Courtesy of Tibbo : Tibbit® Blocks
Tibbits (as in “Tibbo Bits”) are blocks of prepackaged I/O functionality housed in brightly colored rectangular shells. Tibbits are subdivided into Modules and Connectors.
Want an ADC? There is a Tibbit Module for this. 24V power supply? Got that! RS232/422/485 port? We have this, and many other Modules, too.
Same goes for Tibbit Connectors. DB9 Tibbit? Check. Terminal block? Check. Infrared receiver/transmitter? Got it. Temperature, humidity, and pressure sensors? On the list of available Tibbits as well!
Tibbits are divided into Modules (“M” devices) and Connectors (“C” devices). There are also Hybrid (“H”) Tibbits that are a cross between Modules and Connectors.
Tibbits are an integral part of our Tibbo Project System. They plug into Tibbo Project PCBs (TPPs) and fit our Tibbo Project Box (TPB) enclosures.
M1 “Narrow” Tibbit Modules
M1 Tibbits are single-width modules occupying one Tibbo Module socket on a Tibbo Project PCB (TPP). Their footprint is roughly 7 x 14 “squares” (one “square” is 2.54 x 2.54 mm or 100 x 100 mil).
M1 devices have four I/O lines for interfacing with the outside world. We found four to be the magic number. It’s just right for a wide variety of I/O functions.
M1s can be short (M1S) or tall (M1T). Most M1 devices fit into “short” 12.5mm shells, selected few are 17.5mm “tall.”
Each M1 Module’s color tells you if it is an…
M2 “Wide” Tibbit Modules
M2 Tibbits are double-width modules occupying two standard Tibbit Module sockets on a Tibbo Project PCB. They are roughly 14 x 14 “squares.”
With double the size comes the doubled internal space and I/O capacity. M2s have eight I/O lines. They are used for “grander things” that just wouldn’t fit into the M1 form factor.
Like M1s, M2 devices can be short (M2S) or tall (M2T).
The color coding scheme is the same:
C1 “Narrow” Tibbit Connectors
C1 devices are single-width Tibbit Connectors. On a Tibbo Project PCB they occupy one standard Tibbo Connector socket and install in front of Tibbit Modules. C1s have the equal width and height with M1T devices.
Some C1s are really just connectors of the power jack, terminal block, etc. variety. Others “sense” the outside world: they measure temperature, humidity, vibration, and so on.
C1 Tibbits are always orange.
C2 “Wide” Tibbit Connectors
With double the width of C1s, C2 Tibbits are wide enough to house DB9 connectors and 9-row terminal block banks.
On a Tibbo Project PCB they occupy two standard Tibbo Connector sockets and install in front of Tibbit Modules. C2s have the equal width and height with M2T devices.
C2 Tibbits are always orange.
H1 “Hybrid” Tibbits
H1 Tibbits are merged M1T and C1 devices. They occupy the combined space of one M1 and one C1 Tibbit.
The H1 form factor is used when it is unsafe or undesirable to interconnect M1 and C1 Tibbits via a Tibbo Project PCB. Examples of such cases are high-voltage and high-frequency (radio) circuits.
H2 “Hybrid” Tibbits
H2 Tibbits are merged M2T and C2 devices. They occupy the combined space of one M2 and one C2 module.
The H2 form factor is used when it is unsafe or undesirable to interconnect M2 and C2 Tibbits via a Tibbo Project PCB. Examples of such cases are high-voltage and high-frequency (radio) circuits.
