Anyone know how to build circuit boards?

[Zippeyrude]

I'm trying to figure out a problem with the power steering on a fiat panda. They have a steering torque sensor which can fail. Replacement is easy but it requires calibration.

I want to see if it is possible to build the box of tricks that reads the sensor position etc. so that the sensor can be calibrated.

Any DFers out there able to read circuit diagrams and help me understand if this is possible??

[Over Carl]

Do you have a circuit diagram handy? I'm wondering if you can bodge it using a variable resistor?

Not something I would recommend on something safety critical like steering........

[blacksheep]

Better with a rotary encoder than variable resistor as can be turned repeatedly rather than fixed amount. Sure it's doable and there's co's online that'll make circuit boards (up to multi layer) for you but tend to be pricey for one offs. You can buy kits (probably from mapllin) where you print the circuit, iron it onto a copper sided board or draw on it with a special pen then put it in a bath to eat away the rest of the copper - they're not that pricey.

Is is it not a standard part? If so you'd think calibration would be part of it with a turnable something somewhere etc. also have you checked the battery, things like power steering can go if the battery is low.

[Zippeyrude]

it was more seeing if the calibration tool could be built, that way i can avoid paying a garage for 5 minutes work, and learn about the kit in the process...

i wasnt looking to bodge the torque sensor itself, rather i wanted to replace it and calibrate it myself, see at approx 8.30 mins:

https://youtu.be/IZykfPlLwTc?t=508

This looks like the model from which the torque sensor was designed. On the second page there are some circuit diagrams, wondering it they helped understand the signals and what could be read?

http://www.bitechnologies.com/pdfs/sx4300.pdf

A chap who is no longer on a fiat forum reckoned it would take a simple PIC micro, some buffered ADC inputs and a cheap 2 * 16 lcd display plus some fly leads. This is gibberish to me!