So far, so good. canbus drivers etc all installed ok. Also found that every reboot of pc that programs the microcontroller it resets the memory size and partitions where normally it remembers them. This isn’t a big deal but is annoying. A custom board description file will fix the issue, so have to learn that next. It will help with final version for others to customise and install their own software.   Tomorrow I have to dig out laptop with the canbus software and usb canbus sticks  and setup a testing network again.

For the PopeMobile - I threw in the Alpine Headunit from my WRX into it. Definitely a step up from the Fusion.

Well wasted most of a day chasing an issue with chips not flashing. Desoldered parts rechecked with multimeter as seemed to be a possible short or something in the design blocking normal boot up.   I ended up tacking some wires directly to another microcontroller in the batch I have and it had same fault. Seems the older chips I got have a higher current draw than my normal programmer supports. Finally dug out an older one and got code to upload ok. re-soldered everything I removed so tomorrow I’ll try the canbus. After that I’ll build up another board and fit it into the case with LEDs and light sensor as a finished unit.   If this works I’ll order the newest 9th revision and also the power/can board for the tiny LCD screen ones.

Managed to finally get some more progress as parts arrived last week.   I soldered up the switching and regulator power supply using solder paste and heat plate which worked on all but one tiny chip. Solder bridged 2 pins but that was easy to clean up. I fitted both diodes backwards, one as didn’t check, the other I knew was backwards but was working off old schematic.   All voltages were good, so tomorrow I’ll add the can bus section and hopefully the micro controller.   I missed ordering the tiny capacitors for the canbus but the voltage sections are overly filtered and won’t impact testing. The static protection chip wasn’t ordered either as that want needed to test.

You may want to look at dielectric grease for those plugs. https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/permatex-permatex-dielectric-grease-.33-oz/379868.html