[{"element_type":"user_image","content":"https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/user_assets/assets/000/002/643/original/visible-radar-in-hand.png?1791214935","metadata":{}},{"element_type":"markdown","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis note was originally posted on \u003ca href=\"https://extralongdivision.com/id/?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2\"\u003eextralongdivision.com\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePreviously on Dragon Ball Z!\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ca href=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-1/?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2\"\u003ethe last installment of this project\u003c/a\u003e I proved the concept with a Frankenstein dragon radar. I’ve actually got something that looks like the real deal now. Keep reading to learn about the development since the last update. In a future post I’ll detail the steps to reproduce the project.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eElectrical Design\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis section will be short. I had two action items since the last update and I only did one of them. Originally \u003ca href=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-1/#usb-c?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2\"\u003eI wanted to make the board 0.8 mm\u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"#fn:1\"\u003e1\u003c/a\u003e instead of 1.6 mm. I decided to keep the PCB\u003ca href=\"#fn:2\"\u003e2\u003c/a\u003e the same size since that’d lower the USB-C\u003ca href=\"#fn:3\"\u003e3\u003c/a\u003e connector coming out the back of the enclosure (\u003cem\u003eominous noises\u003c/em\u003e). Also, even if the mounting pins weren’t soldered into place, the SMT\u003ca href=\"#fn:4\"\u003e4\u003c/a\u003e pads would still adhere the connector to the board.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe only electrical change I did was flip the battery connector polarity to match the ones I already have.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/j1-v1-vs-v1_1.webp\" alt=\"battery connector in version 1 and version 1.1 PCB\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLeft: Version 1 battery connector with reversed polarity. Right: Version 1.1 battery connector with correct polarity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eMechanical Design\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLast post, I said I’d wait until new PCBs arrived before redesigning the enclosure. This cost me a couple days of messing with clearance just to mount the PCB. Ultimately I had to make the enclosure’s diameter bigger to correct this. Ironic, since that’s what I was trying to avoid during the original design phase described in the last post.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe button actuator was another issue that I would’ve recognized sooner if I tried to assemble the radar.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/button-interference.webp\" alt=\"a PCB button blocked by a 3D printed button\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe actuator interferes with the user button such that it’s impossible to mount the PCB, even with the aforementioned clearance. Cutting a slot for the user button fixed the issue.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/actuator-slot.webp\" alt=\"PCB button fitting into a 3D printed button slot\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOnce I fit the PCB inside the enclosure, I couldn’t actually press the user button because the actuator interfered with the board.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/pcb-actuator-interference.webp\" alt=\"Highlighted image of a 3D printed button colliding with a PCB\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI fixed this by making the enclosure thicker and mounting the PCB in a deeper recess. But now the whole radar is too large to palm in one hand \u003cem\u003eand\u003c/em\u003e press the button at the same time. I mentioned a wrist strap in the last post, but using one doesn’t actually help, or at least the ones I have don’t. Here’s me holding the radar as best as I can with a wrist strap on.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/wrist-strap.webp\" alt=\"Awkwardly gripping the Dragon Radar while wearing a wrist strap\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA consequence of a thicker enclosure is the USB-C connector not being flush with the slot in the back. Said slot is larger to accommodate a more recessed connector.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/usb-slot.webp\" alt=\"Close up of a vertical USB-C connector visible through a slot in a 3D printed part\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSo it didn’t matter if the PCB was 0.8 mm or 1.6 mm. Again, I did this mechanical work after the boards arrived. Lesson learned.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLastly, the speaker nest was so tightly toleranced that removal caused disassembly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/broken-speaker.webp\" alt=\"Partial disassembled Dragon radar with half a speaker embedded to a 3D printed part.\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe speaker still works, thankfully. This mishap is actually a feature. A friction fit makes foam tape unnecessary to keep the speaker in place.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eBoard Bring up\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEverything was plug and play with the updated PCB (version 1.1). I followed the\n\u003ca href=\"https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-with-esp32-quick-start/installing-circuitpython\"\u003esame steps to put CircuitPython on the board\u003c/a\u003e and my code ran with no problem. This proves that \u003ca href=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-1/#sound-1\"\u003ethe \u003ccode class=\"inline\"\u003eSD_MODE\u003c/code\u003e pull up resistor I changed to 1M ohms\u003c/a\u003e didn’t affect the sound quality from the first round of board bring up.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI did see some differences between PCB version 1 and version 1.1 though. For V1, uploading new code only worked after a hard power reset. Pressing the reset button on the board didn’t help. This problem never happened with version 1.1. Also, the screen would glitch as if the signal timing was off whenever the heartbeat LED\u003ca href=\"#fn:5\"\u003e5\u003c/a\u003e was on. Again, only for version 1 of the PCB. Not an issue for version 1.1. I haven’t reproduced this on camera yet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI’m also seeing streaks of discoloring on the display that I wasn’t seeing earlier. It doesn’t show up in photos well, but soft peach/orange vertical blotches overlay whatever’s being shown. It’s especially visible when the screen powers off. Not sure if this is a result of me driving the display incorrectly or some other problem. Either way, it’s negatively affecting the replica’s authenticity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCosmetics\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf the cover photo didn’t give it away, I didn’t do any post processing on the enclosure. I don’t like the aesthetics, but I’m de-prioritizing looks over other projects/potentially adding more features.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne practical cosmetic issue is screen brightness in direct sunlight. Here’s a side-by-side of the radar in the shade vs the sun.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/sun-vs-shade.webp\" alt=\"Dragon radar in sunlight and shade\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLeft: dragon radar in shade. Right: dragon radar in direct sunlight\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe two images accurately represent the difference between shaded and direct light to the naked eye. For the latter, the display acts more like a mirror than a screen. I believe I’m driving the backlight at 100% brightness, but it is still not the most readable in the sun. Using the project for an outdoor scavenger hunt would be very difficult. I might have to source a different screen for future iterations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eNext Steps\u003c/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eI consider the first phase of this project done. The design files are available on the, still undocumented,\n\u003ca href=\"https://codeberg.org/extralongdivision/dbz-radar\"\u003erepository.\u003c/a\u003e I promise to have a proper README there once I post the build tutorial here. Be on the lookout for some video content with the radar too.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://extralongdivision.com/articles/please-define-your-jargon/?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2\"\u003eWhy are there footnotes?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003emillimeter\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\"#fnref:1\"\u003e↩︎\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eprinted circuit board\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\"#fnref:2\"\u003e↩︎\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003euniversal serial bus type c\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\"#fnref:3\"\u003e↩︎\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esurface mount technology\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\"#fnref:4\"\u003e↩︎\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003elight emitting diode\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\"#fnref:5\"\u003e↩︎\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n","metadata":{"markdown":"_This note was originally posted on [extralongdivision.com](https://extralongdivision.com/id/?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2)_\n\nPreviously on Dragon Ball Z!\n-------------------------------------------------------------\n\nIn [the last installment of this project](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-1/?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2) I proved the concept with a Frankenstein dragon radar. I’ve actually got something that looks like the real deal now. Keep reading to learn about the development since the last update. In a future post I’ll detail the steps to reproduce the project.\n\nElectrical Design\n----------------------------------------\n\nThis section will be short. I had two action items since the last update and I only did one of them. Originally [I wanted to make the board 0.8 mm](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-1/#usb-c?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2)[1](#fn:1) instead of 1.6 mm. I decided to keep the PCB[2](#fn:2) the same size since that’d lower the USB-C[3](#fn:3) connector coming out the back of the enclosure (*ominous noises*). Also, even if the mounting pins weren’t soldered into place, the SMT[4](#fn:4) pads would still adhere the connector to the board.\n\nThe only electrical change I did was flip the battery connector polarity to match the ones I already have.\n\n![battery connector in version 1 and version 1.1 PCB](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/j1-v1-vs-v1_1.webp)\n\nLeft: Version 1 battery connector with reversed polarity. Right: Version 1.1 battery connector with correct polarity.\n\nMechanical Design\n----------------------------------------\n\nLast post, I said I’d wait until new PCBs arrived before redesigning the enclosure. This cost me a couple days of messing with clearance just to mount the PCB. Ultimately I had to make the enclosure’s diameter bigger to correct this. Ironic, since that’s what I was trying to avoid during the original design phase described in the last post.\n\nThe button actuator was another issue that I would’ve recognized sooner if I tried to assemble the radar.\n\n![a PCB button blocked by a 3D printed button](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/button-interference.webp)\n\nThe actuator interferes with the user button such that it’s impossible to mount the PCB, even with the aforementioned clearance. Cutting a slot for the user button fixed the issue.\n\n![PCB button fitting into a 3D printed button slot](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/actuator-slot.webp)\n\nOnce I fit the PCB inside the enclosure, I couldn’t actually press the user button because the actuator interfered with the board.\n\n![Highlighted image of a 3D printed button colliding with a PCB](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/pcb-actuator-interference.webp)\n\nI fixed this by making the enclosure thicker and mounting the PCB in a deeper recess. But now the whole radar is too large to palm in one hand *and* press the button at the same time. I mentioned a wrist strap in the last post, but using one doesn’t actually help, or at least the ones I have don’t. Here’s me holding the radar as best as I can with a wrist strap on.\n\n![Awkwardly gripping the Dragon Radar while wearing a wrist strap](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/wrist-strap.webp)\n\nA consequence of a thicker enclosure is the USB-C connector not being flush with the slot in the back. Said slot is larger to accommodate a more recessed connector.\n\n![Close up of a vertical USB-C connector visible through a slot in a 3D printed part](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/usb-slot.webp)\n\nSo it didn’t matter if the PCB was 0.8 mm or 1.6 mm. Again, I did this mechanical work after the boards arrived. Lesson learned.\n\nLastly, the speaker nest was so tightly toleranced that removal caused disassembly.\n\n![Partial disassembled Dragon radar with half a speaker embedded to a 3D printed part.](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/broken-speaker.webp)\n\nThe speaker still works, thankfully. This mishap is actually a feature. A friction fit makes foam tape unnecessary to keep the speaker in place.\n\nBoard Bring up\n----------------------------------\n\nEverything was plug and play with the updated PCB (version 1.1). I followed the\n[same steps to put CircuitPython on the board](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-with-esp32-quick-start/installing-circuitpython) and my code ran with no problem. This proves that [the `SD_MODE` pull up resistor I changed to 1M ohms](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-1/#sound-1) didn’t affect the sound quality from the first round of board bring up.\n\nI did see some differences between PCB version 1 and version 1.1 though. For V1, uploading new code only worked after a hard power reset. Pressing the reset button on the board didn’t help. This problem never happened with version 1.1. Also, the screen would glitch as if the signal timing was off whenever the heartbeat LED[5](#fn:5) was on. Again, only for version 1 of the PCB. Not an issue for version 1.1. I haven’t reproduced this on camera yet.\n\nI’m also seeing streaks of discoloring on the display that I wasn’t seeing earlier. It doesn’t show up in photos well, but soft peach/orange vertical blotches overlay whatever’s being shown. It’s especially visible when the screen powers off. Not sure if this is a result of me driving the display incorrectly or some other problem. Either way, it’s negatively affecting the replica’s authenticity.\n\nCosmetics\n------------------------\n\nIf the cover photo didn’t give it away, I didn’t do any post processing on the enclosure. I don’t like the aesthetics, but I’m de-prioritizing looks over other projects/potentially adding more features.\n\nOne practical cosmetic issue is screen brightness in direct sunlight. Here’s a side-by-side of the radar in the shade vs the sun.\n\n![Dragon radar in sunlight and shade](https://extralongdivision.com/projects/dbz-radar/dbz-radar-devlog-2/images/sun-vs-shade.webp)\n\nLeft: dragon radar in shade. Right: dragon radar in direct sunlight\n\nThe two images accurately represent the difference between shaded and direct light to the naked eye. For the latter, the display acts more like a mirror than a screen. I believe I’m driving the backlight at 100% brightness, but it is still not the most readable in the sun. Using the project for an outdoor scavenger hunt would be very difficult. I might have to source a different screen for future iterations.\n\nNext Steps\n--------------------------\n\nI consider the first phase of this project done. The design files are available on the, still undocumented,\n[repository.](https://codeberg.org/extralongdivision/dbz-radar) I promise to have a proper README there once I post the build tutorial here. Be on the lookout for some video content with the radar too.\n\n[Why are there footnotes?](https://extralongdivision.com/articles/please-define-your-jargon/?utm_source=adafruit-playground\u0026amp;utm_medium=organic_social\u0026amp;utm_campaign=syndication\u0026amp;utm_id=1\u0026amp;utm_content=dbz-radar-devlog-2)\n\n---\n\n1. millimeter\u0026nbsp;[↩︎](#fnref:1)\n2. printed circuit board\u0026nbsp;[↩︎](#fnref:2)\n3. universal serial bus type c\u0026nbsp;[↩︎](#fnref:3)\n4. surface mount technology\u0026nbsp;[↩︎](#fnref:4)\n5. light emitting diode\u0026nbsp;[↩︎](#fnref:5)\n"}}]