Order Onboard: The New Shuttle PCB

After redesigning the shuttle airframe, the next bottleneck was wiring and maintainability. Our answer: a custom Shuttle PCB that brings power, sensors, and actuators into the shuttle model.

Why We Built Our Own Board

• Reduce cabling complexity and assembly time
• Provide stable, well-documented power rails and protections
• Standardize connectors for sensors, servos, and peripherals
• Improve reliability under demo and classroom conditions

What’s on the Board

• Connectors for each Quaduino lane to the shuttle
• Connectors for 4 time-of-flight (ToF) distance sensors — one sensor per lane
• Connectors for 8 servos to move the elevons — two servos per lane
• Connector for servo-position feedback to the control Arduino (environment simulation)

Reliability in the Real World

We built for the realities of outreach and events:

• Quick swap: modular mounting and connectors enable 5–10 minute board/sensor/servo swaps.
• Label-first design: port labels and physical layout match the hardware connectors.

What This Enables

• Faster setup for Mini-Shuttle kits
• Demonstrations in System Design I
• Sensor and Actuator Lab Course for System Design II

Lessons Learned

• The first PCB never works correctly.
• Too many cables make everything hard.
• Custom PCBs make it a bit easier and more consistent.