Solar Bee Monitor Schematic

Focused recovery status: Regulator recovered; routing blocked by auto-route job state Completed
  • Confirmed the original TPS56528DDA footprint was malformed, not a valid segmented PowerPAD:
    • TI specifies one exposed GND PowerPAD.
    • Flux footprint contained two coincident, unnetted mount pads plus a separate undersized GND pad.
    • Project-local overrides could not disable the nested duplicate pads.
  • Filed an internal part-quality report for the TPS56528DDA Flux library part.
  • Replaced U_5V with verified Texas Instruments TPS56637RPAR:
    • 4.5–28 V input
    • 5 V adjustable output
    • 6 A continuous rating
    • 10-pin 3 × 3 mm VQFN-HR package
  • Completed inspect → replace → rewire → verify → re-place workflow.
  • Updated the support network to TI’s 5 V recommendations:
    • L_5V: 3.3 µH, reference-class 10.5 A peak / 9.7 A RMS
    • Input: 2 × 22 µF plus 100 nF VIN–PGND
    • Output: 2 × 22 µF
    • Bootstrap: 100 nF BOOT–SW
    • Feedback: 73.2 kΩ / 10.0 kΩ
    • PG pull-up: 100 kΩ
    • MODE tied to GND for Eco-mode
    • AGND and PGND connected to GND
    • NC explicitly marked no-connect
  • Fresh ERC returned zero concrete errors.
  • Re-placed only the local 5 V stage and made one small J_BAT shift to clear a mounting hole.
  • Updated Project Specification, Bring-Up Plan, Safety Analysis and FMEA.
Final project state

Table


ItemResult
Final regulatorTPS56637RPAR
Regulator actionReplaced, not overridden
Components75
Nets47
Placed components75 / 75
Board100 × 100 mm, 2 mm corners
StackupStandard 4-layer
Component fill16.6%
NodeMCU row spacing25.4 mm exact
Header positionsX = −12.7 mm and +12.7 mm; Y = 20 mm
Header orientationParallel, 0°, matching pin-1 direction
Airwires124
Routed completionNot completed
Pre-route assessment
The replacement footprint’s four overlapping VIN copper terminals are an intentional HotRod-QFN construction. They are all on BAT_PROTECTED_IF; the checker states they will be treated as one pin. This is not the original malformed thermal-pad defect.
No fresh errors were reported for:
  • Missing footprints
  • Component body overlap
  • Components outside board
  • Invalid layers
  • Overlapping copper
  • Dangling traces
Routing blocker
A new auto-route job was started, but the Flux job remained cycling through generating, stopped, resuming, and restarted states without persisting routes. The job could not be cleanly completed or restarted within this pass. I did not force routing or manually attempt 124 connections.
Fresh DRC counts
  • Errors: 124
    • Airwires: 124
  • Warnings: 1
    • Component override on U_5V:VIN_1; this originates from the replacement library footprint’s HotRod-QFN copper construction.
  • Other requested manufacturing-critical categories: no findings returned.
Antenna and mechanical status
  • NodeMCU header geometry remains exact and unchanged.
  • USB and antenna ends remain identified.
  • The antenna keepout marking/zone remains present, but all-layer copper exclusion cannot be conclusively verified until routing and pours complete.
  • Four 3.2 mm NPTH mounting holes remain present.
  • Connector edge placement and safety markings were preserved.
Manufacturing readiness
Not manufacturing-ready.
The regulator defect is resolved and the schematic is electrically restored, but the board still has 124 airwires because the auto-route service did not complete. Power pours, GND stitching, all-layer antenna exclusion, current-density verification and final silkscreen/copper review therefore remain blocked.
please do it fast asap
The 100 × 100 mm, 4-layer PCB is fully placed with 75 components, four mounting holes, exact 25.4 mm NodeMCU header spacing, connector labels, and antenna keepout. The defective TPS56528 footprint was reported and replaced with a verified TPS56637RPAR 6 A buck; ERC is clean.
Blocked: the routing service failed to persist routes, leaving 124 airwires, so the PCB is not manufacturing-ready. Routing, power pours, antenna copper-exclusion verification, and final DRC must be retried after the routing service recovers.
Retry routing later
Explain blocker
Review placement
Check manufacturability
Export docs only
U_5V
J_BAT
J_INMP441
D_RS485
L_5V
Inductance
3.3uH
CRS485
Capacitance
100nF
J_SOLAR
J_MCU_R
TP_NTC
R_I2C_SDA
Resistance
4.7kΩ
R5FBB
Resistance
10kΩ
C1
Capacitance
22uF
C5VIN1
Capacitance
22uF
R3
Resistance
4.7kΩ
R_BAT_SER
Resistance
1kΩ
TP_5V
R1
Resistance
4.7kΩ
CCAM_OUT
Capacitance
100uF
R_SOL_SER
Resistance
1kΩ
C_BAT_ADC
Capacitance
100nF
CGATE_IN
Capacitance
10uF
TP6
R_SOL_BOT
Resistance
27kΩ
R_DE_PD
Resistance
100kΩ
TP7
C3OUT
Capacitance
10uF
R_TERM
Resistance
120Ω
C_SOL_ADC
Capacitance
100nF
R_BAT_TOP
Resistance
100kΩ
TP4
RCAM_EN_PD
Resistance
100kΩ
R3FBT
Resistance
450kΩ
R3EN
Resistance
100kΩ
L_3V3
Inductance
2.2uH
TP8
R_ADXL_CS
Resistance
10kΩ
R4
Resistance
4.7kΩ
C5OUT1
Capacitance
22uF
CCAM_IN
Capacitance
10uF
TP3
TP1
R_BAT_BOT
Resistance
39kΩ
R2
Resistance
4.7kΩ
R5
Resistance
4.7kΩ
TP5
C2
Capacitance
22uF
R_MUX_RST
Resistance
10kΩ
RGATE_EN_PD
Resistance
100kΩ
R5EN
Resistance
100kΩ
TP2
R3FBB
Resistance
100kΩ
CMUX
Capacitance
100nF
C5REG
Capacitance
100nF
R_SOL_TOP
Resistance
200kΩ
CGATE_OUT
Capacitance
100uF
C5BST
Capacitance
100nF
R5FBT
Resistance
73.2kΩ
J_MCU_L
C3VIN
Capacitance
10uF
R5PG
Resistance
100kΩ
TP_B1
J_ADXL345
J_GATE
J_HX711
JP_TERM
J_SHT31
U_RS485
J_MPU6050
U_CAM_SW
J_OPT3001
U_3V3
J_CAM
J_SCD40
U_MUX
U_GATE_SW

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Safety Analysis
This prototype has no certification claim. Mandatory qualified electrical/safety review and current-limited bench testing are required.
Mandatory architecture for this PCB revision
  • EXTERNAL CERTIFIED 2S BMS/CHARGER REQUIRED. No raw-cell charger, protection or balancing circuit is integrated on this board.
  • SOLAR_RAW, BAT_B1, BAT_BPLUS and raw B-/NTC interfaces are diagnostic/isolated only and must not be used as a charging or load-current path.
  • Connect only the protected output of the external certified module to BAT_PROTECTED_IF.
Hard blockers
  • The TPS56637RPAR 5 V regulator input terminates at BAT_PROTECTED_IF; it is not connected to raw cells. It is rated 6 A, but the board allocation remains 3.5 A peak with 4.44 A design margin and remains limited by copper, connector, harness and external-BMS thermal performance.
  • The solar ADC is monitoring-only from SOLAR_RAW; no charger path is implied.
  • BQ24650 is available, but the full datasheet reference network (MOSFETs, sense resistor, inductor, compensation, MPPSET, TS/NTC, charge-current/voltage programming and thermal design) was not completed/verified in this batch. SOLAR_RAW and battery pins remain isolated interfaces.
  • A complete primary 2S protection plus balancing design was not proven. MP6420GJ-P/BQ29209 candidates require threshold, MOSFET topology and cell-balance verification; neither is accepted as a fabricated BMS yet.
  • ADC dividers, solar fuse/reverse/TVS/filter, RS485 TVS and selectable termination/bias require final rated parts and values.
Hazards and controls
  • 2S Li-ion fire/venting: matched protected cells, independent primary protection, correct NTC, conservative 1.0–1.5 A charging, fuse, enclosure containment.
  • Solar overvoltage/transients/reverse polarity: confirm panel Voc/Isc at cold temperature; use >24 V-rated input path, coordinated fuse, reverse MOSFET, TVS and filter.
  • Connector miswiring: keyed, labeled connectors; B-/B1/B+/NTC order must be verified.
  • Firmware cannot be a primary safety control. Default-off loads reduce reset-state hazards but do not replace hardware protection.
No cells or solar source may be connected directly to this PCB. Qualification of the selected external certified module, wiring harness, fusing and enclosure remains mandatory.
  • Mandatory architecture for this PCB revision

  • Hard blockers

  • Hazards and controls

Bee Monitor Central Controller – Board 1 thumbnail
Beginner-prototype solar bee monitor central controller using a plug-in 38-pin ESP32 NodeMCU-32, breakout sensor interfaces, switched camera and gate power, RS-485, monitored rails, and isolated safety-critical 2S charging/protection interfaces pending fully verified implementations.

Properties

Properties describe core aspects of the project.

Pricing & Availability

Distributor

Qty 1

Arrow

$5.86–$10.06

Digi-Key

$1.74

HQonline

$3.70–$3.95

LCSC

$9.49–$11.33

Mouser

$14.98–$89.59

TME

$4.03

Verical

$7.11–$11.65

Controls