Here are the first set of mods & improvements to the RasPi Experiment board. Instead of the solder-point experiment space, I have added a standard mini-breadboard, even though it’s a little too long to fit on the board properly.
In the DIP breakout, is a MAX232 TTL-RS232 interface IC, useful for interfacing directly to the Pi’s UART, made available on the GPIO breakout. I will be hardwiring the MAX232 IC into the GPIO port, & fitting headers to the relevant pins on the IC breakout to make interfacing to the Pi easier.
All the MAX232 requires to operate are a 5v supply & 4 1µF capacitors.
The new TO220 device next to the breadboard is a TIP121 darlington power transistor.This is rated at 80v 5A continuous. Useful for driving large loads from a GPIO output.
More to come soon!
