diff --git a/docs/assignments/week08.md b/docs/assignments/week08.md index a5d3d786ca930d495898166a63f912552e03a432..d7c90dafd5caf8e4fc39a9c32fe7863d5ad6868e 100644 --- a/docs/assignments/week08.md +++ b/docs/assignments/week08.md @@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ My choice came down to a couple of factors: ### Making my design +#### Final files My KiCAD design files can all be downloaded here : -- [complete KiCAD files](../files/week08/jamesk-elec-design-2024-10-03_112018.zip) +- [Complete KiCAD files (ZIP)](../files/week08/jamesk-elec-design-2024-10-03_112018.zip) - [KiCAD schematic](../files/week08/jamesk-elec-design.kicad_sch)  @@ -74,13 +75,64 @@ My KiCAD design files can all be downloaded here : - [KiCAD copper traces DXF](../files/week08/jamesk-elec-design-F_Cu.dxf) +#### Designing process - schematic +- I began by opening KiCAD in the Schematic Editor. + +- in the blank schematic I clicked the 3rd icon from the right hand menu to "add symbol" + +- I then used the window that popped up to select the component I wanted to add (in this case my microcontroller) and clicked "OK" + + -### sub categories.... +- I repeated this step for each component I wanted to add. (this one has every component escept the 6-pin connector that I added later) + +- Then I used the "add global label" icon on the right panel to add labels for every trace I inteded to connect. I also used the "add power" for the ground and power labels. As I added them I used the "add wire" icon to draw connections between each label and the component it was suposed to be connected to. + + +- I then ran the "electrical rules checker" from the "inspect" tab on the top of the screen. This generated a number of errors. I reviewed each error that was reported. I missed some connections that I should have made, and corrected them. However most of my "errors" were just not connecting anything to tabs on the microcontroller that I didn't intend to use. + + + +- After everything was added, by schematic looked like this. + + + +#### Designing process - layout + +- I went back to the main KiCAD window and clicked on "PCB editor". + + + +- This opened the PCB editor window. + + +- I clicked on "tools" from the top menu and then "update PCB from schematic" + + +- This was the PCB layout generated (again this was before I added my 6pin ground later on) + + +- I dragged all the component around the board to where I vaguely thought I would like them in the completed design. I then moved them around to try to minimize the amount of crossed lines (traces) on the design. + + +- I then went to "file" from the top menu and selected "board rules". I changed some of the constraints to the settings below. + + +- Then I clicked on "route tracks" (4th icon on right hand symbols menu). And then began connecting all the traces to the points that were connected by the thin lines indicating what should be connected to one another. I spent a lot of time moving components around and rotating them to get a layout were everything was connected but no traces were crossing one another. + + +- I then ran the "design rules checker to see what I missed. There were a few traces that I missed, so I made the necessary changes to fix them. + + +- I went back and added my 6pin connector in the schematic, and then updated my PCB. After that I moved allot of my components closer together and added some text to my PCB layout. + + ## Lessons learned -- I assumed trace routing was automatic within KiCAD without any pl -- I forgot about the encasing of my final board. breakout board for buttons and LEDs. will still use vertical pins on side +- I assumed trace routing was automatic within KiCAD without any plug-ins, but it doesn't. I realised that doing the traces manually allowed me to better understand my layout, and to add features that made it more to my liking. ALthough I can see how doing manual traces can get difficult with complicated schematics. + +- KiCAD seems to be incredibly powerful, and I will prbably never be able to understand many of it's more advanced features. It can feel intimidating at first, with how many options are available at every turn, but it is not too difficult to get started with a basic design. diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-03.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-03.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..43c60bce82b55dc3208a2bfa1fc1dafa1eaebe0f Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-03.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-04.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-04.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d22ecc736ebd8b5a2fcab0e7924117c232daaf60 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-04.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-05.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-05.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..bc2c44fcde9957ff0967a5b2bb71f105cbfaa8ee Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-05.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-06.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-06.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..aa900b8e964c162de29a6986c804ef2ef64d7b89 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-06.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-07.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-07.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7ea03056f226c6f5f41c404d6da896dd41d333b5 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-07.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-08.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-08.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..6b3673ead7db3565fb4aa488d1956de5c7bc02b9 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-08.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-09.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-09.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1bfcdd97e2cce57ad67b92042662f436cf05d1e6 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-09.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-10.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-10.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..608a69b8eff49067cc1ae63946515845be8f6556 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-10.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-11.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-11.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d26090e94ab93d1fad8a88a9f1e232aa526f489e Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-11.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-12.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-12.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..37728cb281ee4c47d8011dda900550bcdbf08e04 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-12.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-13.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-13.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..53525dc0cb5443c5b934cceeb71947185b77928a Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-13.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-14.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-14.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7974b6a9abc8ac16246e10f0eb9caf9645e02105 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-14.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-15.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-15.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..55e7869c54c7b54e71f10829e9764626b9a17d1b Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-15.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-16.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-16.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..598354ce7936c9ea17dd8576e50c31a79db2f8ee Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-16.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-17.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-17.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a654133c95ff4c80b505d607bf1546613ee4cb9c Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-17.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-18.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-18.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b808d0ef75695e5a6f4755a14bb7aeea42e3c886 Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-18.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-19.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-19.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..7cac7138a9a30b24e94b8661237e68a9e6c3bf6a Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-19.png differ diff --git a/docs/images/week08/week08-20.png b/docs/images/week08/week08-20.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..bbc214e8fc8f46a42fd9e9b8e4b7a91db712e6ee Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/images/week08/week08-20.png differ