Electronics Design

This week focuses on designing custom development boards using microcontrollers. The lecture covered circuit components, PCB design software, and creative approaches to circuit layout.

To Do This Week:

Understand Circuit Components:
• Learn about different electronic components used in PCB design.
• Understand how microcontrollers interact with peripherals.

Learn PCB Design Software:
• Use software tools to design schematics and PCB layouts.
• Explore different ways to optimize traces, components, and board layouts.

Design a Development Board:
• Create a custom PCB around a microcontroller.
• Ensure it has the necessary interfaces for future connections.

Incorporate Creativity into PCB Design:
• Experiment with unique shapes and artistic designs for circuit boards.
• Consider non-traditional PCB layouts for aesthetic or functional improvements.

Prepare for Fabrication:
• Check the design for errors before sending it for production.
• Ensure proper trace routing and spacing for manufacturability.

Notes from Lecture:

• PCBs can be functional **and** artistic—experiment with creative layouts.
• Microcontroller-based boards require thoughtful component placement for efficiency.
• PCB design software like **KiCad, Eagle, or Altium** is essential for creating schematics.
• Custom PCBs should consider power distribution, signal integrity, and manufacturing constraints.
• Good PCB designs optimize **trace routing**, **ground planes**, and **component footprints**.
• Look at **existing open-source PCB designs** for inspiration and best practices.

1. Step 1

First step explanation