CM5-centered carrier with protected 9–60 V input target and high-current 5 V buck rail.
Separate kernel I²C, Predator bit-banged I²C, SPI CAN, relay GPIO, debug UART, ADC/sensor, and expansion resources.
Recommended CAN direction: MCP2518FD or MCP2515 with rugged transceiver, ESD, and selectable 120 Ω termination.
Four protected engine-control outputs instead of bare GPIO/MOSFET outputs.
4-layer compact board, roughly 100 mm × 80 mm starting point, with power/relay connectors separated from CAN/sensor/debug I/O.
Before I build the actual schematic, the main items to confirm are relay output type, CAN isolation requirement, maximum input surge/load-dump requirement, connector preference, and enclosure mounting dimensions.
answers:
Relay output type: 3–4 channels of optically isolated high-side drivers (or relay + opto), minimum 5–8A per channel. For engine start, kill, and fuel pump control.
CAN isolation: Yes — use an isolated CAN transceiver (e.g. ADM3053 or equivalent) for noise immunity near the engine.
Input surge / load-dump: Design for 12–60V nominal input with protection against 80–100V transients + reverse polarity protection.
Connector preference: Pluggable screw terminals or rugged M12-style for external signals and CAN. Anderson/XT-style or larger terminals for main power. Prioritize field serviceability.
Enclosure mounting: 4-corner M3 mounting holes with vibration isolation. Keep connectors along edges where possible. Target compact size that fits inside SendCutSend IP65 enclosure with reasonable component height.
Status: Draft architecture with confirmed field constraints.
This project is a production-intent Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 carrier board for SitePulse, a compact hybrid job-site power and connectivity system. The board replaces a stacked HAT plus breadboard prototype with a single rugged, maintainable PCB.
Intended Use
Installed inside a SendCutSend-style metal enclosure in a job-site/off-grid power system.
Controls engine-related functions, monitors sensors, and provides connectivity through the CM5.
Designed for vibration, EMI, field wiring, and small-to-medium volume production.
What the Device Should Do
Host a Raspberry Pi CM5 as the main Linux control computer.
Provide protected wide-range DC input for 12 V to 60 V nominal battery systems.
Generate clean 5 V for the CM5 and peripherals and local 3.3 V for support ICs.
Provide CAN for future motor controller and alternator/current telemetry.
Drive 3 to 4 optically isolated high-side engine-control outputs rated at least 5 A to 8 A per channel.
Preserve kernel I2C-1 on GPIO2/GPIO3 for PCA9685 and future sensors.
Provide a separate bit-banged I2C interface for Predator engine data sniffing.
Expose field-ready connectors, debug UART, status LEDs, sensor expansion, and test points.
Main Features
CM5 mezzanine socket and required boot/reset support.
Wide input protected power front end with reverse polarity, 80 V to 100 V transient protection, surge/TVS, filtering, and fused input.
High-current 5 V buck rail sized for CM5 peak current with margin.
Local 3.3 V rail for CAN controller, I2C support, LEDs, and logic.
SPI CAN controller plus isolated rugged CAN transceiver interface.
Jumper-selectable 120 ohm CAN termination.
Three to four optically isolated high-side relay/load driver outputs for engine start, kill, fuel pump, and spare.
Primary I2C, secondary bit-banged I2C, UART debug, ADC/sensor inputs, status LEDs, and expansion header.
System Architecture
Diagram
Hardware Subsystems
1. CM5 Core
Use official Raspberry Pi CM5 compatible board-to-board connectors and mechanical keepouts.
Provide CM5 5 V power pins with bulk capacitance close to the connector and distributed high-frequency decoupling.
Include RUN/reset control, boot mode access, EEPROM/boot configuration access if required by final CM5 reference design, and debug UART.
Keep high-speed CM5 interfaces optional unless required later; this revision focuses on GPIO, SPI, I2C, UART, and power/control I/O.
2. Power Input and Regulation
Recommended direction:
Input connector: Anderson/XT-style connector, large pluggable terminal block, or equivalent field-serviceable connector rated for the selected current and voltage.
Main regulator: automotive/industrial wide-input buck to 5 V.
Support regulator: 5 V to 3.3 V buck or LDO depending final current and thermal budget.
Candidate power parts to evaluate from datasheets before schematic implementation:
TI LM5146-Q1, LM5164-Q1, LM76003-Q1, or LM76005-Q1 for wide-input buck options.
Analog Devices LT8640S or LT8609S for robust high-efficiency buck alternatives.
TI TPS7A20, TPS7A47, or AP7365 class LDO only if 3.3 V support current is low enough thermally.
SMCJ/SM8S/automotive load-dump TVS or surge stopper selected for 80 V to 100 V transient tolerance.
Initial sizing assumption:
5 V rail target: at least 5 A available for CM5 peak load plus peripherals.
3.3 V support rail target: 0.5 A to 1.0 A pending final I/O count.
Input voltage target: 12 V to 60 V nominal battery systems. Regulator and protection design target is 9 V to 60 V continuous operating input with survival/protection for 80 V to 100 V transients and reverse polarity.
3. CAN Bus
Preferred production direction:
Use MCP2518FD over SPI if CAN FD or more modern support is desired.
Use MCP2515 only if compatibility with the current Waveshare-style Linux setup is the priority.
Use isolated CAN because the CAN harness is near the engine and motor controller. Preferred candidates include ADM3053, ISO1042, ISO1050, or an equivalent isolated CAN transceiver/isolation plus isolated DC/DC solution.
Add ESD/TVS protection on CAN_H and CAN_L.
Add 120 ohm termination selectable by jumper or DIP switch.
Use 3 to 4 optically isolated high-side outputs or relay-plus-opto channels rated at least 5 A to 8 A per channel.
Use 4 channels where board area allows: ENGINE_START, ENGINE_KILL, FUEL_PUMP, RELAY_SPARE.
Add flyback suppression for inductive loads, output transient clamps, per-channel status/diagnostic where practical, and default-off input pull-downs.
Keep the CM5 logic domain isolated from the engine/load domain where practical.
Field connector should be a high-current pluggable screw terminal or rugged circular connector with clear silk labels.
Candidate parts to evaluate:
Infineon PROFET family high-side switches for 5 A to 8 A automotive-style loads, paired with digital optocouplers or isolated gate/control interface if needed.
TI TPS1H100-Q1/TPS1H200A-Q1 class protected high-side switches where channel current and thermal limits fit the load.
Automotive relay plus optocoupler input stage if true dry-contact or high-isolation behavior is preferred over solid-state switching.
Toshiba TLP236x/TLP293 or Broadcom/Avago digital optocouplers for CM5-to-field isolation, selected after input current and timing are checked.
Status LEDs: PWR_5V, PWR_3V3, ACTIVITY, CAN_ACTIVITY, RELAY_ACTIVE.
Test points for VIN_PROT, 5V_SYS, 3V3_LOGIC, GND, CAN_H, CAN_L, SPI lines, I2C lines, relay outputs.
Clear silkscreen labels and connector pin numbering.
Interfaces and Connections
Interface
Proposed CM5 Resource
Notes
Kernel I2C
GPIO2 SDA, GPIO3 SCL
Reserved for PCA9685 and future sensors
CAN SPI
SPI0 or SPI1
Dedicated CS for CAN controller, interrupt GPIO required
CAN interrupt
Dedicated GPIO
Active-low interrupt from CAN controller
Relay outputs
4 dedicated GPIOs
Default-off pull-downs, protected drivers
Predator sniffer
2 separate GPIOs
Bit-banged I2C, not shared with kernel i2c-1
Debug UART
UART0 or spare UART
Console header, 3.3 V only
Sensor ADC
I2C or SPI ADC
Required because CM5 has no native analog inputs
Expansion
Spare GPIO/UART/I2C
Future motor/current/telemetry support
Initial Pin Allocation Proposal
Final pin numbers must be checked against the official CM5 pinout and any reserved boot functions before schematic wiring.
Table
Function
Proposed Signal
CM5 GPIO Direction
Conflict Notes
I2C1 SDA
I2C1_SDA
GPIO2 bidirectional
Keep dedicated to kernel i2c-1
I2C1 SCL
I2C1_SCL
GPIO3 bidirectional
Keep dedicated to kernel i2c-1
CAN SCLK
SPI0_SCLK
SPI output
Share only with SPI devices that have separate CS
CAN MOSI
SPI0_MOSI
SPI output
3.3 V logic
CAN MISO
SPI0_MISO
SPI input
3.3 V logic
CAN CS
SPI0_CS_CAN
GPIO output
Dedicated chip select
CAN INT
CAN_INT
GPIO input
Interrupt-capable preferred
CAN reset
CAN_RST
GPIO output
Optional but recommended
CAN standby
CAN_STBY
GPIO output
Optional low-power control
Relay 1
RELAY_START_CMD
GPIO output
Default off
Relay 2
RELAY_KILL_CMD
GPIO output
Default off
Relay 3
RELAY_FUEL_CMD
GPIO output
Default off
Relay 4
RELAY_AUX_CMD
GPIO output
Default off
Predator SDA
PRED_I2C_SDA_SNIFF
GPIO bidirectional/input
Not GPIO2
Predator SCL
PRED_I2C_SCL_SNIFF
GPIO bidirectional/input
Not GPIO3
Debug TX/RX
UART_DBG_TX/RX
UART
3.3 V header only
Power Tree and Preliminary Power Budget
Diagram
Preliminary load assumptions for architecture only:
Table
Rail
Load
Typical
Peak
Notes
5V_SYS
CM5
1.5 A
3 A to 5 A
Depends CPU, WiFi, USB, storage, thermal config
5V_SYS
External sensors/expansion
0.1 A
0.5 A
Placeholder
3V3_LOGIC
CAN, ADC, PCA9685 logic, LEDs
0.05 A
0.3 A
Placeholder
Field relay/load power
3 to 4 isolated high-side channels
TBD
5 A to 8 A per channel
Separate high-current path; not supplied by 5V_SYS
Design target: size the 5 V buck, input protection, connector, and copper for at least 5 A on 5V_SYS unless final CM5 power budget justifies less. Relay/high-side load current is a separate field-power path and must be sized independently at 5 A to 8 A per channel. Do not use a 5 V LDO from 12 V/24 V/48 V.
Use locking, field-serviceable connectors for field wiring: pluggable screw terminals or rugged M12-style for CAN and signals; Anderson/XT-style or large terminals for main power.
Provide large test points for factory bring-up.
Prefer components with good distribution availability and automotive/industrial temperature options where possible.
Physical Design Expectations
Available enclosure area:
Target packing envelope: 8.15 in x 6.75 in x 1.52 in, approximately 207.0 mm x 171.5 mm x 38.6 mm.
Board should stay comfortably inside this volume with connector bend radius, mounting hardware, vibration isolation, and cable service loops accounted for.
Proposed board outline:
Initial board target: approximately 160 mm x 110 mm to 180 mm x 125 mm, leaving margin inside the 207 mm x 171.5 mm enclosure area for connectors and wiring.
Four corner M3 mounting holes with vibration isolation clearance, keepout rings, and chassis/earth strategy defined.
CM5 centered or slightly offset for thermal clearance and access.
Field connectors on board edges only where practical to simplify harnessing and panel access.
Power input and 5 A to 8 A relay/high-side terminals on one high-energy edge.
CAN and sensor/debug connectors separated from noisy relay/power terminals.
Rough placement strategy:
CM5 connector near center, with keepout and thermal path.
5 V buck near power input edge, with short hot-loop and wide copper.
3.3 V regulator near logic loads.
CAN controller close to CM5 SPI pins; CAN transceiver close to CAN connector.
Relay drivers close to relay connector; keep field/load current away from CM5 and I2C.
I2C/ADC/sensor front end near sensor connector, away from buck switching node.
Test points along board edge or between functional blocks.
Important Design Decisions
Use CM5 as the only main processor; no secondary MCU unless later needed for safety interlock or real-time shutdown.
Keep kernel I2C and Predator sniffing buses physically and logically separate.
Prefer MCP2518FD plus isolated CAN transceiver such as ADM3053 or ISO1042 for a modern robust CAN implementation; use MCP2515 only if software compatibility is more important than CAN FD capability.
Include external ADC because CM5 does not provide native analog inputs.
Use optically isolated high-side relay/load outputs rather than bare GPIO-driven transistors for field robustness.
Use a wide-input buck for 5 V; never derive CM5 5 V through a linear regulator.
Assumptions Needing Confirmation
Exact surge standard and waveform for the 80 V to 100 V transient requirement.
Required 5 V current headroom for CM5 peripherals and any USB devices.
Whether the 5 A to 8 A relay/high-side channels switch battery positive directly or energize external relay coils.
Final connector family choices: pluggable screw terminals vs M12-style for each external signal group and Anderson/XT vs large terminals for main power.
Final enclosure mounting hole pattern and usable panel-edge connector locations.
Whether analog sensors are 0 V to 3.3 V, 0 V to 5 V, resistive, 4 mA to 20 mA, or automotive sender style.
Change Notes
Updated architecture with confirmed optically isolated 5 A to 8 A high-side/relay outputs, isolated CAN, 12 V to 60 V nominal input, 80 V to 100 V transient protection, reverse polarity protection, field-serviceable connector preferences, and 8.15 in x 6.75 in x 1.52 in enclosure packing envelope.
Current Flux project had no schematic components or nets at the time of this architecture draft.
Next step after review: select exact CM5 connector, power regulator, CAN controller/transceiver, relay driver topology, ADC, and rugged connectors; then create the schematic blocks with datasheet-verified wiring.
Project Overview
Intended Use
What the Device Should Do
Main Features
System Architecture
Hardware Subsystems
1. CM5 Core
2. Power Input and Regulation
3. CAN Bus
4. Relay Drivers / Engine Control
5. I2C Expansion
6. Bit-Banged / Secondary I2C Sniffer
7. Sensor Inputs and Expansion
8. Debug, Test, and Indicators
Interfaces and Connections
Initial Pin Allocation Proposal
Power Tree and Preliminary Power Budget
Manufacturing and Assembly Expectations
Physical Design Expectations
Important Design Decisions
Assumptions Needing Confirmation
Change Notes
Reviews
Documents
SitePulse CM5 Carrier Board Project Specification
Schematic Implementation Plan
Schematic Capture Notes - Initial Power and CM5 Block
Assets
Assets are files uploaded to this project which can be used in various ways.
Production-intent Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 carrier board for SitePulse, integrating rugged wide-input power, CAN bus, protected relay/engine-control outputs, I2C expansion, Predator engine data sniffer interface, debug/status I/O, and field-ready connectors for job-site/off-grid use.
Properties
V
Pricing & Availability
Distributor
Qty 1
Arrow
$49.13–$57.61
Digi-Key
$47.84
HQonline
$5.21
LCSC
$83.52–$85.03
Mouser
$104.43
TME
$15.74
Verical
$32.45–$57.77
Controls
Welcome 👋
Flux helps you build PCBs faster with an AI teammate!
Create your account to collaborate, stay updated, fork your own version, and get instant answers from our AI agent.