Sentinel Research PCB Platform

Problem

Three sensing programs needed a practical electronics foundation: regulated power, embedded processing, sensor interfaces, local storage, communications, and enough flexibility to support different experiments without starting from zero each time.

Description

What I built or investigated

I developed a shared Sentinel research-board approach spanning schematic capture, component selection, PCB layout, assembled-board review, fabrication, and first-board bring-up. The platform supports AeroHive biological sensing, B4 confined-space sensing, and battery-decomposition research while allowing each program to use its own sensors and front-end circuitry.

Iterations

The work did not happen in one jump.

1. 01

   Defined common functions that could be reused across the sensor programs instead of designing three unrelated controllers.

2. 02

   Captured the board design and routed the PCB in EasyEDA while balancing sensor interfaces, power distribution, headers, storage, and mechanical mounting.

3. 03

   Used assembled-board rendering to catch placement and access problems before ordering hardware.

4. 04

   Fabricated the first physical board for AeroHive Sentinel through JLCPCB.

5. 05

   A first-power-up failure caused by incorrect chip-pin orientation led to a stricter schematic, footprint, rail, and current-limited bring-up process for later designs.

Result

Where the project landed

One fabricated AeroHive prototype board, two additional research-board designs in development, and a repeatable review and bring-up process that now carries across the Sentinel program.

Lessons

What carried forward

• Shared platforms save effort only when common functions and project-specific sensor front ends are separated deliberately.
• 3D board review catches mechanical mistakes that schematic review cannot.
• Power-tree validation and package-pin verification deserve their own sign-off step.
• A failed first board can still produce durable engineering value when the process changes afterward.

Images & evidence

Work in context