When three engineering students from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver were learning about circuits and electronics and prototyping, they became frustrated with their equipment. Power sources, oscilloscopes, and multimeters all required several plugs and connections, and the students found that oftentimes a long debugging process ended discovering that it was one of their tools and not their project at fault. The group now run their own business, EIM Technology, designing and developing printed circuitboard applications and have created MEGO, a breadboard compatible power supply for makers and electrical engineers.
The main feature of the MEGO (Make Electronics GO) is the voltage supply, letting the user select in a range between 4 and 24 Volts. The system can be charged with a micro-USB connection and its battery has a capacity of 7 Watt hours. Power can be supplied by snapping directly onto a breadboard, or through a USB connection. Different applications are shown in the campaign video – using the system as a voltmeter, powering a field-programmable gate array, driving a dc motor, or testing a printed circuitboard. The full footprint of MEGO is 73 x 59 x 32 millimeters, and the system weighs 100 grams. The creators recommend an operating temperature between -15 and 45 degrees Celsius with a storage range between -20 and 50 degrees Celsius. Like any tool that supplies voltage, there are a few examples in the campaign video of using the device to charge smartphones.
The development of MEGO used portability, ease-of-use and multiple functions as their design constraints, and they hope to develop more projects as part of their ‘lab-on-the-go’ design strategy. This looks like a good development tool to help electrical students and makers alike, and I really appreciate the fact that you can plug the system directly into a breadboard. Adjusting the voltage looks a bit clumsy, requiring the user to use a straight screwdriver in a slotted knob. The campaign ends on December 7, 2018.