Servo - January 2016

is soldered directly to it.

Given this reality, why would anyone opt for a custom microcontroller board? Well, the size and weight optimization noted earlier can be of significant value. If you’re building a long, thin rocket, then the only option for an onboard controller may be a long, thin microcontroller board. Another factor is volume. Let’s say you belong to a rocket club with 100 members, each of whom wants a microcontroller of their own. When you get into the 100+ board orders, there is a significant drop in per board cost.

Moreover, there’s the fun factor. Sure, it may be economically impractical to create a custom board instead of using an off-the-shelf version. The same could be said for just about any electronics kit or DIY project for that matter. It’s hard to beat the price of electronics built in China, but there is a sense of accomplishment and simple fun when you design your own board in software, send the file off to be manufactured, and then populate the board yourself.

And that, you can’t buy. SV

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