We’ll be building breakout boards featuring various sensors, power regulators, microcontrollers, and more.
First, we’ll go through exactly how we’ll implement the breakout and give you the outline for your project. Next, you’ll put all of your parts on a schematic using Altium Designer, and then create your physical PCB layout. At the end of the onboarding project, you’ll have a working design for a unique chip that we can use for testing.
Lastly, you’re highly encouraged to explore online resources to learn more about electronic hardware design.
Let’s begin!
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What is a breakout board?
Breakout boards are made to adapt tiny chips to a certain interface, or are commonly used on a breadboard. They’re extremely useful in testing ideas.
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Hand-soldered breakout board!
Micro USB on a breadboard!
When starting a design, it can generally be useful to start reading datasheets of the components you’ll be using, as well as viewing community-made designs similar to what you’re going for.
In this document, we’ll explain roughly what you need to build your device.
Various types of capacitors (radial electrolytic, tantalum, etc.)
A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy by accumulating electric charges on two closely spaced surfaces that are insulated from each other.
The physical form and construction of practical capacitors vary widely, and many types of capacitors are in common use. The most commonly used capacitors on PCBs are Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
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You will need to add decoupling capacitors to your breakout board.
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If you like being nerd sniped: Capacitor Selection
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SMD chip resistors on the outside and through hole resistors in the middle.
A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that provides electrical resistance as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, divide voltages, and bias active elements.
Resistors are characterized by their resistance value (measured in ohms, Ω) and power rating (measured in watts). The most common types used in PCB designs are surface-mount resistors, which come in various imperial standard sizes like 0402, 0603, and 0805.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistor
You may need resistors for various purposes on your breakout board, such as pull-up or pull-down resistors, current limiting, or voltage dividers.
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Connectors are essential components in electronic circuits, providing a means to connect different parts of the system or to interface with external devices. These could be simple pin headers, screw terminals, or more specialized connectors, depending on your specific requirements and application.