Week 6: Electronics Design

Goal of the Week

This week’s assignment was to design a pcb(printed circuit board). and perform all necessary checks for fabrication. I decided use the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-C3 and design a custom board that includes:

• 2 mini LEDs
• 1 normal LED
• 1 button
• 1 buzzer
• 1 DC motor
• 1 servo motor

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Group Assignment

Click to access the group assignment

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Step 1: Selecting the ESP32-C3 Symbol

I selected the correct microcontroller symbol from the KiCad libraries. I chose Module_XIAO-ESP32C3 from the fab library, which matches the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-C3 module.

Step 2: Schematic Design

I designed the schematic using the KiCad Schematic Editor. I began by placing the ESP32-C3 module from the fab library and added the supporting components: two mini LEDs, one normal LED, one tactile button, a buzzer, a servo motor header, and a DC motor header.

Each component was connected to an appropriate GPIO pin of the ESP32-C3. I used PWR_FLAG symbols on both the 3.3V and GND lines to avoid power connection errors during ERC.

All non-polarized components were labeled, and I kept wiring clean by using Label (L) and Net (N) tools to avoid tangled wires.

Useful Shortcuts in Schematic Editor:

• A – Add a new component
• W – Draw a wire (connect pins)
• L – Add a label
• R – Rotate selected item
• Ctrl + E – Edit component properties
• Shift + Click – Highlight connected net
• Alt + G – Group select multiple elements

Step 3: Electrical Rules Check (ERC)

• ⚠️ Initial warnings about unconnected power pins were resolved by adding power flags.
• ✅ Final result: No remaining warnings or errors.

Step 4: PCB Layout

Once the schematic was complete and error-free, I assigned footprints and switched to the PCB Editor. I started by arranging the components logically — placing the ESP32-C3 in the center and distributing headers, LEDs, and resistors around the board edges for easy access and neat routing.

I used a 0.4 mm track width for signals and added a ground fill zone on the front copper layer (F.Cu) using the zone tool (Shift + Z). All signal traces were routed manually for better control using the interactive router.

I also added labels for clarity and testability. Components are spaced to avoid soldering issues, and I used the DRC tool frequently during layout to make sure all clearances and trace widths were correct.

Useful Shortcuts in PCB Editor:

• Ctrl + Shift + R – Update PCB from schematic
• Alt + 3 – 3D View of PCB
• X / Y – Start a horizontal/vertical track
• M – Move selected component
• R – Rotate component
• Shift + Z – Add filled zone (for ground planes)
• Ctrl + H – Highlight net
• Delete – Remove track or zone

Step 5: Design Rules Check (DRC)

• ✅ All tracks met clearance and width requirements.
• ✅ Ground zone filled properly.
• ✅ Result: 0 errors, 0 warnings.

Step 6: Generating Gerber Files

Using the Plot window, I exported the Gerber files needed for PCB manufacturing. I enabled:

• F.Cu, Edge.Cuts
• "Check zone fills before plotting"
• X2 coordinate format

Final Pin Mapping Table

Component	ESP32-C3 Pin	Board Label
LED1 (Mini)	GPIO4	D2
LED2 (Mini)	GPIO5	D3
Normal LED	GPIO2	D0
Button	GPIO10	D10
Servo Motor (PWM)	GPIO3	D1
Buzzer (PWM)	GPIO9	D9
DC Motor Speed (PWM)	GPIO6	D4
DC Motor Direction 1	GPIO7	D5
DC Motor Direction 2	GPIO8	D8

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Download Design Files

Here is the Edge_Cuts

Here is the F_Cu

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What I Learned

This week taught me:

• How to use custom microcontroller modules in KiCad
• How to assign pins with a balance of hardware constraints and software usability
• How to route multi-component boards cleanly
• How to validate a design through ERC, DRC, and generate professional-grade Gerber files