[sudo-discuss] KiCAD circuitboard CAD teach / learn session at sudo!

[Jake]

Do you want to learn how to make a circuitboard design with FOSS (Free and 
Open Source Software) at sudoroom with me?

If you are interested in working on this, please let me know when you 
think is a good time to do it.  Otherwise I will pick a time and make an 
announcement, and maybe nobody will see how it's done.

i started making the circuitboard for the Hack-o-mat a few weeks ago. 
This circuitboard will allow a microcontroller such as a beaglebone black 
to control the FORTY different product vending motors in our Snackshop 2:

https://github.com/sudoroom/hackomat

i finished entering the schematic (with a bit of exciting vim hacking) and 
now it's time to render it into an actual physical circuitboard layout.

We will need to lay out the card-edge connectors which plug into the 
vending machines' original wiring harness, and place all the components 
(mostly triacs) on the circuitboard, keeping the dimensions below 10cm for 
maximum price value.  The finished design will be useful for any 
hackerspace wanting a computerized vending machine, or for controlling ANY 
42 AC electrical loads from only 7 bits of GPIO (charlieplex style).

Once the board is designed, we will send off to #hackvana in China to get 
them made, unless Oshpark is cheaper or more desirable.  When they arrive 
we can start using our TWO vending machines to sell hacker candy to the 
omni!

https://sudoroom.org/wiki/Hack-o-mat

-jake