fastLOGIC! Is an Open Source Affordable Option for Small-Scale Automation and Control

Electronics prototyper Jan Neumann (Neumi) created fastLOGIC!, an Arduino-based (industrial) logic controller. This open source device is ideal for small-scale automation and control solutions.

fastLOGIC!'s circuit board measures approximately 92 x 60 millimeters without connectors. Neumann based the controller around a Microchip ATmega328P microcontroller, the same MCU found on the Arduino Uno and Nano.

The primary user interface has three push buttons, two LEDs, and a four-digit seven-segment display. The three push buttons connect to a single analog input on the MCU through a resistor ladder. The seven-segment display model only requires two MCU pins (clock and data) because of the TM1637 driver IC. This judicious use of GPIO pins means there is plenty of I/O left over for interfacing and controlling other hardware.

For example, fastLOGIC! has two opto-isolators that trigger above 9.5 volts and accept signals as high as 24 volts. There are also two relays for controller high-current (up to 5 amp) devices. However, Neumann warns that the relays (and the PCB design) are unsuitable for controlling AC mains!

Headers for two analog inputs provide 5V power to a peripheral and accept analog signals up to 5 volts on the input. There is also a header for a DS18B20-based temperature sensor. A fourth connector provides an I2C bus.

The MCU, opto-isolators, and passives are surface mount parts. This choice makes fastLOGIC! an affordable option if you buy one through a prototype assembly house. All connectors, including the vertical mount USB Mini-B connector, are optional thanks to their through-hole footprints.

Neumann says the project is still under active development. You should consider the current design in a prototype stage! You can download the open sourced KiCad design files and track the project's progress from fastLOGIC!'s GitHub repository.