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EE 198: Hands-On PCB Engineering

Lecture 1: Introduction

Password: Layers

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Before all else.. Installing KiCad

  • Download the latest stable release of KiCad (9.0.4) or log into the Lab Computers using your Calnet ID!
  • https://www.kicad.org/download/

We heavily recommend using KiCad with a mouse!

(And using Git for version control)

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Introduction

All you need to pretend you read the syllabus.

  • Kicad - Install it
  • Welcome!
  • Course Staff Introduction
  • All Kinds of Logistics
  • Jumping right in.. What even is this PCB thing I signed up for?

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Welcome!

You are now and forever officially a HOPE bestie.

  • Fourteenth (!!!) offering: Fall 2025
  • Brought to you by:
    • The IEEE Student Branch at UC Berkeley
      • Check out at https://ieee.berkeley.edu/ !
    • Apple Inc.
    • Bay Area Circuits
    • JLCPCB
    • Digikey
  • ..And an awesome team of ~20 staff!

Years�of HOPE-ing

cope-ing

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Course Staff:

Find many of us in OH (posted soon)

Charles Paxson

5th Year MS MechEng

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Ansh Thakkar

2nd Year EECS

Ishaan Gupta

4th Year Mech Eng

+ EECS

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Janus Sucharitakul

2nd Year EECS

Ailsa Sun �3rd Year Math

Inez Alvarez

Alek Norman 3rd Year EECS

Stephen Terry

3rd Year EECS

Aarav Singh

3rd Year EECS

Anthony Miceli

3rd Year EECS

Nathan Chang

3rd Year EECS

Curtis Manascsa

3rd Year EECS

John Lomax

5th Year MS EECS

APE Director

Carolyn Sun

3rd Year EECS + Physics

Noah Nizamian�3rd Year EECS

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Rick Huang

EECS Super Senior

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Nandini Velinedi�4th Year EECS

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Roman Silivra

2nd Year EECS

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Sai Praneth K

3rd Year Astrophysics + CS

Olivia Phongsa

3rd Year EECS

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Logistics

  • EE 198-002/4
  • 2 Unit P/NP (6 hours / week)
    • Average 2 hours outside of class for labs, due after a week
    • More project work toward the latter half of the course
    • Warning to students not coming from an EE background
  • Wednesday/Thursday 8-10pm, Cory 125 (Bear Walk)
  • https://hope.berkie.ee*
  • When enrolled, you should be added to the class bCourses/Edstem*
    • most waitlisted and auditors will get limited access.

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Enrollment Logistics

Enrollment codes have been sent out via email.

  • Apologizes for the email spam

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Waitlisted folks - please don’t forget to fill out attendance!

  • We will use it to distribute extra codes.

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If you are a Concurrent Enrollment student, we have to prioritize Matriculated students (but we will try put you on the waitlist).

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Switching sections? Waiting for people to drop? Unit cap questions?

Ask now!

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Support Logistics

  • Student Support efforts!
    • DSP requests? Life struggles? We’re even MORE here for you!!
  • Make a private post on Ed!
  • Extension Policy: All students will have a maximum of three (3) extensions granted for any reason: File for them at http://berkie.ee/hope-fa25-extension
    • 1 week for lab assignments, 1 day for project deadlines EXCEPT FINAL SUBMISSION AND DESIGN REVIEWS
  • If you have three unexcused absences and missed checkoffs we will reach out to you concerning participation in this class. (But don’t rely on that.)
  • Instructor Office Hours in Supernode will be fully offered starting next week. View them at http://berkie.ee/HOPEOH

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Attendance Logistics

Come to class the first two weeks and fill out the ATTENDANCE QUIZ on our website.

  • To make sure you’re not dropped!
  • Attendance password is written on the board.

Attendance is also part of your semester grade.

  • Fill it out every week!

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Logistics - Intro to HOPE Quiz

  • An evaluation of your 16B/ME100/circuits knowledge to gauge what we need to teach this semester
    • First half is technical knowledge we will assume you already know
    • 2nd half is for seeing any advanced concepts you may already know
    • This is graded on completion; however, if you find the content of the first half very challenging, please consider taking HOPE a future semester or reach out to staff to get resources to build the technical knowledge you’re missing
    • Due Sept. 12th (Friday before Add/Drop Deadline)

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Logistics - Assignments

  • Lab Assignments
    • Light Sensor
    • Soldering!
    • USB Charger
    • Interactive Trinket

<- You’ll be starting this one today!

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Logistics - Project

  • Self-directed final project
  • Groups of 3-4 people
  • Funding provided if desired

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Logistics - Grading

  • Three main components:
    1. Lab Assignments (45%)
    2. Participation (15%)
      • Attendance (and actively working on labs / course material through 9pm)
      • Can miss 1 for full credit
      • Make a post on Ed for excused absences beyond this
    3. Final Project (40%)

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Minor Side-Tangent

HOPE is an IEEE Committee!

Want to get more involved or considering helping out with HOPE on the backend?

Interested in working on Technical Projects, Decals, Industry Relations, and more?

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IEEE: Who We Are

  • Host Company Info Sessions & Career Fairs
  • Professional Development Workshops
  • Mentorship Events and Fun Socials!
  • Build Software & Hardware Projects
  • Connect with National IEEE Student Branches
  • Participate in IEEE Competitions & Hackathons
  • Run Four Technical Decals
  • Join a welcoming and inclusive community!

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IEEE: What’s In Store for Fall ‘25!

  • Corporate events (info sessions, tech talks, etc.)
    • Apple, TSMC, Digikey, and more!
  • Projects
    • IEEE-Time: Full-stack software tool
    • SIEEECure: FPGA-based security module
  • Activities
    • Ice skating, SF, and more!
    • HOPE & Micromouse DeCals (and new Decals too!)

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IEEE: Committees

  • Teaching
    • HOPE, Micromouse, EECS 151 Tapeout (NEW!), �APE (NEW!) DeCal committees
  • Member Development
    • ProDev & Activities committees
  • Industrial Relations Committee
  • Technical
    • TechOps Committees

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IEEE: Upcoming Events

  • Astera Labs Info Session: 9/4, 6-7:30pm @ HMMB 290
  • Apple New Silicon Initiative Kickoff: 9/5, 11-1pm @ Sutardja Dai Hall
  • IEEE Infosession 1: 9/5 7-8PM @ Soda 306 HP Auditorium

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IEEE: How you can join!

  • General member sign-up:
    • No essays, no interviews, all are welcome!
    • Rolling Admissions
  • Committee Officer Application:
    • Applications due 9/19, 11:59pm
  • Project Member Application:
    • Applications due 9/19, 11:59pm
    • If you’re interested in leading a project, apply to Techops!

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Questions?

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Goals for today

  • Students will:
    • Understand what a PCB is
    • Be motivated to learn PCB design
    • Have a basic understanding of the overall PCB design process
    • Be prepared to create a schematic

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What is a PCB?

Printed Circuit Board

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What is a PCB?

Printed Circuit Board

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What is a PCB?

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What is a PCB?

Macbook Pro Logic Board

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What is a PCB?

Starlink Satellite Internet Antenna

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What is a PCB?

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What is a PCB?

SteamVR Tracking Reference Design - Tundra Labs

Apple Watch

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Why Make PCBs?

  • Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the backbone of almost all electronic hardware design
  • Provide form (holds everything together mechanically) and function (makes electrical connections) or more
  • Better, cheaper, and more reliable than alternatives

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What Alternatives?

Wire wrap

Dead bug

Breadboard

Point-to-point

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Why learn PCB design?

  • You want to make electrical systems in the 21st century for:
    • Electrical/electronics engineering jobs
    • Research
    • Student project teams
    • Fun!
  • You want to understand the challenges with bringing a circuit to life
    • Circuits exist in real life, and real life is messy!

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Why learn PCB design?

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What is HOPE?

  • HOPE is:
    • Engineering Design Class
      • PCB-related design problems require…
        • PCB-related design solutions
    • Hands-on experience with PCB design software
    • Practical experience with soldering, bringup, and test
  • HOPE is not:
    • A course in circuit design
    • An advanced course in a specific EE discipline

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HOPE:

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What is a PCB?

Printed Circuit Board

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What is a PCB?

  • “Sandwich” of conductive copper layers separated with non-conductive substrate
  • Mechanically and electrically supports circuits

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PCB Features

  • Tracks/Traces — make electrical connections
    • Wires but on the same layer (of cake)
  • Pads — make connections to components
    • Fat copper areas that you can stick things to
    • Aka the frosting you can stick cherries on
  • Vias — holes with electrically conductive plating
    • Wires but between layers (of cake, like jelly filling)

Via

Track/Trace

Pad

Component

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PCB Features

Through hole technology (THT) Surface-mount devices (SMD)

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PCB Design Tools

EDA = ECAD

Electronic Design Automation

Electronic Computer Aided Design

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PCB Design Tools

Back before ECAD software was commonplace…

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PCB layouts were drawn by hand...

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Survey of PCB EDA Tools

More expensive = more features = more Hz and better? library management

(among other things)

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  • EDA Software we will be using in HOPE
  • Free, open-source (GPLv3)
  • Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD compatible
  • First released in 1992 at IUT de Grenoble, now receives CERN funding, part of Linux Foundation
  • Schematic capture with large default library
    • Direct imports from DigiKey!
    • Widely used, lots of compatibility and 3rd-party libraries

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General PCB Project Design Flow

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General PCB Project Design Flow

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From: An Intro to KiCad - Part 1: How PCBs are Made | Digikey

This is KiCad’s exact process, actually

From: An Intro to KiCad - Part 1: How PCBs are Made | Digikey

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General PCB Project Design Flow

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From: An Intro to KiCad - Part 1: How PCBs are Made | Digikey

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Both in- and out-of-scope for PCB design

PCB design is an iterative process

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Schematic Flow

  • Draw schematic
    • Communicate function and intent to other designers
  • Perform ERC
    • Computer uses heuristics to determine whether proper circuit connections have been made
    • Only as good as the pin definitions you give it
  • Assign footprints
    • Associate abstract schematics with pads and physical outline of an actual part

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Layout Flow

  • Layout
    • Place components and route connections on board
  • Perform DRC
    • Verify that layout is manufacturable according to the vendor’s process specifications
  • Output File Generation
    • Generate files that the vendor uses to produce PCBs on real machines. Includes drill files, photomasks, and netlists

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KiCad Schematics

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What does a Schematic look like?

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Schematic to Board

1. Schematic

2. Layout

3. Manufactured Board

*not the full layout

*not the full schematic

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KiCad Design Flow

Electrical Rule Check (ERC)

Assign Footprints to Schematic

Layout

Design Rule Check (DRC)

Schematic

Output File Generation (Gerbers)

This is pretty much the general design flow for all modern serious PCB ECAD software

PCB design is an iterative process

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KiCad Design Flow

Electrical Rule Check (ERC)

Assign Footprints to Schematic

Layout

Design Rule Check (DRC)

Schematic

Output File Generation (Gerbers)

This is pretty much the general design flow for all modern serious PCB ECAD software

PCB design is an iterative process

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Schematics

  1. Defines components in system
    1. Abstract & simple symbols reflect actual parts
  2. Defines connectivity of components in system
  3. Schematics should easily communicate relevant information defined in (1) and (2) to others.

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Key Schematic Design Rule

Good schematics show you the circuit.

Bad schematics make you decipher them.

  • someone on StackExchange on good circuit design

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Good Schematics?

What does this do? Which do you prefer?

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Schematics

  • Defines components in system
    • Abstract & simple symbols reflect actual parts
  • Defines connectivity of components in system
  • Easily communicates above 2 points to both the stakeholders and the computer ECAD program
    • Each involved stakeholder should easily be able to get their relevant information from the schematic

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Schematics

  • Defines components in system
    • Abstract & simple symbols reflect actual parts
  • Defines connectivity of components in system
  • Schematics should easily communicate relevant information defined in (1) and (2) to others.

​

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Components

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Components

  • Electronic devices of any kind are constructed mainly from a limited set of very basic components

Can you name and draw more non-IC components?

Makes keeping a consistent symbol “alphabet” easy

    • Resistors
    • Capacitors
    • Inductors (L)
    • Switches
    • Diodes
    • Transistors (Q)

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Components

  • Non-standard components may be represented as boxes with in/out pins
    • ICs are the usual culprit
    • Pins should be organized by function, not only physical position
  • Common functional components (i.e. op-amps, logic gates) can get their own symbol
    • Make sure they use an appropriate�reference designator according to IEEE 315

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Components: in ECAD

  • Components/Parts are symbols made up of:
    • Pins: special “line-like” objects that the program acknowledges as corresponding to an electrical connection point on the part
    • Graphics: make the symbol look like the symbol. Solely for human communicative purposes
    • Designator: unique name/identifier for the component
    • Metadata: depending on the program, can range from nonexistent (Fritzing) to insane (Altium Designer)

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Schematics

  • Defines components in system
    • Abstract & simple symbols reflect actual parts
  • Defines connectivity of components in system
  • Schematics should easily communicate relevant information defined in (1) and (2) to others.

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Connectivity (Nets)

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Connectivity - Nets on a PCB

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Nets describe electrical connectivity

Schematic

Layout

Nets are connected on a PCB with (conductive) copper traces and vias

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Connectivity - Pins on a PCB

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Schematic

Layout

Pins belonging to net are connected in schematic and layout

Pins become pads where parts are assembled to the board

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Circuit Connectivity: Netlists

  • A netlist is defined by your schematic
    • Net: list of component pins that are all connected to each other
    • Netlist: dictionary of nets, each net is uniquely named

List of pins connected to net 5

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Schematics in ECAD

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PCB ECAD Specific Schematic Info

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  • Couple of additional features in digital schematics
    • Everything exists on a grid
      • Components, pins, wires, easily snap together
    • All components are named
      • These follow the component designators mentioned earlier, + a number
        • Why might this be necessary for PCBs?
    • All nets are named
      • Automatically, though net labels can be used to force a name to a net

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KiCad Command Summary

Select

Highlight net

(A)dd Component

(P)ower

(W)ire

Bus

Wire to Bus

No Connect (Q)

Wire Junction

Net (L)abel

Global Label

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Graphic Polygon

Graphic Lines

Add Image

Eraser

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Questions?

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Enrollment (Again)

  • If you’re still not sure whether this is the class for you, talk to us!
  • If you haven’t already, fill out the attendance form
    • Linked at top of https://hope.berkie.ee/
    • Waitlisted students too
  • EE 198-002 (Wed) and EE 198-004 (Thurs)
  • 2 (real!) Unit P/NP
  • Join Discord (if you want)! https://discord.gg/S8rmBNKQ

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Feedback Form

  • We have students from a variety of backgrounds, so we want to make HOPE as accessible as possible.
  • Feedback form: https://berkie.ee/hope-fa25-anonymous-comments
    • Help us make this your ideal class!
  • Embody the (friendly) hobbyist spirit!
    • Help each other out & learn from each other!

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The fun stuff - Lab 1: Light Sensor

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