ENG-CANSAT-PICO-ASSEMBLY

Abstract

This tutorial can be conduct with your own source of materials.

If you have a Cansat Pico Kit then you do have the needed material but also additional boards to pre-assemble a CANSAT object.

This section contains recommendations and tips to follow to quickly assemble your kit and be ready to work within 10 to 15 minutes.

There are two mains sections: 1. Soldering the required items on the boards. 2. Assembling the Base board and Prototyping with the ribbon is an exciting moment... so the first described
Anyway, don't forget to solder perform the soldering tasks prior to attach the ribbon.

Raspberry-Pi Pico Soldering

The Pico is the MicroControler propeling the board.

It is soldered on the top of the Cansat Base Board, this can be done with Pin Header or directly flat on the board.

Lets starts to assemble it!

	Pick up the base board and place it with the top part up. You should see the message "Raspberry Pico (This side)" on the board. If you are more confortable with leveled board to work on then place the piece of cardboard under the board to help you when soldering.
	Cut two sections of pins, we will is them to align the Pico to solder it. Tip: Make a section of 8 pins, it can be reused to solder the powerboost. Place the long part of the PinHeader in the Pico holes (from under board) as shown on the picture.
	Place the Pico on the top of the board. It should be perfectly aligned thanks to the pin header.
	Solder two opposite pads on the board to make the Pico staying on the right place. Place the bit of iron just at the separation between the two boards. Melt solder... it will start to melt on the base board then also wet the Pico pad. Voilà! you just learn to solder a castelate pad. Repeat the same operation on the opposite side to secure the Pico on the base.
	Remove the pin headers then solder the remaining pads.

Lipo Booster soldering

The kit can be used either with a PowerBoost 500 Charger, either a PowerBoost 1000 Charger.

The soldering operation depends on the selected PowerBoost model.

PowerBoost 500 Charger Soldering

The PowerBoost 500 is the default powering system of this kit.

Let's solder it

	Pico up the base board with the back of the board on the desk. You should see Qwiic connector and the text "PowerBoost 500 Charger" written.
	Place a section of 8 pins into the connector (the short part into the connector). Tip: use a small piece a paper tape to maintain the connector right in place.
	Flip over the board and solder the connector in place.
	Flip the board again (to see the "PowerBoost" text). Slides the PowerBoost 500 on the connector, Solder it and cut-out the pin near of the board (with a diagonal cutter). WARNING: Electronic components must be visible on the breakout! Tip: Push on the PowerBoost breakout with the nail against the connector. This will flatten the breakout on the connector (and make it paralleled to the base board). Charge the tip of the iron with some solder. Tack a drop of solder on one pin to make the breakout staying right in place (no need to be perfect right now) Solder the other pins of the breakout Now solder the initial tacked pin (to have a nice & great solder join on that pin too)

PowerBoost 1000 Charger Soldering

The PowerBoost 500 of the kit can be replaced with a PowerBoost 1000 to get more power (1000mA) from the Lipo battery

Let's solder it

	Pico up the base board with the back of the board on the desk. You should see Qwiic connector and the text "PowerBoost 500 Charger" written.
	Prepare a section of 8 Pins and remove 2 of the pins as showed on the picture.
	Place the modified pin Header into the connector (the short part into the connector). Tip: use a small piece a paper tape to maintain the connector right in place.
	Flip over the board and solder the connector in place.
	Flip the board again (to see the "PowerBoost" text). Slides the PowerBoost 1000 Charger breakout on the connector and Solder the pins (except the 2 missing ones). WARNING: back of the breakout board MUST be visible (not the components)! Tip: Maintain the PowerBoost breakout with your fingers on the top part of the connector. This way, the breakout stays paralleled to the base board. Charge the tip of the iron with some solder. Tack a drop of solder on one pin to make the breakout staying right in place (no need to be perfect right now) Solder the other pins of the breakout Now solder the initial tacked pin (to have a nice & great solder join on that pin too)

SparkFun Lipo Charger/Booster Soldering

The PowerBoost 500 of the kit can be replaced with a SparkFun Lipo Charger/Booster to get more power (1000mA) from the Lipo battery

Let's solder it!

Ideally, we should add a Schottky Diode (they are super fast) at the output of the "Lipo Charger/Booster" to avoids back current into the booster when the Pico is connected to a computer.

Lipo Charger/Booster	Cansat Base silkscreen	PICO pin implied	Remark
5V+	5Vo	Vsys	Adding a Schottky diode would be great. When the Booster is active, it power-up the Pico through the VSYS pin.
5V-	G	GND
USB+	VBUS	VBus	Will be at +5V when the pico is wired to a computer. This will
USB-	G	GND
EN	En		Will disable the Booster when tied to Ground

RFM69HCW Soldering

The RFM69HWC is the radio module used in the CanSat-Pico kit to transmit data

RFM69HCW	UEXT pin	PICO	Remark
RST		GP3
CS		GP5	keep the same pin as receiver. Otherwise use UEXT 10 (=gp10)
MISO	7		GP4 = MISO
MOSI	8		GP7 = MOSI
SCK	9		GP6 = SCK
GND	2		PICO GND
VIN	1		PICO 3.3V

Attaching the boards together

You are certainly impatient to attach the boards together with the ribbon.

If the required components are already soldered on the boards then everything is ready to attach the board together otherwise browse up this page to locate the required soldering tasks.

About the FPC connector

The selected FPC connector us the "Press Fit" technology which is resistant to traction and vibration. Such connectors can even been definitively locked with some glue.

This means than once the ribbon right in place into the connector, you press down the locker to fit/secure the ribbon.

Once secured, the ribbon will not move without releasing the lock.

As show on the section of the connector here under, the ribon is inserted into the connector with contact facing the contact point.

When the moving part is inserted behind the ribon, the ribon contact are pressed onto the contact points. Points that also firmly maintain the ribbon right in place.

How to manipulate the FPC Connector

The lock slides of 1 millimeter up.

1mm is not a lot but quite enough to secure the ribbon in place.

Attaching the board

When connecting the ribbon, the electrical contact must be oriented downward.

Ribbon must be inserted straight in the FPC connector

Both side of the of the connector must be pressed down to secure the ribbon. If now properly closed, some signals will not be shipped on the ribbon.

You can also check the "YouTube Video" explaining on to attach the boards.

Attaching Cansat boards

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Written by Meurisse D. for MCHobby