pcb on Bald Engineer

Eight KiCad 8 features I like

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:23:38 +0000

KiCad 8 just dropped. Here’s an AddOhms video covering eight must-try features! The February 2024 release brings a whole host of new stuff to the Schematic editor. However, the PCB editor, CLI, and Simulation tools also received attention. (There are something like 900 closed issues for the 8.0.0 Milestone!) Which of these is your favorite? In the video, I cover: Property Manager Panel (is now everywhere) A fix for Symbol pin or wire end off connection grid! Easily access alternate pin functions (on symbols with them) Pin Helpers save time Edit Power Symbols (instead of creating new library parts) Net Navigator and Search panels help with large schematics Improved custom polygon tools in PCB (Combined) Teardrop support and Length-Tuning improvements This AddOhms post covers my top 8 in more detail. Or, you could just watch the video!

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RP2040 Debug and Turn-On Tips

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:35:18 +0000

During the component shortage, I got to know Raspberry Pi’s RP2040 microcontroller. It is a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ with about 262 kilobytes of RAM. The feature I like most is the programmable IO pins. These are small state machines that run independently of the Arm cores. They allow for some clever tricks. For example, I used them extensively on the Mega IIe project. This video was supposed to be a project I thought of during the Mega IIe. I call it a state-mode logic analyzer. However, it took me several days to turn on and debug four boards. Time ran out, so I focused the video on debugging custom RP2040-based boards. These are all lessons I have learned from this project, plus about another dozen RP2040 boards I have built over the past couple of years.

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KiCad: Connect Polygon Lines

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:55:58 +0000

fix broken polygons in kicad In KiCad 6, using the Polygon tool makes square boards easy. Just select the Edge.Cuts layer, then the polygon tool, and draw a square. However, if you want custom shapes, then you need to connect multiple line segments together. If you are not careful, the segments will not connect and you might get one of two errors. The first comes when you run DRC.

How to Measure Ripple Voltage on a Switch-Mode Power Supply | Workbench Wednesdays #51

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:23:00 +0000

Measuring a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) with a DMM might show a stable voltage. But the same DC rail on an oscilloscope can show a completely different story! In this video, learn how to correctly set up an oscilloscope to characterize the noise an SMPS creates in a circuit.

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6 things I learned about KiCad at KiCon 2019

Fri, 17 May 2019 18:26:00 +0000

In April 2019, hardware hackers, hobbyist, and engineers joined together for the first KiCon. A couple of people asked me, “why is there a conference for KiCad?” Some questioned if KiCad was significant enough software to warrant a conference. That question is valid. But KiCon is larger than the KiCad software. Even in its first iteration, KiCon evolved more into a meeting for people building electronics hardware from small scale hobbyist to professionally designed systems, than just a conference on a single piece of software. Some might call it a maker conference. I call it a hardware developer conference. The key that tied everyone together is the open source software behind our printed circuit boards.

Creating Custom KiCad Schematic Symbol in 5 Steps

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:21:23 +0000

A new project I have started working on involves the Apple IIgs. It was Apple’s last 16-bit (and 8-bit) computer. Inside are many application specific integrated circuits, or ASICs, that make the IIgs an extraordinary member of the Apple II family. One chip, in particular, is called the “MEGA-II.” This chip takes all of the individual logic chips from the original Apple II design and incorporates them into a single 84-pin PLCC.

DIY Arduino PCB Pryamiduino (Video)

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 14:00:03 +0000

Continuing the DIY Arduino tutorial series, this AddOhms episode shows how to create a PCB in KiCad. I make a joke that the original design was a rectangle, which I found boring and pointless. So instead, I designed a triangle to give the board 3 points. Get it? Puns! I am calling it the Pryamiduino. To be honest, I found not having a constraint to be a problem. By forcing a specific board size and shape, many decisions were more manageable.

How to Turn Your Arduino Prototype Into a Manufacturable Product

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 14:00:33 +0000

This week’s post is from my friend John Teel. I asked him to help answer a common question I receive: " How do you make an Arduino project into a product?" His experience as an electronics design engineer and serial entrepreneur is ideal to talk about going from prototype to product. He has developed tech products that sell in the millions of units. John now helps entrepreneurs, startups, makers, and small companies bring new electronic products to market. Check out the company he founded, Predictable Designs, and his free cheat sheet - 18 Steps to Market for Your New Electronic Product after reading his excellent post below. Dreaming of bringing a new hardware product to market? Perhaps you think your product will make the world a better place, or maybe you just dream of making millions of dollars.

Autorouters Suck: Autorouter: 0. Baldengineer: 1

Tue, 03 Mar 2015 15:06:54 +0000

I am not a fan of relying on the Autorouter in EAGLE – or any PCB CAD software for that matter. When laying out a board, I’ll use the autorouter to get an idea if the part placement is going to work or not. In this case, I was reminded how much autorouters suck! Even after running for while, the autorouter could only route up 50% of the nets (signals).

EAGLE: Creating a Custom Library for your own components

Fri, 03 Jan 2014 12:00:38 +0000

When you start creating your own parts in EAGLE, you’re going to want to store them somewhere. Here’s how to setup EAGLE to use custom directories and how to create your own Library, which gets stored in the custom directory. There are a number of steps involved, but once setup custom libraries give you a place to store components you create as well as the ability to copy other parts into your library.

Minor updates to the Open Source Reflow Oven Project

Tue, 03 Sep 2013 00:06:06 +0000

The next stage of the reflow oven project is moving to a custom PCB for the controller electronics. Overall the board is based on the ATmega32u4 with a DS3231 RTC. The LCD module is intended to be driven by one of Adafruit’s Serial backpacks. There is an area of LED indicators (something I learned from a previous project) and some extra VCC/GND pins sprinkled about. Screenshot of the controller board laid-out.

EAGLE: Introduction Class Resources

Sun, 18 Aug 2013 02:03:25 +0000

The following resources compliment my EAGLE Introduction Classes and eBook. Files mentioned in those resources will be provided here, although, the original creators may have newer versions available. EAGLE Tutorials These are EAGLE tutorials I have created. There is a mix of written and video content. Groudplanes (video): /blog/2012/07/25/eagle-ground-plane-polygon-fills/ Creating Split Names: /blog/2012/12/26/creating-split-net-names-for-eagle/ Copy and Paste (video): /blog/2013/03/01/eagle-tutorial-copy-and-paste/ More EAGLE Stuff The following lists are resources which I have found on the web, which compliment my work in EAGLE. Often questions like “what is the best PCB place” or “who makes the best PCBs” gets asked. Best is subjective. These tools and manufacturers are ones that work best for me.

EAGLE: Ground Plane (Polygon) Fills

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:05:46 +0000

Creating PCBs in Eagle is a straight-forward process once you understand how EAGLE works. In fact, most users can get up to speed enough to draw a Schematic and then layout a simple PCB. Making the connections between components is not only fun but can be a form of artwork.

TLC5940 Painter PCB

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:11:09 +0000

TLC5940NT Painter Board This screen shot is an all-layer view of my TLC5940 painter board. The 1st draft featured two TLC5940s, but I decided it made the board too large. Instead, I wanted the ability to mount the painter boards around the LED’s shadow box. This should make routing all the wires much easier. The board is approximately 1.25in x 3.5in. All signals have been routed on the top or bottom layers. Most of the components will mount on (or through) the top layer. Some coupling caps have been put on the bottom. Initially the board had a 7805 built in, to provide +5V to the painter boards and the arduino. Instead, I ripped that out and plan to use the regulator on the arduino instead. There are 6 data and power ports. SER-IN will either come from the host arduino, or from another painter board. SER-OUT contains 2 less pins than SER-IN. I included two surface mount buttons in the layout, so I could get some inputs back to the Arduino, these are entirely option and will only work on a single board.

Getting gEDA running on OS X

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:38:43 +0000

Quick schematic in gschem running on OS X. In an attempt to find a free set of schematic and PCB tools for hobby work, I looked back at gEDA. The last time I used it was when the project first started, years and years ago. I was happy to see that OS X had a set of fink packages for the gEDA suite. After figuring out how to get X11 in Leopard (since I didn’t include it when I installed 10.5) and install fink, getting gEDA going was a snap. The user jluciani in the Arduino forums has provided some free pcb footprints he has used from previous projects.