ThunderBuddy
About the ThunderBuddy PCB
ThunderBuddy is an open source PCB design by gamblor21, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 26.7 × 28.5 mm, with 17 components from 12 distinct parts.
Other key parts include the AS3935. By type, the board carries 5 capacitors, 5 resistors, 4 jumpers, 1 IC, 1 connector and 1 inductor.
It belongs with the sensors designs in this gallery.
From the project
Circuit board based on the AS3935 lightning detector chip
This small circuitboard uses an AS3935 chip to detect lightning at distances up to 40km away. By default it supports SPI but can be configured for I2C as well.
The board measures around 2cm a side with a small lightning shaped antenna area on top.
The board can be driven in CircuitPython with the AS3935 driver.
For an example project using the board please see my Lightning Detector project.
Main components on the ThunderBuddy
ThunderBuddy bill of materials (BOM)
17 components, 12 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.
| Qty | Part | Footprint | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AS3935 | MLPQ-16-1EP_4x4mm_P0.65mm_EP2.8x2.8mm | U1 |
| 1 | Headers | PinHeader_1x07_P2.54mm_Vertical | J1 |
| 1 | SI Bridge | SolderJumper-2_P1.3mm_Bridged2Bar_RoundedPad1.0x1.5mm | JP1 |
| 1 | AD0 Bridge | SolderJumper-2_P1.3mm_Open_RoundedPad1.0x1.5mm | JP2 |
| 1 | AD1 Bridge | SolderJumper-2_P1.3mm_Open_RoundedPad1.0x1.5mm | JP3 |
| 1 | SCL Bridge | SolderJumper-2_P1.3mm_Open_RoundedPad1.0x1.5mm | JP4 |
| 1 | MA5532-AE 100uH | MA5532-AE | L1 |
| 2 | 1UF 1uF | C_0805_2012Metric | C1, C2 |
| 1 | 10UF 10uF | C_0805_2012Metric | C3 |
| 1 | 680PF 680pf | C_0805_2012Metric | C4 |
| 1 | 270PF 270pf | C_0805_2012Metric | C5 |
| 5 | 10K 10k | R_0805_2012Metric | R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 |
ThunderBuddy design files
The KiCad project lives in the gamblor21/ThunderBuddy repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.
- LayoutThunderBuddy.kicad_pcb
- SchematicThunderBuddy.kicad_sch
- BOMThunderBuddy-BOM.csv
ThunderBuddy: common questions
How big is the ThunderBuddy PCB?
The ThunderBuddy measures 26.7 × 28.5 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.
How many components are on the ThunderBuddy?
17 components, from 12 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 ThunderBuddy design files?
From the gamblor21/ThunderBuddy 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 ThunderBuddy design in my own project?
The repository has no license, so all rights stay with gamblor21. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.
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