The ability to design your own printed circuit boards (PCBs) is an essential skill for STEM students, undergraduates, as well as product development engineers in industry. PCB design involves transferring a schematic with components to an artwork that can be sent off to a manufacturer for fabrication.

  This PCB design course at Cycloid Academy will create an expert PCB designer out of you. This course will guide you with detailed instructions on several practical projects which will also be fabricated and shipped to you during the course. You will work with Altium or Eagle PCB design software for your course projects. At the start of this course, you will be able to select which software you prefer.

  As part of this course, you will learn how to draw a schematic for the given circuit, define component footprints and when required drawing your own footprints. You will learn how to transfer the schematic to a PCB artwork. You will learn the practical implications of design rules, component placing, PCB trace sizing, optimizing the PCB for electromagnetic interference mitigation and general visual appearance. You will also learn how to use auto routing options for quick design, ground planes and other advanced functions within the PCB Design process.

  As part of this course at Cycloid Academy, you will work on several useful circuit designs while also learning concepts of electronics. Two of the main projects that you develop will be fabricated and shipped to you bringing your design to reality.

Enrol in Course
  • This course will get you started with Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design (option to select either Altium or Eagle)
  • You will learn how to draw a circuit schematic in software and define component footprints
  • You will learn the process of transferring the component details to the PCB layout
  • You will also learn different method of routing, design rules based on current and frequency.
  • You will lean advanced functions such as placement of ground places, board shaping, placement of mounting holes, and auto routing.
  • As part of this course you will work on several interesting circuits and PCB designs
  • Once the PCB artwork if developed, you will lean the process of transferring the information to any PCB fabrication house.
  • This course is delivered online
  • The PCBs designed as part of two of the projects will be fabricated and shipped to you 

26 hours self paced learning and 6 hours of instructor guided learning

This course is suitable for beginners without any knowledge of electronics. It is ideal for high school students and undergraduate students in university taking STEM courses. The course is also useful for professional engineers who are interested in learning PCB Design.

Submit Expression of Interest to next enrolment date

Submit Expression of Interest

AUD 150

Note: Includes access to PCB Design software for the duration of the course.

Course Content:
  • PCBs types, fabrication techniques and terminology
  • 1-hour self-paced learning via Moodle
  • Support to access software for the PCB Design
  • Walk through the PCB Design software
  • Logic circuits
  • Boolean Algebra
  • Logic Families
  • Timing Diagrams

1 hour self-paced learning via Moodle

  • Project #1 : Example Logic circuit: schematic development.
  • Generating Gerber and NC files for fabrication

2 hours self-paced learning via Moodle

  • Introduction to PCB Design
  • Defining the board specifications and shape
  • Defining component footprints

1 hour self-paced learning via Moodle

  • Transferring the schematic to the board
  • Component placement
  • Routing
  • Design Rule checks

1 hour self-paced learning via Moodle

  • Project #2: Single Layer PCB layout design for Project #1
  • 3-hours self-paced learning via Moodle
  • Schedules live help sessions – 1 hour

 

  • Currents/voltages and ohms law and power
  • Inductors and capacitors
  • Transformers
  • Diodes
  • Switching devices
  • Voltage regulators
  • Operational Amplifiers

1 hour self-paced learning via Moodle

  • Reading the datasheet, footprint, and specifications
  • Designing the circuit, component selection
  • 1 hour self paced learning via on Moodle
  • Project #3: 555 Timer Project Schematic design the Double layer PCB Design
  • Project #3 Fabrication – Receive within 2 weeks
  • 4-hour self-paced learning via Moodle
  • Schedules live help sessions – 1 hour
  • PCB standards
  • PCB Manufacturing specs, hole sizes, vias, pads
  • Component footprint options
  • Component placement and electromagnetic interference considerations
  • PCB routing and the auto-routing option
  • Track sizing, track Clarence
  • Polygon pours, silk screens, layers

4-hour self-paced learning via Moodle

  • Project #4: Microcontroller circuit with WIFI: schematic and PCB implementation
    Project #4: PCB Fabrication – Receive within 2 weeks
  • 1 hour self-paced learning via Moodle
  • Schedules live help sessions – 1 hour
  • Project #5: Testing of Project #4 PCB at home
  • 4-hour self-paced learning via Moodle
  • Schedules live help sessions – 1 hour