HC595
U5, U6
1
ULN2803A
U7
1
Arduino_Nano_v3.x
A1
8
FQP11P06
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8
10
FQP13N06L
Q9, Q10, Q11, Q12, Q13, Q14, Q15, Q16 +2
1
J12_IN_R
J12_IN_R
1
J12_OUT_R
J12_OUT_R
1
J13_IN_C
J13_IN_C
1
J13_OUT_C
J13_OUT_C
2
TestPoint
5V, 18V
1
5A SB
F1 - 2A SB
1
CFG
SW1
1
WS2812B
D1
8
4.7V
D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9
1
1000uF
C1
1
0.33
C2
3
0.1
C3, C4, C5
24
1k
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8 +16
Show 3 more
QtyPartRefs
29
10K
10k
R25, R27, R28, R29, R30, R31, R32, R33 +21
10
220
R26, R43, R45, R47, R49, R51, R53, R55 +2
8
2k
R35, R36, R37, R38, R39, R40, R41, R42

Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 design files

The KiCad project lives in the bitfieldlabs/afterglow repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1: common questions

What microcontroller does the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 use?

The Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 is built around the Arduino_Nano_v3.x, from the AVR/Arduino family.

How big is the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 PCB?

The Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 measures 81 × 181.5 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1?

118 components, from 23 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 design files?

From the bitfieldlabs/afterglow repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 design in my own project?

The repository has no license, so all rights stay with bitfieldlabs. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.

Can I test firmware for the Afterglow WHITESTAR 2.1 without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug AVR/Arduino firmware against it before you order a PCB.

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