AxMate-FT Assembly Instructions
Use the following photos as a reference as you assemble the AxMate-FT board.
(Click on either photo to see a larger image.)
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| Bare AxMate-FT Board | Completed AxMate-FT |
Parts List (All parts are available at JRHackett.net)
| Label | Description |
| 10k | Resistor, 10k, 1/6 Watt |
| 22k | Resistor, 22k, 1/6 Watt |
| None | Header, Male, right angle, 6 pins |
| (Icon) | LED, 3mm, Resistorized, Red or Green |
| Sw | Small Power Switch |
| (Icons) | Two Capacitors, .01µF Ceramic |
| H1, H2 | Two Headers, Male, 4 pins each |
Assembling the AxMate-FT Board
To assemble the AxMate-FT, it's generally best to proceed from the smallest to the largest parts. The order in the parts list is arranged this way, so just work your way from the top of the parts list to the bottom. However, the two capacitors are the exception to this rule. If you solder them in place before you solder the switch, you may not be able to fully insert the switch into the board. To avoid this problem, insert and solder the capacitors in the order in which they are listed in the parts list.
When you have soldered all the parts that mount on the top of the board and are soldered on the bottom (i.e., everything except the two 4-pin male headers), make sure all the excess leads have been clipped from the bottom of the board. At this point you may want to rub the bottom of the board a few times on a piece of emery-type sandpaper to remove any sharp edges. You can use flux remover to clean the bottom of the board, but I have found that ordinary paint thinner and a tooth brush works just as well for this purpose, and it's easier on your hands.
Now you are ready to insert the two 4-pin male headers on the bottom of the board and solder them on the top. The easiest way to do this is to first snap two 4-pin headers, and then insert the longer ends of each header into a breadboard, appropriately spaced, as shown in the photo below. Next, mount the AxMate-FT board on the short ends of the headers and solder all the header pins on the top of the AxMate-FT.
Finally, if you haven't already done so, you will need to reconfigure the FTDI 5V USB cable for connection to the AxMate-FT, so that the polarity of the serial input and output lines is inverted, which is necessary to interface with all PICAXE processors. In order to do so, you will need the free "FT_PROG" utility software available from FTDI. You can use the FTDI documentation, or read the June 2010 installment of the Nuts & Volts PICAXE Primer for details.
Testing the Completed AxMate-FT Board
To test the completed AxMate-FT, just assemble a "Hello Word" circuit similar to the one shown in the photo below, and write a simple program to blink the LED.
If you have any problems getting your AxMate-FT to function properly, email me at Ron@JRHackett.net and I will do what I can to help.