Bantam Tools Desktop CNC

This little milling machine is great for quickly making prototypes of PCBs and parts. In this guide we'll take a look at the process of milling double-sided PCBs. In this project, we'll make a breadboard adapter for the Adafruit Circuit Playground.

Connecting Things to Circuit Playground Express 

Circuit playground express is a great board with lots of sensors and components. There’s lots of example projects, libraries and code on the Adafruit learning system.

There’s certain projects where you need to connect other components like motors and servos. Using alligator clips is a nice solder-free way to connect things but not always the most robust.

Fabricating a custom PCB adapter with standard 0.1" headers is a great way to attach jumper cables and other connectors Circuit Playground Express.

DIY Perfboard Shields

Dave Astels’s learn guide shows how to make your own breadboard adapter using perf board, standoffs and screws. This allows you to simply plug-in jumper wires making a much more sturdy connection. You can purchase the Circuit Playground Breadboard Biscuit by Dave on Tindie.

A Black woman's manicured hand holds a round microcontroller with lit up LEDs.
Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and...

DIY microUSB Dock

You can 3D print a mini dock for your circuit playground express (or any USB dev board) to display it on your desk. This props it upright allowing you to interact with the on-board components. See our learn guide to build your own.

Tools, hardware and supplies

Here's a list of some handy things I use when cutting some PCBs. 

1 x Bantam Tools Desktop CNC
PCB milling machine
1 x Double sided PCB blanks
FR-1 4" x 5" copper clad boards
1 x Spatula Palette Knife
thin prying tool for removing parts
1 x Double-sided Tape
19mm (3/4in) wide tape for securing
1 x 3m Scotch Brite
Fine Grit Sanding Hand Pad
1 x Squeeze Bottle
Wash Bottle for Alcohol
1 x X-Acto Knife
Precision Knife
14 x M3 x .5 x 4mm screws
Button Head screws
1 x M3 x .5 Hex Nuts
Metric Hex Jam Nuts 1.5mm
1 x Male Headers
Break-away 0.1" male header strip
1 x Gray Blue Silicone Mat
Large Silicone Heat Insulation Pad

This guide was first published on May 09, 2018. It was last updated on May 09, 2018.

This page (Overview) was last updated on May 02, 2018.

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