Payload board

[mchargmg]

Hello,

I am new here. A colleague of mine is having me make a payload for a 3U he is designing using Pycubed. I looked at the documentation. It looks like I am just using a standard PC104 with the 9x2 payload interface connector. I looked on the hardware section here, and I do not see a blank "payload board" PCB design. Would there be any interest if we made a payload board with the connector on it and uploaded it?

Many thanks

Geoff McHarg, Air Force Academy
Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center

[maholli]

Hey @mchargmg,

A blank "payload board" is a great idea! You're describing something like this PUMPKIN board but with different connectors, right?

In a pinch, that PUMPKIN board could work and all you'd need is to build yourself a custom cable, but I really like the idea of a streamlined board (that doesn't cost $75).

• In case you haven't seen it, make sure to check out PyCubed's 🎛 Payloads and Interfacing with External Boards page.
• Depending on how much space your payload needs, I've also seen folks make a payload PCB that spans both "slots" like this:
  

[mchargmg]

Hi @maholli

Yes, like that board, just the right connectors. We have found getting the inter board connectors in the right places are half the battle. I don't think our payload will fit on the 35x23mm space. We normally just do up the PCB designs, and get them made by a company. Do you folks basically rely on the four holes in the corners and the inter board connector to align everything?

Thanks for the information. We will share what we get.

cheers

Geoff

[maholli]

Either would work, but personally I wouldn't rely on board-to-board mezzanine connectors for this. I'd just use a short point-to-point cable. Everything are standard 0.1" headers so you'll be able to find commercial options or make your own (especially in a pinch). This also loosens the mechanical tolerances necessary and enables easier "bread boarding" or flat sat development.

Either way, I'm excited to see what you come up with! Both options would be SUPER helpful to the community. Let me know if I can help.

P.S. the process for contributing to a github repo like the [PyCubed Hardware](https://github.com/pycubed/hardwaree would be -> fork repo -> create a branch -> work/commit to your heart's content -> submit pull request back to the primary PyCubed repo. Adafruit has a nice write-up for this. I'll write this up in a more formal way at some point.