| Open | Staffed | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 08:00–21:00 | 10:00–18:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00–18:00 | Unstaffed |
| Sunday | Closed | Closed |
|  |  |
| Matt Jarvis | Lexin Zhou |
| he/him | she/her |
| [Slack Matt](https://ual-cci.slack.com/team/URQCZV308) | [Slack Lexin](https://ual-cci.slack.com/team/U05GR11J2QL) |
| [Email Matt](mailto:m.jarvis@arts.ac.uk) | [Email Lexin](mailto:l.zhou@arts.ac.uk) |
|  |
 |
| Third hand Grip your pieces while you soldering |
Soldering Iron Professional-style temperature-controlled iron |
Solder |
 |
 |
 |
| Snip Trim leads after soldering / Pre-cut the plastic part before the desoldering |
Soldering Sucker Remove excess solder / Des-older a joint |
Solder Wick Clean excess solder / Soak up the molten solder |
 |
 | Desoldering gun Remove molten solder from a joint. |
PCB Guillotine Cut the PCB board |
It's better to draw a diagram before you start, which could easily figure out how much stripboard you need (Don't waste!) and you can cut the board down to the size by the PCB Guillotine.
For the stripboard and protoboard, you need a third hand to provide the board moving around while soldering.
## How to solder
Once all of the components are immobilized, you are ready to soldering. It only takes 4 easy steps to get a nice solder joint. Here is a video for ["How to soldering properly!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKbJxytERvg&t=196s)
Make Sure there is no short circuit on your board before you power it!
A note on language -- lots and lots of electronics manufacturers will still use the gendered terms 'male' and 'female' to describe the orientation of connectors. This is language that's essentialist and reductive, and lots of places (including the CCI!) use 'plug' and 'socket' instead respectively -- but if you are searching for connector types online it can be useful to have these as search terms as they're still used quite widely!
For a good time, you might enjoy the twitter account [cursed connectors](https://twitter.com/cursedconnector). ### Wire gauge and Power Considerations With circuits that need to handle either movement or higher loads, what wire you use can become a major consideration. Adafruit have a great [guide](https://learn.adafruit.com/wires-and-connections/wire-guages) to understanding wire gauge and picking the correct wire for your project. In general -- the generic thinner wires we supply at the CCI (I believe these are 22 gauge) are fine for most microcontroller projects where the current is <1 Amp. If you are using components that consume more current (like larger motors, speakers, amplifiers etc), and especially anything using mains, you will want to do some power calculations to figure out what wire to use. Do come and speak to a technician if this is the case, we can help. The thicker the wire, the more current it can handle. High-power circuits *shouldn't* be prototyped using breadboards. Stripboard can handle higher currents, but it's a good idea to thicken the traces that will be taking these currents with an extra layer of solder. This will reduce resistance and prevent the circuit from heating up. Omni have a useful [wire size calculator](https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/wire-size) that allows you to figure out what gauge of wire your project might need. #### IC sockets [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/3fJo4Slf9NVyjJYq-image-1699368860552.png) *Never solder an integrated circuit (IC) directly into a proto board!!!* You'll end up with loads of issues later on. Instead, solder an IC socket in -- this way if you have issues with your IC (like, you accidentally blow it up), it's really straightforward to change it out without having to desolder a load of pins. It's a good idea to put all your ICs in the same orientation -- this makes it a lot harder to put one in the wrong way round (incidentally a great way to blow things up). ## 3. PCB Fabrication and Milling The next step up from prototyping on stripboard is to fabricate your own boards. There's a few different ways to do this, and typically this might be a choice you would make if: - you want to make something in volume (depends on complexity, but this can save you a lot of time even with low volumes) - you want to make something much smaller (e.g. for wearables) - you want something to look nicer than proto board There is a huge amount that can be written about PCB design techniques -- I won't be writing about it all here -- but do reach out if you're interested in more information. ### PCB design Software: - [Eagle](http://eagle.autodesk.com/) -- this has historically been the standard for PCB prototyping, it's been integrated into Autodesk's Fusion360 software. It's possible to get a license as a UAL student if you want to use this, but increasingly KiCad is just as good, free and has most of the same features. - [KiCad](https://www.kicad.org/download/) -- free and open-source PCB prototyping software. This is getting better all the time and if you're getting started I'd recommend learning this over Eagle - [KiCad Tutorial](https://docs.kicad.org/6.0/en/getting_started_in_kicad/getting_started_in_kicad.html) ### PCB Fabrication Services We recommend a number of different PCB Fabrication services [here](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/books/physical-computing-lab/page/hackspaces-services) on the wiki (scroll down to 'PCB production'). ### Surface Mount [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/xwFf6Sh5NwZys3Gn-image-1699446196069.png) The components we use in the CCI tend to be 'through-hole' components, with legs that pass through the board. These are different from what you might see on manufactured boards, which typically use much smaller components that sit on top of the board material. These are often a great way to reduce the footprint of your circuit -- so if you're designing a PCB to make things smaller, using Surface Mount Devices (SMD) might be a good way forward. It's possible to fairly easily solder 1206-series SMD components we have with the equipment at the CCI -- much smaller and you might want to pay for the board to come pre-soldered, or else look into using a reflow station. [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/yvIKvJY9Mwzofe97-image-1699446127891.png) ## Other Considerations ### Mounting Mounting either PCBs or stripboards properly can be *very important* for ensuring the longevity of your circuit. Often, drilling holes and using spacers / standoffs or just regular bolts can be enough to hold in place. Make sure that your mount doesn't short your traces! ### Prototyping for Wearables Wearable electronics comes with a bunch of considerations about size and power management. #### I want to make my circuit smaller This is a pretty classic issue with arduino-based circuits -- you have a circuit that works, maybe built with Arduino, and you want to minaturise it. Here are some options, from biggest to smallest: - **use an Arduino shield** -- this is a special prototyping board that allows you build directly on top of the Arduino. This can be nice if you just want to avoid connection spaghetti - **use a smaller Arduino board**, like an Arduino Nano or Arduino Micro. These can be integrated directly into a proto board / breadboard - **Replace the Arduino with another ATMEL chip** -- these can still be programmed like arduinos, but it's possible to make the board containing them a lot smaller and only contain the parts you need. As these don't have the USB interface, you will need to use a separate board to program them -- luckily, an Arduino can actually be used for this! There's a good guide to doing this [here](https://www.instructables.com/Program-an-ATtiny-with-Arduino/). This same technique (of replacing a whole board with the chip it uses) can be applied to lots of other boards too. #### I want my circuit to be wireless This is another really common thing to want to do. Core options: - **radio** -- I love the adafruit packet radios. Main thing to remember is -- for radio, you need 2! - **bluetooth** -- NRF52 is a good one - **wifi** -- technically this is radio but it's it's own protocol. ESP8266. Remember that even wireless circuits will still need a power supply! A commonly-used format is LiPo batteries. These can be really convenient, but come with health and safety considerations, especially if they are to be worn! #### I want my circuit to be soft/flexible - Silione covered strand-core wire - Conductive thread - Conductive ribbon Adding connections to this can be tricky. ### I want my circuit to work outdoors Depending on how long it needs to last / how much the circuit moves / how waterproof the circuit needs to be, there are a bunch of different methods. This [instructable](https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Waterproof-Your-Electronics-or-PCBs/) gives a pretty solid overview. Please be careful when using different resins to coat your circuit as some can be toxic! If in doubt (and definitely before bringing into the workshop), speak to a cci technician. ### My circuit contains rotating parts [](https://wiki.cci.arts.ac.uk/uploads/images/gallery/2023-11/HbeUF4QjXt2RnGTZ-image-1699449998227.png) You want to use a Slip Ring. We have some in the CCI -- Adafruit have a video tutorial for how to use them [here](https://blog.adafruit.com/2012/03/12/slip-ring-video/). **A word of warning:** this can be a real pain to do, and unless you feel quite confident with fabrication generally we'd advise you try and figure out a simpler way to make your work! # Useful learning resources ### Books - [Getting Started With Arduino 3rd Edition](https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Getting-Started-Arduino-Make-Projects/0596155514) by Massimo Banzi and Michael Shiloh A short and practical guide to the getting started with the Arduino platform. Explains what you might use it for, the principles behind the platform, some basic code and electronics guidance. - [Make: Electronics](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/make-electronics) by Charles Platt A very hands on guide to the fundamentals of electronics. Assumes no prior knowledge and uses some great real world examples and practical applications. - [Practical Electronics for Inventors 3rd Edition](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-Electronics-Inventors-Third-Scherz/dp/0071771336) by Paul Scherz and Simon Monk A more in-depth look at electronics. Very good for those with a grasp on the basic topics. ### Websites - [Learn at Sparkfun](https://learn.sparkfun.com/) - [Learn at Adafruit](https://learn.adafruit.com/) - [Kobakant DIY](http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/) - Lovely guides for DIY e-textiles and conductive material-based components and projects - [Arduino Stackexchange](http://arduino.stackexchange.com/) - forum for asking questions ## Virtual Learning and Emulation - As part of your UAL access, you get access to all the LinkedIn Learning courses, avilable here: [https://www.linkedin.com/learning/](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/) - [TinkerCAD](https://www.tinkercad.com/) - From AutoDesk, can simulate your rduino and components and write code and test before physically building. Also very easy to use 3D CAD utility for designing//building STL filrs for 3D Printing. - [Circuit IO](https://www.circuito.io/) - Essentially a shop, but has a great app that lets you drag & drop components onto a simulator with a range of embedded computing modules and program them. It has a functionality which arranges ports and gives you the simple basic programming and libraries for those components. Bear in mind, you should be programming for your projects yourself and submissions using the auto-generated code should explicitly say where the code came from (we have a plagiarism detection system which will disqualify your marks if you do not state your code came from here). - Easy laser cutting case design: [https://en.makercase.com/#/basicbox](https://en.makercase.com/#/basicbox) ### Videos - [Jeremy Blum's Arduino Video Series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCxzA9_kg6s&list=PLA567CE235D39FA84) # Where to buy components # Don't Buy These Components Have you bought a component that was poor quality, broken or ineffective? Let us know and we can post it here so this doesn't happen to anyone else. Top tip -- if you're on UAL Wifi (or VPN) go to the [checkout catalogue](https://checkout.arts.ac.uk/catalogue) and search for components, if you click the link you can see what we buy. ## Servos * We have had problems with: [XTVTX metal gear micro servo](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B093LFBWTL?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) -> some didn't work straight out of the box, with others the wires broke off, poorly made * good: (the ones we buy) [FeeTech FS90 Mini Servo](https://www.rapidonline.com/feetech-fs90-mini-servo-120-9g-37-1339) # Where to buy materials & parts # Electronics, componants ##### Bigger Shops - large and often complex catalogues | Supplier | Material | Website | Note | |---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | RS | electronics, componants, tools || Name | Facilities | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Workshop Network | All the makerspace of London | [http://openworkshopnetwork.com/](http://openworkshopnetwork.com/) | London | ||
| London Hackspace | Laser cutting, 3D printing,Textiles, Metalworking, Woodworking, Electronics | [https://london.hackspace.org.uk/](https://london.hackspace.org.uk/) | 388 High Road, Wembley, HA9 6AR | ||
| Machine Room | Computing, Digital Fabrication, Electronics, Fine Art, Furniture Design, Repair, Robotics, Textiles and Wood Work | [https://machinesroom.co.uk/](https://machinesroom.co.uk/) | 54-55 Containerville, 35 Corbridge Crescent, London, E2 9EZ | Machines Room is an east London maker space open to the public and businesses to come and fabricate their ideas. | |
| Institute Of Making | Ceramics, Computing, Digital Fabrication, Electronics, Engineering, Fine Art, Glass Work, Metal Work, Printmaking, Repair, Robotics, Screen Printing, Textiles and Wood Work | [https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/](https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/) | Malet Place, University College London, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7JE | 02076793248 | The Institute of Making is a cross-disciplinary research club for those interested in the made world. |
| Makerversity | Computing, Digital Fabrication, Electronics, Engineering, Fine Art, Metal Work, Photography, Robotics and Wood Work | [http://makerversity.org](http://makerversity.org) | Somerset House, New Wing, Lancaster Place, WC2R 1LA | 020 3701 7499 | Making. Learning. Factory-on-Thames. |
| Ceramics Studio Co-op | Ceramics, Fine Art and Sculpture | [https://www.ceramicsstudio.coop/](https://www.ceramicsstudio.coop/) | Juno Way, London, SE14 5RW | 02086916421 | Ceramics Studio Co-op provides ceramics studio spaces and open-access to professional and amateur ceramics artists and designers. |
| The Kiln Rooms | Ceramics | [https://www.thekilnrooms.com/](https://www.thekilnrooms.com/) | Peckham |
| Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamar Acrylic Fabrications Ltd | Acrylic, perspex etc. | [http://www.hamaracrylic.com/](http://www.hamaracrylic.com/) | 16 Bidder St, London E16 4ST | 020 7739 2907 | Can cut to size on site |
| Denny Plastics | Plastic | [http://www.dennyplastics.co.uk/](http://www.dennyplastics.co.uk/) | Mitre Way, London, W10 6AU | 020 8964 9368 | Plastic fabricators (i.e. they can make stuff up for you). Good with cheaper prices from off cuts. Marginally more expensive than Hamar, but much faster and people are generally nicer |
| Good Empire | Laser cutter | [http://www.goodempire.com/](http://www.goodempire.com/) | Good Empire,1 Park Mews, Brockwell Park, London, SE24 9DB | Joely - 07835 769 480 | Really nice people, fast and good work |
| Blueprintmodelshop | Laser cutting services | [http://www.blueprintmodel.co.uk/](http://www.blueprintmodel.co.uk/) | Really cheap but not good quality (20% off on material for students0 | ||
| Cut Plastic sheeting | Cutting services for plastic | [http://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/](http://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/) | Cut Plastic Sheeting, Unit 1, Ash Court, Pennant Way, Lee Mill Ind Estate, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 9GE | 01752 897921 | |
| Neon and Sign Makers | Vinyl cutting | [http://neonandsignmakers.com/](http://neonandsignmakers.com/) | Unit 6, 278, Cambridge Heath Rd, London, E2 9DA | 020 8981 3323 | |
| Hobart | Acrylic and laser cutting | [https://hobarts.com/](https://hobarts.com/) | |||
| CutLaserCut | All kinds of laser cutting | [http://www.cutlasercut.com/](http://www.cutlasercut.com/) | Camberwell, London | Can pick up in person. |
| Supplier | Material | Website | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aisler | PCB | [https://aisler.net/](https://aisler.net/) | Germany based and good at being contactable regarding design. Have upgraded their interface and also have many more options for production now so you can do different levels of manufacturing. Good for low number , small runs and quick turn arounds. |
| JLC PCB | PCB | [https://jlcpcb.com/](https://jlcpcb.com/) | Very cheap, pretty fast turn around even for worldwide shipping. Roughly 2 weeks sometimes much faster (5 days) if its a simple design. Communication sometimes tricky. |
| PCBtrain | PCB | [http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk](http://www.pcbtrain.co.uk) | Super fast turnaround, but a bit pricey |
| PCBcart | PCB | [http://www.pcbcart.com](http://www.pcbcart.com) | |
| SEEED | PCB | [http://www.seeedstudio.com](http://www.seeedstudio.com) | Very slow, but crazy cheap and high quality PCB production and assembly. |
| OSHPark | PCB | [https://oshpark.com/](https://oshpark.com/) | US based, now make flex PCBs. Good if you were needing a design assembled + populated with parts mainly manufactured in the US. |
| Ragworm | PCB | [https://ragworm.eu/](https://ragworm.eu/) |
| Business | Material | Website | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas&Vines | Flocking Service, Flock Sellers | [http://www.flocking.co.uk](http://www.flocking.co.uk) | 01923775111 |
| Category | Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csmetal fabrication | [http://www.csmetalfabrication.co.uk/](http://www.csmetalfabrication.co.uk/) | 405 Mentmore Terrace, Hackney, London, E8 3PN | 020 8533 7005 | ||
| AJ METAL FABRICATIONS LTD | 21 Walthamstow Business Centre, Clifford Rd, London, E17 4SX | 020 8527 4860 | |||
| Benson-Sedgwick Engineering | Metal polishing and welding assembly etc (Barry) | [http://www.benson-sedgwick.co.uk/](http://www.benson-sedgwick.co.uk/) or [http://www.highgradepolishers.co.uk](http://www.highgradepolishers.co.uk) | Dagenham | 02085937314 | |
| Sand casting | Novacast | [https://www.novacast.co.uk/services/casting/sand-casting/](https://www.novacast.co.uk/services/casting/sand-casting/) | 44 (0)1225707466 | ||
| water jet cutting | London waterjet | [http://londonwaterjet.com/](http://londonwaterjet.com/) | Unit 10, Network 4, Lincoln Road, Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3RF |
| Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I.makr | [http://www.imakr.com/en/](http://www.imakr.com/en/) | 79 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1R 5AR | 02074818184 | ||
| Digits to widget | 3d printing and scanning services | [http://www.digits2widgets.com/](http://www.digits2widgets.com/) | D2W Studios, 61 – 63 Rochester Place, London, NW1 9JU | 020 3697 7969 | |
| Prototype project | 3D printing and general prototyping | [http://www.prototypeprojects.com/](http://www.prototypeprojects.com/) | |||
| Chalk Studios | Objet printing | [http://www.chalkstudios.co.uk/](http://www.chalkstudios.co.uk/) | 14 Windsor Street, London, N1 8QG | 020 7354 1206 | Objet printing, but local to London, you can do next day am collection |
| I.Materialise | [http://i.materialise.com/](http://i.materialise.com/) | Materialise HQ, Technologielaan 15, 3001 Leuven, Belgium | Big machines and good range of finishes | ||
| Ultimaker | [https://ultimaker.com/](https://ultimaker.com/) |
| Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color Company | fast turn around printing services | [http://www.color.co.uk/](http://www.color.co.uk/) | 27a Poland Street, London, W1F 8QW | 020 7287 4387 | There are a couples in London |
| OvernightPrints | Prints from business cards to banners | [http://www.OvernightPrints.co.uk/businesscards](http://www.OvernightPrints.co.uk/businesscards) | |||
| Moo | business cards and flyers | [http://uk.moo.com/](http://uk.moo.com/) | really good services, fast and medium cheap | ||
| GF Smith | Paper and book making | [https://www.gfsmith.com/](https://www.gfsmith.com/) | G . F Smith, Six Bridges Trading Estate, Marlborough Grove, London SE1 5JT | 020 7394 4660 | |
| London graphics | paper and art material | [http://www.londongraphics.co.uk/](http://www.londongraphics.co.uk/) | 16-18 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JL | 020 7759 4500 | |
| Paper shake | origami services | [http://www.papershake.com/](http://www.papershake.com/) |
| Category | Business | Material | Website | Address | Phone Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protolabs | general machining | [http://www.protolabs.co.uk/](http://www.protolabs.co.uk/) | Proto Labs, Ltd. Halesfield 8, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 4QN | 01952 683048 | Injection moulding in small production runs, CNC. Useful for generating online quotes quickly. | |
| CNC | First Cut | Fast turnaround | ||||
| Ormiston Wire | Specialist Wire Manufacturers & Suppliers | |||||
| OMNI | Bermondsey | Digitally print onto any material, other normal and large format printing services. | ||||
| Rocket Print | Watford | Can digitally print on to most materials. Large format printing services (architectural scale) |