In this tutorial, your task is to complete the design of the solder:bit Gamepad! The design is missing several buttons, LEDs, and passive components (resistors and capacitors). Help us finish the design before we send it off to the PCB manufacturer!
The solder:bit Gamepad is a kit for learning to solder with surface-mount (SMT) components. You can find out more about the solder:bit Gamepad in this GitHub repository.
-
Download or clone this repository.
-
Inside the kicad folder, open
solderbit-gamepad.kicad_pro. -
Begin with the Schematic Editor
Add all the missing symbols and wire them up. For the list of missing parts, see the section below.
Tip
The grey boxes in the schematic hint at which components are missing and need adding.
-
Next, transition over to the PCB Editor
Bring in your changes from the schematic, place component footprints, and route them with traces.
Tip
The placeholders on the User.Drawings layer to help you with positioning the footprints in the correct locations.
You can preview your PCB in 3D by pressing Alt+3 (or Option+3 on a Mac), or by going to View → 3D Viewer in the PCB Editor.
- Generate fabrication files for manufacturing and export some nice renders of your device!
Note
The steps above are just to give you an idea of the plan for the tutorial session. Detailed design steps will be demonstrated live during the session. If you have any questions, please ask the presenter or one of the assistants in the room!
Tip
Our aim is to introduce you to PCB design, so don't worry about finishing everything perfectly. Feel free to reuse any part of this project to explore further, and if you'd like to keep learning, there are plenty of great tutorials and videos online to take you further.
As previously mentioned, your task is to add in the missing components. That includes the following:
| Component name/value | How many do I need to add? | Schematic symbol | 3D preview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tactile switch | 5 |  |
 |
| 90° tactile switch | 1 |  |
 |
| 100 kΩ resistor | 6 |  |
 |
| WS2812B (NeoPixel) | 4 |  |
 |
| 1 µF capacitor | 4 |  |
 |
In the session we will show you where to find the correct schematic symbols and footprints, and which ones to use from our SolderbitGamepad library (already linked to your this project).
- Check out KiCad documentation to get started
- Check out the reference folder in this repository, it contains datasheets for some of the components you will be working with
- Check out the full design in the solder:bit Gamepad GitHub repository
Special thanks to Dr John Vidler, everyone at the Devices Lab, and to pro² network+ for organising the summer schools. Also thank you to all the summer school delegates who discovered a new skill in PCB design.
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), version 3. This license allows you to use, modify, and redistribute the solder:bit Gamepad and any derivative works, but all such derivatives must also be licensed under the GPL.
The GPL ensures that all modifications and improvements to the solder:bit Gamepad remain free and open for the public benefit. By using this project, you agree to abide by its terms and conditions.
For more details on the license, please see the LICENSE file included in this repository.
