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Introduction

While designing this device, two operation modes were thought. The first one consists of pressing a capacitive button to make a grip, and as long as the button is kept pressed the hook will remain closed. The second version opens and closes the hook to grip objects by touching the button once, this means that the button needs only to be touched once when a change in position is desired.

We left both options here in case you want to try which one fits better.

Option 1 here.

Option 2 here.

Electronic schematic

This section will cover the preparation of the electronic components of the device, it will include a schematic of the electronic components of the arm.

Basic electronics skills are assumed such as:

• Soldering/Desoldering components
• Connection testing using a multimeter
• Incorporating insulation solutions such as heat shrink, glues and foam

If you do not feel confident there are a lot of guides online for good soldering practices and basic hobbyist electronics. You can always practice by soldering (and desoldering) header pins to a PCB and soldering wires together.

The complete electronic circuit for "El Céfiro" is shown in the image below. The components referred to may be seen here.

Circuit Fabrication Tips

• Visually inspect each soldered joint for compliance with schematic, size, appearance, shorts, and residual damage to components/PCB; cooled solder joints will appear dull and globular, indicating questionable continuity across the connection; long applications of heat to the PCB, integrated circuits, and other components can lead to circuit failure/shorting and potential fire hazard
• Use a multi-meter to test connections (by measuring the resistance across contacts) after creating each new soldering joint; this will slow down your fabrication process, but likely save future worry during test/debugging; identified discontinuities can be addressed immediately rather having to reverse engineer in the case of future malfunction