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6-Electronic Design

Assignments

Group assignment:

  • Use the test equipment in your lab to observe the operation of a microcontroller circuit board (as a minimum, you should demonstrate the use of a multimeter and oscilloscope)
  • Document your work on the group work page and reflect what you learned on your individual page

Individual assignment:

  • Use an EDA tool to design a development board that uses parts from the inventory to interact and communicate with an embedded microcontroller

Include in documentation

  • Linked to the group assignment page
  • Documented what you have learned in electronics design
  • Checked your board can be fabricated
  • Explained problems and how you fixed them.
  • Included original design files (Eagle, KiCad, etc.)
  • Included a ‘hero shot’

The road map i made for this week can be accesed here

Group Assignment

We were firstly tasked to use the test equipment in the lab to observe the operation of a microcontroller circuit board (as a minimum, you should demonstrate the use of a multimeter and oscilloscope)

Oscilloscope

Test 1 This was to test a blinking led(it was pre coded from arduino to blink every one second.)

During this test, we: - Turned on the oscilloscope - Connect the positive pin of the led to the hook and the clipper part to the shorter pin of the led - Connect the arduino connected to the led to a power source (we used a laptop) - Change the signals to try out how it works.

led check and hook

This is how the sigfnal looked.

signal check

We used the tools to change how the signal looks.

change the signals

Test 2

This was a test to try out a light sensor. In the dark, the signal increases and in the light the signal decreases.

average signal light sensor thing

signal raise

Multimeter

Test 1

This is when we tryed out a multimeter with a capicator.

capicator test

We tryed this out with resistor as well

resistor

Test 2

We tested out the ends to check if they work or not. It turned out that one wires connection was weak, so we replaced it in the end

end check

This is a overview of us learning from our local instructor for this weeks assignment!

work overview

Individual Assignment

Since the assignment for this week was to use an EDA tool to design a development board that uses parts from the inventory to interact and communicate with an embedded microcontroller, I chose to use Kicad.(it was also recomended by the previous fab academy students and my local instructer)

Microcontroller specifications

Before working on the design, I will check my microcontroller specifications to know what and how to make the circuit board.

Firstly, the board I chose to work with is calles an esp32 wroom 32.

esp32 wroom 32

image_source

I used the esp32 devkit and and arduino board to understand my connections better and use it as a refrence for my actual microcontroller

esp

image_source

Designing process

Download KiCad

You can download kicad here

Chose which operating system you want to chose to download the file.

windows

Circuit Sketch

I learned how the basic components are supposed to connect with the help of my local instructor.

sketch

These are the bacis connections I learned. For making an circuit, we need a few nessary components. - Microcontroller board - Switch(button)(to connect to the gnd and the en to make the reset button in the circuit board.) - Resistor(To ballence the flow of the vcc and the en) - Regulator(It converts the power supply which is 5v to 3.3v so that the esp can handel it and it won’t burn out.) - Capicator(to help the regulator with the currents flow) - Slide switch(for program run)

pcb connect image_source

Download Kicad fab file

Step 1 - Search up fab library KiCad and click on the first link that pops up.

fab library kicad

You can find the file here

Step 2 - After opening it in gitlab, than download the zip file

download zip file

Step 3 - Now, open KiCad. (you should have it installedby now) and go to

Prefrences - Manage Symbol Library

manage symbol library

Step 4 - Then, click on the bottom of the tab that shows up. There should be a folder like icon.

folder symbol

Step 5 - Then, when the files option shows up, go to downloads and select the fab KiCad file.

fab kicad

Your symbol library is now updated!

Step 7 - Now, you need to update the footprint library.Like before, go to:

Prefrences - Manage footprint Library
  • Than, insted of the folder icon, select the plus(+) icon.Make sure to name the folder something thats easy to remember.

give name to fab

Step 5 - Then, click to the folder icon thats beside the new file you created.

go to folder

Step 5 - Open the fab kicad folder to another file called fab pretty and select it.

fab pretty

After you select this, you are now done with updating the footprint library as well.We can now start with the actual Schematic Layout

KiCad Schematic Layout

I followed the sketch I showed earler and made the circuit bellow.

sesmaytic first

Than, I started working on the pcb design.

Pcb circuit

While designing this, there were a few things that I needed to keep in mind.

Rules and steps

  • No making 90 angle truns
  • Don’t cross wires over the micricintroller board
  • Don’t place the wires to close together, or it might shortcircuit.
  • Change the wire sizes to keep things clear(0.4 for GPIO and 0.8 for gnd and vcc)

wire change

  • To rotate a component, click on the component and press r.
  • Go to prefrences, manage footprint library to save the changes.
  • While making a boarder for the finished circuit, use this tool(I was advised to make it a rectangle to keep it simple, and to be able to add my initals in inkscape.)

making boarder

Keeping these in mind, I made the connections. Heres how to make the boarder for the finished circuit.

Exporting the file

Go to file- export- svg and change the settings according to your machine.

export again first

export settings

Error and Fixing

I went through a few errors while tring to access this file.The mistake I made was naming the folder instead of directing it from my laptop. This took help from a senior of mine to fix, so I wanted to advice anyone in case they make the same mistake!

export errors

Anyways, This is my first pcb design for this week!

pcb 1st

Finishing design

Inkscape

Firstly, after inkscape is opened, we have to import the design.To do this, go to file-Import.

import your design

Than, after your design shows up, we have to resize it. Press (Ctrl)+(Shift)+(D) than resize to content.

resize

After thats done, write your initals if you want to and export(file-export) your design.

ModsCE

Now that we’re done with the inkscape design, now we can work on mods to get the cutting boarder line!

You can access mods here

Step-1 - Open mods and than right click. Select Programs-Open Program-Roland-mill 2D Pcb

programs open program roland-mill2d pcb

Step-2 - This should have appered after the previous steps. Import the schematic layout you made from inkscape.

select your file impot

Step-3 - Invert the design you imported

invert it

Step-4 - Change the orgins to 0.

change orgins to 0

Step-5 - Delate a few unecessary mods

  • delate these

Step-6 - Right click again. Select Modules-Add modules-File-Save - Connect the new mod with the old one, and lastly click on calulate to get your circuit cutout.

connect

calculate

Here is the finished product!

final mod

And here is my circuit board cutout!

cutting outline

Thank you!


Last update: March 5, 2025