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One of the last significant steps in a project is designing the custom PCB. This stage means creating a DIY Arduino board that is custom to the application. Two examples of my past projects are BinBoo, a Binary Clock, and Open Vapors, my reflow oven controller.

While working on a project for a friend, I got to thinking; it would be nice to have a checklist for circuit elements to include on a DIY Arduino board. In the early days, I forgot to add a filter cap to AREF, for example.

These tips are based on an 8-bit AVR design, like the ATmega328p chip. You could apply these tips to other 8-bit AVRs. Until now, I have not designed a custom board around a 32-Bit/ARM board. Though at only $16, I would be tempted to just solder the Teensy module directly to my finished board.

Below is a written list of items for a DIY Arduino checklist. If you’d like to see me design this board in KiCad, check out this AddOhms Tutorial.

The next AddOhms Tutorial is how to design a DIY Arduino board. What are the elements you need to include in your own circuit design? While editing the video, I ended up on this frame. It looked to me like I was praying. (At one point I was having serious technical issues with my equipment. But it is unrelated to that frame!) On Twitter, my friend Philip had a different take. Op-Amp Question If you…

In April 2017 I backed a project on Kickstarter called “Crazy Circuits.” It looked like a cool concept that was well developed, so I even included it in the Baldengineer Newsletter. I do not typically promote Kickstarter projects–unless they are exceptional in some way. I liked the concept of circuits that worked with existing LEGO-sized boards and pieces. Their shipping was a couple of months off, but nothing compared to some Kickstarter disasters. I received my…

Can you use voltage dividers as regulators? What if you add a Zener Diode? In this AddOhms episode, I show what happens when you try to power a complex circuit like an ESP8266 with a voltage divider instead of a regulator. (Spoiler: Get a voltage regulator.) This video tutorial is related to a write up I did recently on Zener Diodes. For questions or comments visit the AddOhms Discussion Forum. Behind the scenes A significant change for…

The first part of the tutorial looks inside of a Brushless DC Motor, or, BLDC. Then I show a discrete transistor circuit that can drive one. Of course, you’ll need a Microcontroller like an Arduino to drive it! Lastly, I briefly talk about an ESC. Overall, a BLDC is better than a Brushed DC Motor (talked about those on #20) because: There are no brushes to wear out No sparks when the motor spins You…