Assembling the Dragon Rider 500 for use with the AVR Dragon

Step 16 Added protection for your AVR Dragon

At this point you could add the nylon stand-offs, the light-pipe and be done.

I often have a few spare components kicking around my work area such as extra capacitors. I don't want to run the risk that a random component would get under the AVR Dragon and short it out during use. There are well documented cases of the AVR Dragon dying a mysterious death so I decided to add extra protection of a plexi-glass shield on the bottom.

The nylon stand-offs that come with the basic parts kit have threaded holes on the bottom. The threads are 4-40. I just happen to have plexi-glass and 4-40 machine screws laying around and that's everything you need for this project.

1. Measure and cut the plexi-glass

• Wear eye protection..... yes, this means you
• Measure the plexi-glass to be just a bit larger than the Dragon Rider PCB.
• Clamp the plexi-glass between two boards, score firmly with a razor blade (I usually score 3 times), and snap off the piece with quick, even pressure across the scored area. Repeat as necessary.

2. Install the nylon stand-offs on the Dragon Rider pcb using the included washers and nuts.
3. Mark and drill the mounting holes in the plexi-glass

• Turn the Dragon-Rider upside down, center the plexi on the stand-offs and mark the center of each hole with a permanent marker.
• Use a drill with a 1/8" drill bit. Run the drill slowly, being careful not to let the bit "travel" away from your mark. Use a piece of scrap wood and don't use too much downward pressure in an effort to avoid cracking the plexi-glass.

4. Install the light-pipe

• The light pipe has a black "washer" that secures it in place. Remove this, slide the light pipe through the board from the top, install the black washer from the bottom.

5. Attach the AVR Dragon to the Dragon Rider via the pin header sockets we installed earlier.
6. Secure the plexi-glass shield in place using the machine screws.
7. If you have extra bump-on feet around the house you can attach these to the bottom of the plexi to create a no-slip, no-scratch base.

Update: Graham of Ecros Tech noticed an error here. You can see in the picture that when I installed the nylon stand-offs I put both the washer and the nut on top of the board. The washer is used as a spacer so that the Dragon Rider and AVR Dragon will sit flat on a surface together. Make sure to install the stand-offs with the washer underneath the PCB and the nut on top. Remember, these are nylon, not steel, so take care not to strip the threads of the stand off with the nut or the machine screw.

Also, he suggests it would be very easy to mark the size and hole position on the plexi if you do so before installing any components on the PCB. Just lay the PCB flat and trace the edges and mounting holes.