Mini M - M Star PCB to get QMK support (Level1Techs)

SunshineRag_DT

22 Oct 2021, 07:13

As Wendell has not yet posted M Star hardware at the Level1Techs store was wondering if anyone has tried get PCB's made at someplace like https://jlcpcb.com/. I don't have much experience making PCBs but I can solder simple SMD and through hole and it looks pretty easy to put together. So if I could just get the PCB made I could likely futz it myself eventually.

Wendell's article on this is here:
https://forum.level1techs.com/t/level1- ... ion/175331

They have all the files posted at https://gitlab.com/esr/m-star but there are multiple gerbers for the Mini M and I am not sure which one to use. There is a "-B" and "-F" version of the files. I can also can get the blue pill, connectors and the triomates and the headers but I dont see a resistor and cap list to match to the numbered locations. It might be my inexperience with PCB design but I don't see a BOM of needed part numbers or resistor/cap values. It would also be super nice if a SMD pick and place location file was available so I could just get the SMD parts placed and attached for me as part of the PCB order if I wanted to pay for that.

Wonder if anyone with more experience than me could help a dummy like me with the files and options I need to choose to get some of these PCBs made at a place like JLC?

SunshineRag_DT

23 Oct 2021, 10:03

Got off my lazy butt and answered my own question. Basically you can zip all "mini-" prefixed gerber files together for the pcb creation. Installed KiCAD and pulled the below out for the BOM and the POS files. Hopefully will give it a go and let folks know the outcome.

The board has alot of "extras" as it looks like it is derived from the Model M board and has various LED configurations and options that is not needed for the Mini as the LEDs will come off the matrix. As far as I can tell the BOM might be the following but maybe not all of this is needed as the blue pill does the heavy lifting:
STM32 Blue Pill Development Board - STM32F103C8T6
J1b1 - USB A connector
J2 - 16 Contact Trio-mate, vertical, through hole
J3 - 16 Contact Trio-mate, vertical, through hole
J9 - 2 Pin horizontal grounding tab
C10 - 100nF capacitor, SMD 0402 (1005 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
C11 - 100nF capacitor, SMD 0402 (1005 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
C12 - 100nF capacitor, SMD 0402 (1005 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
C14 - 100nF capacitor, SMD aluminum electrolytic nonpolar, 5.0x5.4mm
R1 - 0ohm resistor, SMD 1210 (3225 Metric), thick film
R2 - 22ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R3 - 22ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R7 - 100ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R8 - 100ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R9 - 100ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R10 - 100ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R11 - 100ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R12 - 100ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal
R13 - 100ohm resistor, SMD 0805 (2012 Metric), square (rectangular) end terminal, IPC_7351 nominal


Save the following board top pick and place position file as: mini-top.pos

### Module positions - created on 10/22/21 12:20:12 ###
### Printed by Pcbnew version kicad (5.1.10)-1
## Unit = mm, Angle = deg.
## Side : top
# Ref Val Package PosX PosY Rot Side
C10 100nF C_0402_1005Metric 71.1200 -34.4250 90.0000 top
C11 100nF C_0402_1005Metric 73.6600 -34.4250 90.0000 top
C12 100nF C_0402_1005Metric 76.2000 -34.2900 90.0000 top
C14 100nF C_Elec_5x5.4 170.1800 -16.5100 0.0000 top
R1 0 R_1210_3225Metric_Pad1.30x2.65mm_HandSolder 155.6500 -33.7000 0.0000 top
R2 22 R_0805_2012Metric_Pad1.20x1.40mm_HandSolder 102.8700 -15.5900 0.0000 top
R5 22 R_0805_2012Metric_Pad1.20x1.40mm_HandSolder 102.9700 -17.8900 180.0000 top
R7 100 R_0805_2012Metric 137.9800 -17.5800 0.0000 top
R8 100 R_0805_2012Metric 138.0800 -14.7200 0.0000 top
R9 100 R_0805_2012Metric 138.0800 -12.1800 0.0000 top
R10 100 R_0805_2012Metric 85.5800 -24.4500 90.0000 top
R11 100 R_0805_2012Metric 88.5300 -24.4500 90.0000 top
R12 100 R_0805_2012Metric 85.5800 -20.0400 90.0000 top
R13 100 R_0805_2012Metric 88.5300 -20.0400 90.0000 top
## End

User avatar
Muirium
µ

23 Oct 2021, 11:19

Cool. I wonder how it compares to Phosphorglow's "Colossus" Universal Model M controller.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9820&hilit=colossus

I've run my SSK with one of these for years now. Very handy if you'd rather a modern cable, plus all that programmability.

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