PILOT Drive HAT

• 3 min read

The PILOT Drive HAT is hardware intended to allow a Single Board Computer (SBC) to safely interface with and accept power from your vehicle. While being originally designed for the Raspberry Pi, this is not the only use due to the basic widespread & standard communication protocols used by the HAT. It sports a few features, such as:

  • Sending a shutdown signal based on the state of the vehicle's accessory line, then waiting for the host to turn off.
  • A customizable delay time before disabling the full circuit (via I2C)
  • Inputs for extra buttons to be read by the host
  • An isolated logic (3v3 HIGH) signal from the headlights, for the host to determine the state of the headlights
  • An on-board RTC, for the host to keep track of time while the car is off
  • All kinds of circuit protection to account for extreme vehicle conditions

...and more! Checkout the github for all technical features.

"MKII" of the HAT is currently being developed and shipped to PCBWay soon, as MKI was only half functional due to some unforeseen design flaws. MKI also used Arduino code for firmware, while MKII has made an upgrade to full C. This project is on-going, and updates will be made as MKII is recieved. Cheers!

The MKII Prototype - Update (12/27/2022)

As per a sponsorship with PCBWay (see full review at the end), the MKII prototype has been fabricated! After populating it's components, it is so much more functional than the original HAT. The 3.3v power supply actually works, the LEDs shine appropriately, and both the ATTiny85 & DS1307 (RTC) are read on the I2C bus. The only active issue I'm having is getting the P-Channel FET to actually switch off. I believe there's an issue with how it's pulled up the +12v battery line (see schematic for more info).

Overall, I believe it'll be ready for it's debut at the 2023 Syracuse Maker Faire, as the kinks should all be out by then. The HAT, along with PILOT Drive as a whole are maturing quite quickly, and will be ready for a real release soon. Stay posted, and read on for my PCBWay review!
PCBWay Review

When I was initially approached to do a sponsorship with PCBWay, I agreed under the terms that I could speak honestly about the product/service. All things considered, my experience with PCBWay was incredible. I had five PCBs made - all designed in KiCad and then exported to gerber/drill files. From there, I carefully entered my board setup values into the PCBWay website, uploaded my board files and within a week the boards were at my door.

All 5 of the boards were of great quality, as the drill holes were precise, silk screen text/graphics were clear, and the plating was easy to solder to (after 3 hours of hand soldering - that's much appreciated). While these boards were sponsored, the price beforehand was also affordable and well suited for hobbyist engineers like myself. Overall I was very impressed, and am grateful to PCBWay for the opportunity!