This is an old revision of the document!
Table of Contents
Building the SBC V2 Single-Board Computer for the Total Beginner
Under development - refer to legacy documentation below.
This is a guide to help with building the SBC V2 (Single-Board-Computer). It is aimed at the total beginner. The SBC V2 board was previously call the N8VEM Single-Board Computer.
Guidelines:
- Ordering the SBC V2 printed circuit board (pcb).
- Obtaining the parts list.
- Ordering the parts.
- Board construction and other required elements.
- Populating the ICs (“integrated circuits” or chips)
- Configuring the board.
- Testing the board.
- Next steps.
1. Ordering the SBC V2 printed circuit board (pcb).
There are two options for ordering a PCB.
- Members of the Retrobrew Computer community offer PCBs for sale on the boardinventory page where costs and contact details are also available.
- Manufacture your own boards using the "kicad" files. This requires loading the files into Kicad pcb designer and outputting the files in “gerber” format which can be provided to P.C.B manufacturers.
When you receive the pcb, it is a good idea to look over it for any obvious defects. Finding and fixing defects earlier is always better than later. One thing to look for is potential “spurs”. These are basically tiny flakes of metal that are a by-product of the manufacturing process that have accidentally fallen onto the board during construction. These look like raised areas under the green insulation layer on the pcb. If they fall on a bad spot they can short out two or more wires by connecting them together erroneously and this can cause major problems. These are generally rare, and quite hard to see, but finding one early and fixing it (by cutting it) can really pay off.
2. Obtaining the parts list.
The complete parts list for the SBC V2 can be found here.
The full version of the SBC V2 is designed to be connected to a Euroboard backplane so it can be used in conjunction with other boards. However, it can operate independently of the backplane and in this case not all parts are required. If you are interest in building the “minimal” build, see this page for parts that can be omitted.
3. Ordering the parts.
4. Board construction and other required elements.
5. Populating the ICs (“integrated circuits” or chips).
6. Configuring the board.
7. Testing the board.
8. Next steps.
A lot of the information in these documents may be out of date:
| Filename | Filesize | Last modified |
|---|---|---|
| building_the_n8vem_for_the_total_beginner_v0.1.docx | 1.8 MiB | 2015/10/29 18:59 |
| building_the_n8vem_for_the_total_beginner_v0.1.pdf | 1.7 MiB | 2015/10/29 19:00 |
| building_the_n8vem_for_the_total_beginner_v1.0.docx | 2.6 MiB | 2015/10/29 19:00 |
| building_the_n8vem_for_the_total_beginner_v1.0.pdf | 2.0 MiB | 2015/10/29 19:00 |
| building_the_n8vem_for_the_total_beginner_v1.1.docx | 2.7 MiB | 2015/10/29 19:00 |
| building_the_n8vem_for_the_total_beginner_v1.1.pdf | 2.2 MiB | 2015/10/29 19:01 |
| cpm_test_drive.doc | 76.0 KiB | 2015/10/29 19:00 |
| cpm_test_drive.pdf | 31.8 KiB | 2015/10/29 19:00 |
| hardware_test_functions.doc | 20.0 MiB | 2015/10/29 19:01 |
| hardware_test_functions.pdf | 214.6 KiB | 2015/10/29 19:00 |
| n8vem_computer_debug_suggestions.doc | 41.0 KiB | 2015/10/29 19:01 |
| n8vem_computer_debug_suggestions.pdf | 18.1 KiB | 2015/10/29 19:01 |
| n8vem_system_build.doc | 104.5 KiB | 2015/10/29 19:01 |
| n8vem_system_build.pdf | 59.0 KiB | 2015/10/29 19:01 |
