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Meniscus controller

EdSmithe·meniscus-controller·hardware/pcb/meniscus-controller.kicad_pcb

Meniscus controller PCB layout, top view — open source AVR/Arduino board by EdSmithe
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About the Meniscus controller PCB

Meniscus controller is an open source AVR/Arduino PCB design by EdSmithe, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 76 × 91 mm, with 10 components from 10 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the Arduino_Nano_Every, from the AVR/Arduino family. Other key parts include the MPXV5100DP, OKI-78SR-3.3/1.5-W36-C and 0PTF0078P. By type, the board carries 5 connectors, 3 ICs, 1 module and 1 capacitor.

It belongs with the displays & leds designs in this gallery.

From the project

Closed-loop meniscus pressure controller for inkjet printing: custom KiCad PCB, Arduino control firmware, Python GUI

A closed-loop pressure controller that holds the ink meniscus in a drop-on-demand inkjet nozzle. It runs a peristaltic pump forwards or backwards to hold a pressure setpoint between about −35 mbar and +15 mbar. It's built around a custom two-layer PCB that I designed in KiCad. This was my first PCB, and I learned KiCad from scratch to make it.

The printer deposits highly viscous inks, usually liquid crystals, through a piezo drop-on-demand nozzle. Inks like these leave very little margin on nozzle pressure. A few mbar too positive and ink weeps out of the nozzle; a few mbar too negative and…

Meniscus controller, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Meniscus controller

MPXV5100DPOKI-78SR-3.3/1.5-W36-C0PTF0078PArduino_Nano_Every

Meniscus controller bill of materials (BOM)

10 components, 10 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
1
MPXV5100DP
NXP
IC1
1
OKI-78SR-3.3/1.5-W36-C
OKI-78SR-3.3_1.5-W36-C
Murata
IC2
1
0PTF0078P
Littelfuse
U2
1
Arduino_Nano_Every
Arduino (or compatible)
A1
1
Encoder Socket
J1
1
Display
J2
1
Jack-DC
Kycon
J3
1
Motor
J4
1
24v Motor
J5
1
35PX470MEFC10X12.5
C_Polarized
C1

Meniscus controller design files

The KiCad project lives in the EdSmithe/meniscus-controller repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Meniscus controller: common questions

What microcontroller does the Meniscus controller use?

The Meniscus controller is built around the Arduino_Nano_Every, from the AVR/Arduino family.

How big is the Meniscus controller PCB?

The Meniscus controller measures 76 × 91 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Meniscus controller?

10 components, from 10 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 Meniscus controller design files?

From the EdSmithe/meniscus-controller 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 Meniscus controller design in my own project?

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

Can I test firmware for the Meniscus controller 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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