Personal Project: need a PCB designed

underwoods

Hi,

I've an idea for a simple tracking device that communicates over the GSM network and I need help from someone to design of the circuit and perhaps make the PCB and build a prototype.

I've chosen the two main components - a GPS chilp and a GSM module - these are essential to be used. As I see it the other main components will include a microcontroller, a lithium battery charging circuit, a usb socket, a micro SD card circuit if the microcontroller doesn't have ram for storage. Obviously a SIM will be needed and could be soldered on the board.

If you can also program microcontrollers that another bonus BUT not a essential as I can get someone else to do that or I'll do it myself.

I've spoken with the manufacturers of the GPS and GSM chips and obtains specs and costs. I will provide the chips and I hope I'l have money to pay you for the prototype as well, but we can discuss that.

There may be more to this than meets the eye and I'm just not aware of it.
I'm a software engineer and know my knowledge of electronic is VERY limited but believe I know what can be achieved with the right people.

I am working on my own and blind on this so if anyone can offer me assistance or would like to get involved please contact me via boards.ie.

I'd happily let a student take this up as a uni project; when I was a student I know I'd have loved to do this as a project as there's a lot of scope.

If I were to boil this down to ONE question for you all it would be: Does anyone out there have experience designing PCBs that would like to get involved in this project?

Thanks and kind regards
Shaun

MrSausage

http://www.powerflow.ie/powerflowelectronics.htm

Give these guys a shout. Very very good.

DublinDilbert

Hi Shaun,

I've plenty of experience in this area. Why would you not use a combined gsm and gps module? Many of the telit modules have this feature. The telit modules can be programmed using simple python commands.

What sort of volume are you looking at making? Cause unless it's high volume using a module as per above would be better. You could make up a small pcb to control the module, but may or not be worth it.

Ummm not many students would have the skills to get this working for ya.

underwoods

To give you a little more detail; the device has to be really small 10-50g, the microcontroller must control the power of the GPS and GSM units, and the size must also be very small, maybe 30x30x10mm. For a prototype the size can be larger, but long and thin is better than flat and wide.

So, I had a chat with Telit but their GPS/GSM are flat and wide, (30x30x3mm), weight 6g and each component can't be individually controlled. Thats the case with most integrated GPS/GSM modules, so a 3 module GPS/GSM/MC is the way forward i feel, eg their GE865 and ORG4472 would do the trick.

Volumnes I need one to prove the system works and demo it, then I'll have funding for at least 10 after that, and another charity has said they'd replace their existing tech with this as well which would bring the total to 40.

DublinDilbert

Your basically trying to fit the lot into a match box size, that might be a bit of a challenge. Also prototyping could be quite hard with bga parts.

Is there any chance your proof of concept could be larger?? What sort of battery life do u need?

Have you thought about doing the whole lot on a small android phone? It would have everything you need.