Week 06: Electronics Design
This week I was at MWC Barcelona (Mobile World Congress) and didn't get the chance to fully complete the electronics design assignment. In the meantime, here are some pics and clips from the lab sessions before I left — oscilloscope work, logic analyzer captures, and the start of my KiCad schematic.
Lab Session: Oscilloscope & Signal Measurement
Before heading to Barcelona, I got some hands-on time in the lab with the GW Instek oscilloscope. The goal was to get comfortable with the instrument — probing signals, adjusting time/voltage scales, and reading waveforms — as a foundation for the electronics design work ahead.
I started by just getting the scope powered up and the probe calibrated. From there, I moved into actually capturing signals.
Once I had a clean probe connection I was able to start reading meaningful waveforms:
Close-up shots of the oscilloscope screen showing the captured waveforms:
Logic Analyzer Session
In a separate session I also used a USB logic analyzer to capture digital signals from an Arduino Uno — a good way to verify I2C and PWM signals at the bit level before committing to a PCB design.
Back on the oscilloscope, I also captured the Arduino PWM output directly on the scope screen:
Logic Analyzer Software Captures
The logic analyzer software (Saleae Logic) lets you decode protocols directly. Here are captures from the session:
Video Clips
KiCad: Electronics Design (WIP)
This Week's Checklist
- Use the oscilloscope to probe and measure signals
- Use a logic analyzer to capture digital signals from a microcontroller
- Complete KiCad schematic
- Run ERC and fix all errors
- Route the PCB layout
- Export Gerbers and design files