Learn to Design Your Own Boards from Udemy

Learning a basic board design is essential for everyone who would like to work in electronics or who would like to design electronic boards or products. Learning board design in the right software can open you door into many companies, help you to get a well paid job and can be used to design very complex and advanced boards.

Design a Real Board and Learn Essentials of Using Altium Designer

- Draw your own schematic- Route your PCB and do layout- Generate documentation needed to manufacture your PCB

Altium Designer is a Powerful Software

During this course you will learn how to use Altium Designer software. Altium Designer is a professional software used to design all kind of boards, from very simple ones to motherboards or servers. It is one of the most used software for electronic design. Learning Altium is useful for everyone planning or already working in electronics.

Contents and Overview

You will start with Arduino Uno reference schematic. You will learn how to re-draw the schematic, modify it, you will learn how to improve it and how to do PCB layout. The course videos are step-by-step and even if you are new in electronics or you have never used Altium Designer before, by repeating these steps, you will design your own board. By the end of this course, you will create all the necessary documents needed to manufacture the board.

Within 15 hours you will learn how to:

- Draw schematic, including tips for component selection and important circuits- Create components, draw schematic symbols and footprints- Place components into your PCB- Route PCB and useful tips about layout- Create 3D model of your board- Create board variants with different components fitted / not fitted- Create Bill of Material (BOM)- Create assembly drawings showing position of components on the board- Generate Gerbers, Pick and Place, Drill file and other files needed for manufacturing- Prepare professional documents needed to manufacture your PCB and assemble your board- Bring your board to life, flash firmware and run a simple LED Blinky example

For everyone interested, the manufacturing documents created during this course can be used to build your board. Simply use PCB manufacturing data to get your PCB, buy components from Digikey and solder them by yourself.

Enjoy this course :)

What's inside

Learning objective

After this course, you will design your own arduino like board.

Syllabus

In this section you will learn how to draw schematic and how to create components - schematic symbols and footprints.

Introduction

What you will learn during this course

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses Altium Designer, a professional-grade software, which is widely adopted in the electronics industry for designing complex and advanced boards

Walks through the creation of manufacturing documents, including Gerbers and Pick and Place files, which are essential for bringing designs to physical realization

Covers essential documentation like Bill of Materials and assembly drawings, which are crucial for manufacturing and assembling electronic boards

Focuses on a specific project, re-drawing and modifying an Arduino Uno schematic, which provides a practical, hands-on learning experience

Requires learners to source components from suppliers like Digikey and solder them, which may present a barrier to entry for some learners

Teaches how to create a 3D model of the board, which is useful for visualization and can aid in identifying potential mechanical issues

Reviews summary

Altium designer fundamentals by project

Based on course information, learners might find this course a highly practical introduction to Altium Designer focusing on the step-by-step process of designing an Arduino-like board. The hands-on project could provide concrete experience in creating schematics, layouts, components, and manufacturing files using a professional software tool. However, prospective students should be aware it likely requires some prior electronics knowledge beyond being a pure software tutorial and may be very specific to the project board rather than general PCB design principles.

Content closely tied to designing the example board.

"It's great for building this specific board, but maybe not general design."

"The focus is very much on the Altium steps for the Arduino clone."

"I wish it had covered examples beyond this particular microcontroller setup."

Clear, guided steps for the entire workflow.

"The step-by-step videos were easy to follow."

"I could replicate the design by following along with the instructor."

"The systematic approach helped me grasp the design process."

Covers schematic to manufacturing files.

"I learned to generate all the files needed for manufacturing."

"Creating custom footprints was a valuable skill I gained."

"The course covered the full process from start to finish."

Design a real board for hands-on experience.

"Building the Arduino clone project was a great way to learn."

"Working through the design of an actual board made the process clear."

"The project provided a tangible outcome and reinforced the steps."

Teaches core skills using a professional tool.

"I learned how to use Altium Designer for basic board design."

"Gained practical skills in a professional software tool."

"The course guided me through the key features of Altium needed for a design project."

May require prior understanding of electronic circuits.

"I struggled a bit because I didn't have much electronics background."

"The course shows you *what* to do, but not always *why* from an electronics perspective."

"Understanding the schematic required some prior knowledge of components."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Learn to Design Your Own Boards with these activities:

Review Basic Electronics Concepts

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Strengthen your understanding of fundamental electronic components and circuit analysis techniques. This will provide a solid foundation for understanding the Arduino schematic and PCB layout.

Browse courses on Ohm's Law

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Review textbooks or online resources covering basic electronics principles.
Solve practice problems related to Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Laws.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of resistors, capacitors, and inductors.

Read 'Practical Electronics for Inventors'

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Gain a deeper understanding of electronic components and circuit design principles. This book will supplement the course material and provide practical insights into board design.

View Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth... on Amazon

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Read the chapters related to basic electronic components and circuit analysis.
Work through the example problems and exercises in the book.
Relate the concepts learned in the book to the Arduino schematic being used in the course.

Follow Altium Designer Tutorials

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Familiarize yourself with the Altium Designer software interface and basic functionalities. This will make it easier to follow the course instructions and complete the board design project.

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Search for beginner-friendly Altium Designer tutorials on YouTube or the Altium website.
Follow tutorials on creating a simple schematic and PCB layout.
Practice using the Altium Designer tools and features demonstrated in the tutorials.

Four other activities

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Component Creation Practice

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Reinforce your ability to create schematic symbols and footprints in Altium Designer. This is a crucial skill for designing custom boards.

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Select several common electronic components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, LEDs).
Find the datasheets for these components.
Create schematic symbols and footprints for each component in Altium Designer, following the datasheet specifications.

Read 'Altium Designer User Guide'

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Deepen your understanding of Altium Designer's advanced features and capabilities. This will enable you to design more complex and sophisticated boards.

View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon

Show steps

Browse the Altium Designer User Guide to identify topics of interest.
Read the sections related to advanced PCB layout techniques, such as signal integrity analysis and power plane design.
Experiment with the advanced features in Altium Designer to gain hands-on experience.

Design a Simple Breakout Board

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Apply the skills learned in the course to design a simple breakout board for a common electronic component. This will solidify your understanding of the board design process.

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Choose a common electronic component (e.g., an accelerometer, a temperature sensor).
Design a schematic and PCB layout for a breakout board that allows easy access to the component's pins.
Generate the necessary manufacturing files (Gerbers, drill files) and send them to a PCB manufacturer.
Solder the component onto the manufactured board and test its functionality.

Contribute to an Open-Source Hardware Project

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Gain experience working on a real-world hardware project and collaborate with other engineers. This will expose you to different design styles and best practices.

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Find an open-source hardware project on platforms like GitHub or GitLab.
Identify a task that you can contribute to, such as fixing a bug, adding a new feature, or improving the documentation.
Submit your changes to the project maintainers for review.

Career center

Learners who complete Learn to Design Your Own Boards will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

PCB Layout Designer

PCB layout designers specialize in creating the physical layout of electronic circuits on circuit boards. As a PCB layout designer, you may want to enhance your skills. This course helps build your expertise in using Altium Designer, a widely used software for PCB design. The course teaches how to draw schematics, route PCBs, and generate manufacturing documents, making it ideal for aspiring or current PCB layout designers to improve their design skills.

See salaries and explore the career path for PCB Layout Designer

Printed Circuit Board Designer

A printed circuit board designer creates the physical layouts for electronic circuits. This course helps build a foundation in using Altium Designer, a leading software in PCB design, and teaches how to draw schematics, route PCBs, and generate manufacturing documentation. The course's focus on Arduino-like board design provides practical skills directly applicable to designing PCBs for various electronic devices. This course may be useful for aspiring PCB designers to learn the essentials of board design and manufacturing.

See salaries and explore the career path for Printed Circuit Board Designer

Electronics Prototyper

An electronics prototyper builds and tests prototype electronic devices. This course helps build skills in using Altium Designer, a crucial tool for prototyping electronic boards. The course teaches how to draw schematics, create PCB layouts, and generate manufacturing documents, all essential steps in the prototyping process. The hands-on approach to designing an Arduino-like board provides valuable practical experience for electronics prototypers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronics Prototyper

CAD Technician

A CAD technician uses computer-aided design software to create technical drawings and designs. This course helps build skills in Altium Designer, a powerful CAD software used for electronic board design. The course teaches how to draw schematics, create PCB layouts, and generate manufacturing documents, making it very suitable for those aiming for a role as a CAD technician specializing in electronics. You will also gain experience in electronics manufacturing.

See salaries and explore the career path for CAD Technician

Electronic Drafter

An electronic drafter creates detailed drawings and schematics for electronic equipment. This course helps build a foundation in using Altium Designer. The course teaches how to draw schematics, create PCB layouts, and generate manufacturing documents. This course is suitable for electronic drafters looking to improve their skills and create professional-quality electronic designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronic Drafter

Internet of Things Engineer

Internet of Things engineers design and develop connected devices and systems. This course helps build a foundation in electronic board design, which is fundamental to creating IoT hardware. The course teaches how to use Altium Designer to draw schematics, create PCB layouts, and generate manufacturing documents. This course is suitable for IoT engineers looking to enhance their hardware design skills and create custom IoT devices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Internet of Things Engineer

Electronics Engineer

Electronics engineers design, develop, and test electronic components and systems. This course may be useful because it provides hands-on experience with Altium Designer, a crucial tool for designing electronic boards. The course teaches how to draw schematics, create PCB layouts, and produce manufacturing documents. This course, which emphasizes designing an Arduino-like board, provides a practical foundation in board design, which electronics engineers use to create various electronic products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronics Engineer

Hardware Engineer

Hardware engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and testing computer systems and components. As a hardware engineer, you may design boards. This course may be useful because it focuses on using Altium Designer, a widely used software in hardware design. The course covers drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and generating the necessary documentation for manufacturing. The hands-on approach to designing an Arduino-like board provides practical experience relevant to hardware engineering tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Hardware Engineer

Electrical Technician

Electrical technicians assist in the design, development, and testing of electrical equipment. This course helps build a foundation in understanding board design and using Altium Designer. You will learn how to interpret schematics, assist in PCB layout, and understand manufacturing documentation. The course's practical approach to designing an Arduino-like board provides the technician with valuable hands-on experience applicable to various electrical engineering projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electrical Technician

Instrumentation Engineer

Instrumentation engineers design, develop, and maintain instruments and control systems used in various industries. This course helps build skills in board design using Altium Designer, a valuable tool for creating custom instrumentation solutions. The course teaches how to draw schematics, create PCB layouts, and generate manufacturing documents, which are all crucial for designing and building instrumentation systems. This is a very suitable course for instrumentation engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instrumentation Engineer

Product Development Engineer

A product development engineer oversees the design and development of new products. As a product development engineer, you may wish to understand the design of electronic boards. This course may be useful because it provides an overview of the PCB design process using Altium Designer. The course covers drawing schematics, routing PCBs, and generating manufacturing documentation, offering valuable insights into the hardware aspects of product development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Development Engineer

Robotics Engineer

Robotics engineers design, build, and maintain robots and robotic systems. This course may be useful because it provides a fundamental understanding of electronic board design, which is essential for creating robotic control systems. The course covers using Altium Designer, drawing schematics, creating PCB layouts, and generating manufacturing documents. The skills taught in this course can be very valuable for the robotics engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

Firmware Engineer

Firmware engineers develop the software embedded in hardware devices, and must also understand the hardware. This course may be useful as it covers the creation of manufacturing documents and processes and the importance of board design. The course covers using Altium Designer, drawing schematics, creating PCB layouts, and generating manufacturing documents. This course will expand the firmware engineer's understanding of the role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Firmware Engineer

Avionics Technician

Avionics technicians maintain and repair electronic systems in aircraft. This course may be useful as it provides an understanding of the components on electronic boards. The course covers using Altium Designer, drawing schematics, creating PCB layouts, and generating manufacturing documents. The technician will gain a greater appreciation for designing boards.

See salaries and explore the career path for Avionics Technician

Electronics Assembler

Electronics assemblers put together electronic components and systems. This course may be useful because it provides a deeper understanding of board design and the importance of manufacturing documents. The course covers using Altium Designer, drawing schematics, creating PCB layouts, and generating manufacturing documents. A deeper knowledge of these topics makes an assembler more valuable, and may lead to promotions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electronics Assembler

Learn to Design Your Own Boards

What's inside

Learning objective

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Altium designer fundamentals by project

Activities

Career center

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