Technology

OpenBCI Hackathon Getting Started Guide

We are happy to say that we are now working with the second hardware version, and it’s starting to really look like something!

In addition to the fancy silkscreen design,The circuit has been updated from the first version to allow for daisy-chaining two or more boards. Also, there are two variants of V2, each using different DC/DC converters.

Our decision to make these initial prototypes fit the form factor of Arduino was based on the emergence of numerous hardware platforms that are embracing the Arduino pinout. We wanted to be able to quickly move between different microcontrollers for testing and prototyping. We now have working code examples for the Arduino UNO, Arduino DUE, Freescale FreedomBoard, and Microchip ChipKIT. In the coming weeks, we will be deciding which device we want to commit to for the next step in our design iteration. The goal is to make a battery powered wireless version, with an on-board re-programmable microcontroller. Our main reason for going wireless is to avoid most of the safety issues that come with attaching electrically live parts to your body parts. Also, it’s cool!

These version 2.1 and 2.2 designs are primarily for our internal testing and research, and are not really meant for general public use. That said, in the spirit of Open Source, sharing, and education, we’re publishing the schematic designs in pdf format. Enjoy