Building Block Boards
Protoworks building block boards are small, focused circuit boards designed to support practical electronics, embedded systems, and prototype development.
Each board is intended to solve one specific job, such as communication, input/output expansion, power distribution, signal interfacing, or basic system support. The aim is to make it easier to build and test real hardware systems without having to design every supporting circuit from scratch.
These boards are mainly intended for prototyping, development, bench testing, internal tools, proof-of-concept systems, and small embedded projects.
Why building block boards?
Many hardware projects need the same basic pieces again and again:
- a way to connect digital inputs and outputs
- a way to communicate between boards or enclosures
- a simple power input or regulator stage
- a safe way to prototype with common interfaces
- a small tested circuit that can be reused in a larger design
The building block board approach keeps these functions separate, understandable, and easy to test.
Instead of combining every feature into one large board too early, each board focuses on a smaller part of the system. This makes it easier to experiment, debug, revise, and eventually combine the useful parts into a more complete custom design.
Current board types
The Protoworks building block board range includes the following designs:
| Board | Purpose | Status |
|---|---|---|
| USB-C Power Input & 3.3 V Regulator Board | USB-C power input with onboard 3.3 V regulation | Rev A Available for Sampling |
| RS485 Breakout with 48 V Passthrough Board | RS485 differential interface with auxiliary 48 V power distribution | Deprecated |
| RS485 Non-Isolated Breakout Board | Simplified compact half-duplex RS485 communication module | Rev A Available for Sampling |
| Digital I/O Expander Board | 16 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs using shift registers | Rev A Available for Sampling (Minor Silkscreen Issue), Rev B Queued For Fabrication |
Board names, features, and status may change as designs are revised and tested.
Documentation for each board
Each board page aims to include practical information such as:
- what the board does
- where it is useful
- power requirements
- connector and pinout information
- jumper settings, if applicable
- schematic notes
- PCB revision notes
- test results
- known limitations
- downloads, where available
The documentation is written to support real use on the bench, not just describe the design in theory.
Revision status
Some boards may be early revisions or Rev A prototypes.
That means they may work well enough for testing and development, but may still have known issues, silkscreen changes, layout improvements, or design refinements planned for later versions.
Always check the documentation for the exact board revision you are using.
Intended use
These boards are useful for:
- embedded system prototypes
- custom control panels
- sensor and interface testing
- small automation experiments
- communication tests between boards
- firmware development
- proof-of-concept hardware
- learning and evaluation
They are not automatically suitable for production use without further review, testing, and certification where required.
Important note
Protoworks building block boards are provided as practical development and prototyping tools.
Before using any board in a production product, safety-critical system, industrial installation, or customer-facing device, the design should be reviewed against the full requirements of that application.
This includes electrical safety, EMC, environmental conditions, connector ratings, enclosure design, firmware behaviour, and any relevant standards.
Getting started
Start by choosing the board that matches the function you need, then read the board-specific documentation before connecting power or external equipment.
Where available, check the schematic, pinout, jumper settings, and test notes before use.