This design is not a final product, but rather a module that can be integrated into a final product. It is a simple user interface PCB that allows 2 main features to any design:

1. Visual feedback through an OLED display
2. Mechanical input through up to 5 separate momentary push button switches

When developing new designs for various projects, I would consistently need to interface some form of visual feedback to the microcontroller. This was at times as simple as an LED or 2, or as complex as a TFT display. I also found that I would often need inputs in order to run some task in the micro. Again, this could be as simple as switches, or a little more complex with an encoder. Eventually, I decided it was time to create a functional PCB that could handle both of these tasks, and easily interface with new and old designs. That's when this custom user interface PCB was developed.

I wanted to make sure this interface was simple, but still effective in doing what its intended for: displaying visual feedback and accepting outside input.

Version 1 of this PCB was designed to interface through a flax flex cable using a Molex right angle 16 position connector. This has worked well in my designs.

Version 2 (design linked) adds 2 additional features:

1. 2 x 5pin 0.1" center connectors that can easily interface to a bread board
2. 0 ohm jumper resistors so you can user different OLED displays

I found that the display PCB was great, but was not very friendly with prototyping due to the SMT connector and flat flex cable required. Adding standard 0.1" center connectors that are spaced to plug nicely into a breadboard fixed this issue. Prototyping should now be very simple and accessible.

I also found that there was not a standard pinout for the OLED module. Sometimes, pin 1 was power and pin 2 was ground, but other boards had them swapped. I added 4 0603 jumper resistors to the board to accommodate either pinout. They are accessible on top of the PCB, and clear labeled.

This designed could be modified to be a final product if one added a microcontroller to the back of the PCB and properly interfaced the OLED and push buttons properly. Power would also need to be applied, either through USB, a battery pack, or integrating both and having a rechargeable battery. The form factor lends itself to a simple handheld.

There are other interface boards that can be bought readily made. However, this projects offers excellent simplicity at an unbeatable price. Interfacing with custom electronics is no longer a tedious project with this elegant solution.