Building Glasgow

Project Building Glasgow
debugging PCB assembly so we can build a PCB to debug our PCBs
Status	Initializing
Contact	noopwafel, Shiz
Last Update	2020-01-08

Wha?

We're going to try assembling some Glasgow [1] PCBs. The FPGA is BGA, and there are >100 jellybean parts to place, so this will probably involve the Reflow Oven. Failure is fun!

If we make this work, then we can probably put a bunch of them together for <100eur each, but for now this is just an experiment.

Glasgow is described as an `open source multitool for digital electronics'; it's basically an FPGA with configurable level shifting for 16 ESD-protected I/O pins, so you can connect it to a whole bunch of random interfaces:

Status

We ordered 50 revC1 PCBs and a stencil from JLCPCB.

• They asked for confirmation that the solder mask layer was meant to be missing the DNP parts, replied.
• They shipped!

noopwafel plans to buy about 10 board's worth of components; the total BOM cost is about 70eur in these quantities.

• We managed to import a BOM into Mouser, and to break Digikey's BOM manager.
• Mouser has almost all the components, except we need to substitute some jellybean parts and some LEDs.
• Still need to check whether they all make sense.
• The FPGA is only available in useful (small) quantities from Digikey. Will check prices for other components there and then split the order if needed.
• YC248-JR-0710KL is fine (the 'L' is somehow an optional part of the part number...)
• The HX4K is 1eur cheaper..

Also checked whether there's anything which is cheaper to buy in larger quantities:

• 100: YC248-JR-0733RL

We should put together some simpler boards in the reflow oven. noopwafel plans to try one of the iceGLITCH boards.