Over the last couple of days I did another module for the attitude system stack. The last one I did was the uC PCB, which won't be used in the final system, due to its low processing power. This new power and IO will be part of the final system, as it will take care of the external power and interface convertion.
First of all, the PCB takes power and regulates the voltage down to 1.8V, 3.3V, and 5V for all the sensors and uC/FPGA. I was a little unsure of wether I should put in a bridge rectifier on the power input, to make sure the polarity would always be correct. In the end I skipped it. Secondly the PCB has a USART signal converter for external I/O, together with a 9 pin DSUB-F connector. This is my primary interface.
I also put on a RJ45 socket, in case I also implement an ethernet interface, but with just a simple 2x4 header.
Finally I have to commend the guys at iTead Studio for their excellent service. I was very pleased with the last batch of PCBs they made for me, at a price you just can't beat. But this time they kindly pointed out to me that I was missing two drill holes for the RJ45 socket (see picture). That is just awesome! Thank you!! The error was due to the way STARCAD was set up not to include non plated drill holes in the drill file. Quickly fixed, and updated files sent away. Now for the waiting part ;-)