Final testing of the RS485 breakout with 48 V passthrough building block board, including higher-speed RS485 communication tests over approximately 20 metres of Cat 6 cable.
Welcome to JKTDEV.CO.UK — my personal engineering notebook, where I document projects, experiments, build logs, lessons learned, and the occasional technical rabbit hole along the way.
I’ve worked in and around software development for over 20 years, across everything from large-scale enterprise systems to embedded software, automation, hardware-adjacent projects, and practical prototyping. More recently, my focus has shifted further into electronics, PCB design, embedded systems, radio, test equipment, manufacturing, and small hardware building blocks.
At heart, I’m a tinkerer and builder. I enjoy projects that force me to learn something new — whether that means writing code, debugging hardware, designing a PCB, testing a tool, bringing up a board, or working out why something that looked simple on paper is misbehaving on the bench.
This site is where I capture that process — warts and all.
Some articles are polished write-ups. Others are closer to field notes from whatever I am working on at the time. That might include designing a circuit, ordering PCBs, testing a regulator under load, debugging an embedded board, experimenting with radio, trying out tools, or documenting the decisions behind a prototype.
A lot of the content now revolves around electronics, embedded systems, PCB design, practical prototyping and the process of turning ideas into working hardware. Software development, automation, AI, amateur radio and the occasional unrelated technical experiment still make appearances along the way.
Much of the engineering work documented here also feeds into Protoworks, my product design and prototyping business in Northern Ireland, including its Building Block Boards, UCMOD modules, tools and other products. I also run Ards Tech Fix, providing practical software troubleshooting and workflow automation for local businesses across the Ards Peninsula. JKTDEV remains my personal engineering notebook — a place for documenting the work, learning, mistakes and thinking behind those builds, as well as projects that have nothing to do with either business.
Recent articles are listed below.
Setting Out the Road Ahead
Thinking through the next stage of the Protoworks building block board roadmap, including RS485 communications, isolated RS485, digital I/O expansion, low-side driver outputs, 48 V distribution, USB to serial, and future prototype board ideas.
RS485 Breakout with 48 V Passthrough Building Block Board — Part 7
Reflecting on the first RS485 breakout with 48 V passthrough board and why the next revision may split RS485 communication and 48 V distribution into separate building block boards.
RS485 Breakout with 48 V Passthrough Building Block Board — Part 6
Further testing of the RS485 breakout with 48 V passthrough board, including validation of the 48 V polarity protection, identifying a backfeed issue, and testing basic RS485 serial communication over Cat6 cable.
RS485 Breakout with 48 V Passthrough Building Block Board — Part 5
Testing the RS485 breakout with 48 V passthrough building block board using a simple transmitter and receiver setup, including basic signal checks and cable testing over approximately 20 metres of Cat 6.
RS485 Breakout with 48V Passthrough Building Block Board — Part 4
The first manufactured RS485 breakout with 48 V passthrough boards have arrived, followed by initial inspection, a silkscreen mistake, and the first basic bring-up checks.
8-Channel Low-Side Driver Board — Part 1
Starting a new 8-channel low-side driver building block board for driving solenoids, relays, small motors, and other DC loads from logic-level control signals.
Marketing Open Hardware Building Block Boards
Thinking through how to position Protoworks’ small-batch open hardware building block boards, who they are for, and why open hardware makes sense.
Digital IO Expander Building Block Board — Part 1
Starting work on a digital IO expander building block board with 8 logic-level inputs, 8 logic-level outputs, output indicator LEDs, and shift-register-based control.
USB-C Breakout and 3.3 V Regulator Building Block Board — Part 4
Publishing the USB-C breakout and 3.3 V regulator building block board as an open hardware KiCad project under the CERN-OHL-W-2.0 licence.
[ Page 5 of 9 ]