Replacing Vector Robot Brain Board
Worked for 1 min 54 sec
Created a project doc
Passive Wiretap Board Status
This board has been redesigned as a safe listen-only wiretap for the Vector head/body 4-wire cable. It no longer includes the ESP32-C3 or ac...
Done — I redesigned it as a passive listen-only wiretap.
What changed:
- Removed ESP32-C3 and level-shifter from the signal path.
- Kept only headers + protection resistors.
- Mapped the confirmed Vector wires:
- black
GND - red
VMAIN - white
BODY_RX - green
TX1.8
- black
- Routed the simplified PCB.
- Ran ERC/DRC checks: no errors/warnings came back in the checked categories.
Saved status here:
Passive Wiretap Board Status
Passive Wiretap Board Status
Open item:
- This is still a hand-wired/probe board, not the final drop-in Vector connector board.
Document, BOM, export
Create wiring guide
Check BOM cost
Export files
Review manufacturability
Refine this doc
Ask about this doc
Beginner Next Steps — Vector Debug Board
What This Board Is
This is the first safe debug/probing board for the Vector Robot brain-board replacement project. It is not the final smarter brain board yet.
The purpose of this board is to help listen to Vector's existing body/head signals safely so the real replacement board can be designed later.
What Changed Today
- Removed the onboard 5 V to 3.3 V regulator block because it was blocking PCB routing.
- Changed the board so it expects external regulated 3.3 V power.
- Removed separate test-point footprints because their hidden terminal footprints were blocking routing.
- Kept the probe/debug signals available on the headers.
- Routed the PCB successfully with 129 routing nodes applied.
Very Important Power Rule
Do not feed 5 V into this board unless we add a regulator again later.
For this version:
- Use external regulated 3.3 V only.
- J2 pin 2 is the 3.3 V debug power input.
- J2 pin 3 is GND.
- J2 pin 1 is intentionally unused/no-connect.
Current Status
The board is mostly routed and usable as a first debug-board design, but one final check still reports a single airwire named
P2. A second route attempt reported there were no remaining pads to route, so this may be a checker mismatch or a tiny unreachable internal pad connection.Before manufacturing, this should be manually inspected in the PCB view.
What You Need To Do Next
You do not need to understand schematics yet. The next useful things from you are physical info:
- Clear photo of the exact Vector connector we want to plug/probe.
- Count the pins on the connector.
- Measure the pin spacing if you can.
- Tell me what debug tools you have, if any:
- USB serial adapter?
- Logic analyzer?
- Multimeter?
- Soldering iron?
What Not To Do Yet
- Do not order this as the final robot brain board.
- Do not connect it to Vector's battery.
- Do not connect 5 V to J2 pin 1.
- Do not transmit signals back into Vector until we confirm the pinout and voltage levels.
Next Engineering Step
Replace the temporary J1 generic 2.54 mm header with the real Vector connector or a beginner-friendly wire breakout once the connector pitch/pinout is measured.
What This Board Is
What Changed Today
Very Important Power Rule
Current Status
What You Need To Do Next
What Not To Do Yet
Next Engineering Step
