DIY Fidget Spinner Accelerator for UNDER $2!

Hey there visitors!

My name is Youri and I like to create and publish electronics projects.
Today I have a instructable based off of this instructable by tanner_tech.
He inspired me to recreate his design and make an actual PCB of it.

It's made using the online EDA tool called EasyEDA.

A huge shout out to NextPCB for sponsoring this project. They are a PCB manufacturer, China PCB manufacturer which is also capable of doing PCB assembly.

I've also included the video I made of this project, in case you want more detailed instructions and a better visual.

Let's get started!

You will need the following parts for this build:
All links to order the parts are included as well.

• 2CZ4004 (Diode) - https://lcsc.com/product-detail/Diodes-General-Pu...
• 10KΩ ±5% (Resistor) - https://lcsc.com/product-detail/NTC-Thermistors_m...
• 1-10mH coil NON MAGNETIC - https://lcsc.com/product-detail/Radial-Inductor-T...
• IRFR120NTRPBF (Mosfet) - https://lcsc.com/product-detail/MOSFET_IR_IRFR120...
• Reed Switch - Unavailabe
• Optional: KF124-3.81-2P pitch3.81mm (Connectors) - https://lcsc.com/product-detail/Terminal-Blocks_K...
• PCB files - https://easyeda.com/yourics/Fidget_Spinner-16ca6f...
  If you support my project, please order your PCB's at NextPCB.

Please note that you will have to solder very small SMD components for this project. You need experience in order to properly solder these components.

The way it works is by switching magnetic fields.

The fidget spinner has magnets on each end which triggers the reed switch when it passes. This causes the switch to close and let current pass through.
When the reed switch switches, the mosfet will switch as well allowing current to go through the coil.
This will magnetize the coil and thus drag the magnet that just passed the reed switch to it. Once the magnet gets dragged to the coil the reed switch will switch off again which causes the coil to demagnetize.
Due to the spinning motion the next magnet will come across the reed switch and teigger the whole process again.

In the image you can see the schematic to build this project.

You do not need this schematic if you are going to order the PCB, but I included it because some of you might want to create the PCB yourselves. This schematic & PCB is made in EasyEDA.

Now just in case you don't have the parts needed for this project you could easily check out the Bill of Materials (BOM) at the bottom of the project page on EasyEDA. It includes a row "LCSC" with hyperlinked descriptions. Click the hyperlink and it will take you straight to the part itself!

Just in case you're going to order on LCSC I have a code for you so you can get $8 off your first order :) Code: firstorder8

Once all the necessary parts have arrived you can finally start soldering.
As said before, be careful when soldering SMD components, because they can be very fragile.

The hardest components to solder are the resistor, diode and mosfet.

Resistor & Diode:
The easiest way to solder the resistor and diode is by first soldering one pad on the PCB. Then heat the pad up again and place the component onto it. Once cooled down it should be secure in the correct position. Now all that's left is to put a bit of solder on the other side of the component and it should be all soldered correctly!

Note that a diode always has a anode and cathode. On the SMD package you can see a white line. This line represents the line as used in a schematic view of the part, so it's the cathode (-).
If you're not sure what I'm talking about check out the images, they might clear things up.

Mosfet:
The easiest way to solder the mosfet is by putting some solder onto the large pad on the PCB first as well as on the metal back of the mosfet itself. Now heat up the large pad on the PCB and place your mosfet over it. Make sure the 2 other pins line up with the corresponding pads and that the mosfet is fully pressed down onto the PCB. If so, you may now release the soldering iron from the component and let the PCB cool down. Once cooled down you can now solder the remaining two pads and it's done!

The last step is to test the freshly soldered PCB. To do this we have to attach 3 identical magnets to each end of our fidget spinner. This can for example be done using some double sided tape.

Screw in the reed switch and coil as shown in the picture and connect a 12V power supply or wall adapter to the input connector.

Now give your fidget spinner a little spin to get the motion started and hold your PCB next to it with the coil and reed switch almost touching the magnets.

Your fidget spinner should now accelerate and thus your project works!

If you like this project perhaps you will like some of my others. Feel free to check them out on my YouTube channel!
Want to stay up to date with which projects I'm currently working on? Follow me on my Facebook page: RGBFreak!

Thank you for taking your time to (hopefully) let me inspire you to start working on your own electronics projects.
My biggest passion is inspiring others and it would mean a lot to me if you could give me some feedback on how to improve my videos and Instructables even more. Thank you in advance!

A special thank you to NextPCB for sponsoring this project!

Here's another random video of mine, if you're interested in that. It also has a Instructable that can be found over here.