5/2023 – 6/2023

INTRO

I started this project to further increase my knowledge on MCU’s and PCB design. I had never designed my own microcontroller board and wanted to get better at PCB design and working with a larger and more complex array of components. I began the project by looking at pre-existing schematics of Arduino boards, this gave me a good understanding of what components would be needed to make the MCU run properly, I then studied datasheets of all the components needed and what complimentary components were required and got to designing.

PCB AND SCHEMATIC

Here is the schematic and PCB design itself. I went through about 6 different iterations of the PCB design and a lot of changes to my schematic. This is the final result. It runs off of an ATMEGA328P chip, outputting 5 different channels for different led strips or bulbs to be attached to the board. On the other side of the board lies a 4 button interface along with an OLED display to show different status and settings for all the lights. It runs off of 5V dc power and can also be powered from a USB-C port. The board can also be programmed from the USB-C port and has around 32KB of flash memory.

CODE

(still finishing)

Conclusions

This project is a huge step for me, I have never made my own microcontroller board, and I learned a lot from the entire process. I am better versed in schematic drawings and complex PCB designs, and having taught it all to myself feels good.