Design a smart USB drive with kicad
Master BGA escape routing, USB signal integrity, eMMC length matching, and power path management by designing a real, manufacturable 64 GB Smart USB Thumb Drive from scratch in KiCad.
Who is this course for?
This course assumes you have already completed at least one full PCB design project in KiCad. You should be comfortable with schematic entry, component footprints, netlist management, and basic routing. No prior experience with high-speed design, BGA components, or multi-layer boards is required — those are exactly what this course covers.
This course is ideal for:
Learning objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Knowledge prerequisites
You should be comfortable with the KiCad workflow (schematic entry, footprint assignment, netlist management, and basic PCB routing). You don't need experience with high-speed design or BGA components; that's what this course teaches. But you do need to be past the "where is the button" stage with KiCad.
If you are new to KiCad or PCB design, I recommend starting with my foundational course, KiCad Like a Pro. In that course you'll learn everything you need to become comfortable with KiCad — from schematic creation and footprint management to layout and fabrication. It's the right starting point if you've never completed a full PCB project before.
If you already know your way around KiCad and have designed simpler projects such as Arduino shields, sensor breakout boards, or Raspberry Pi hats, then you'll benefit from reviewing my intermediate course, Advanced PCB Design with KiCad. This introduces multilayer design, differential pairs, and power supply integration; these are the skills that will directly support your success in this course.
In short:
Hardware & Software
All you need to complete this course is a computer capable of running KiCad. No additional hardware is required. KiCad runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Software
Hardware
This course does not require any hardware purchases. All design files, manufacturing outputs, and project resources are provided as course downloads.
Sample lectures from the course
About this course
Design challenges
Materials
Here's what you're getting:
Solo
Once-off payment, best for self-sufficient learners on a budget.
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Community
Best for the social learner: be a member of the course community.
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What's in this course?
Module 1: Introduction & Project Overview
1.010 What This Course Is About
1.020 The Design Challenges
1.030 Bill of Materials
1.040 Tools and Setup
Module 2: Schematic Design
2.010 Schematic Best Practices for Complex Designs
2.020a Power Architecture: Dual Ideal Diode OR-ing Part A
2.020b Power Architecture: Dual Ideal Diode OR-ing Part B
2.030 Schematic — Sheet Structure & Netclasses
2.031 Schematic — Power: OR-ing
2.032 Schematic — Power: Buck Converter
2.040a USB 2.0 Signal Integrity Fundamentals Part 1
2.040b USB 2.0 Signal Integrity Fundamentals Part 2
2.050a Schematic — Storage USB & ESD Protection Part 1
2.050b Schematic — Storage USB & ESD Protection Part 2
2.051 Schematic — RP2040 USB and ESD Protection
2.060a eMMC Interface: How It Works
2.060a eMMC Interface How It Works Part 1 (Explainer) questions'
2.060b —- eMMC Interface: How It Works Part 2
2.060b eMMC Interface How It Works Part 1 (Explainer) questions
2.070 Schematic — eMMC and Power Decoupling
2.080 Schematic — RP2040 Core and Supporting Circuits
2.085 — Schematic Add TVS Diode Protection Array for the USB Ports
2.090 Schematic Review and ERC
2.092 Schematic — Implement the INA230 Sensor
2.095 Schematic Implement RP2040 Breakouts
2.097 Schematic — Implemenet OLED
2.100 Schematic Milestone Review
2.110 Schematic ERC
Module 3: PCB Layout Foundations
3.005 PCB Stackup & Layer Strategy Primer
3.005 Quiz PCB Stackup & Layer Strategy Primer
3.010 PCB Stackup and Layer Strategy on 2-Layer Boards
3.010 Quiz PCB Stackup and Layer Strategy on 2-Layer Boards
3.015 PCB Stackup and Layer Strategy on 4-Layer Boards
3.020 Impedance Control: Theory and Math – Part 1
3.020 Quiz Impedance Control: Theory and Math – Part 1
3.025 Impedance Control: Theory and Math – Part 2
3.025 Quiz Impedance control theory Part 2
3.040 Layout Editor Setup and Basic Configuration
3.050 Board Outline and Import Components
3.060 Impedance and Stack-up Calculations
3.065 Impedance and Stack-up Calculations in the Tech Explorations Calculator
3.062 Impedance and Stack-up Calculations in KiCad
3.067 A new impedance calculation
3.070 Design rules and net classes configuration
3.080 Component placement strategy
3.080 Quiz Layout Component placement strategy (Explainer) questions
3.082a Component placement
3.082b Component placement
3.082c Component placement
3.082d Component placement
3.085 Component placement review
3.090 Layout routing strategy
03.090 Quiz Layout routing strategy questions
Module 4: BGA Routing & Via-in-Pad Techniques
4.010a BGA packages challenges and solutions
4.010b BGA packages challenges and solutions
4.010 Quiz BGA packages challenges and solutions combined questions!
4.015 Copper pours
4.020a eMMC via in pads
4.020b eMMC start routing of the data bus
4.030 eMMC length matching of the data bus tracks
4.050 Signal length matching theory
04.050 Quiz Signal length matching theory questions'
Module 5: USB Differential Pair & Signal Integrity Routing
5.010 USB 2.0 routing rules
05.010 Quiz USB 2.0 routing rules questions
5.020 Layout route USB differential pairs
5.030 KiCad-ESD and USB layout verification
5.040 KiCad-Power fills
5.050a Review and refactoring of eMMC routing PART 1
5.050b Review and refactoring of eMMC routing PART 2
5.050c Review and refactoring of eMMC routing PART 3
5.060 Power distribution and remaining eMMC tracks
5.070 RP2040 continue routing
5.080 RP2040 route SWD and Boot
Module 6: Layout
6.005 How to Route I2C Signals (Explainer)
6.005 Quiz How to Route I2C Signals (Explainer)
6.010 Routing Remaining Signals – I2C
6.020 Routing Remaining Signals – GPIOs
6.025 Review Routing Before DRC (Add Stitching Vias to GND Zones)
6.030 Re-route Protection Diode Arrays
6.035 Route Current Sensors and Other Remaining Nets
6.040 I2C pull-ups and improvements
6.050 Repair Vecq_eMMC net
6.060 Improve GND fill geometry
6.070 More via-in-pads
6.075 Silkscreen
6.080a DRC Part 1
6.080b DRC Part 2
6.080c DRC Part 3
6.080d DRC Part 4
Module 7: Manufacturing Outputs & Fabrication
7.010a PCB Fabrication Primer Part 1
7.010a Quiz PCB Fabrication Primer Part 1
7.010b PCB Fabrication Primer Part 2
7.010b Quiz PCB Fabrication Primer Part 2
7.020 Generate Gerber Files
7.030 Design for Manufacturing Testing with HQDFM
7.040 BOM & BOMExplorer
7.050 Order for PCB and Assembly
Bonus: PCB Fabrication
Step 1: File Receipt and DFM Verification
Step 2: Panelisation CAM Preparation
Step 3: Inner Layer Processing
Step 4: Layup and Lamination
Step 5: Drilling and Desmear
Step 6: Copper Plating
Step 7: Outer Layer Imaging and Etching
Step 8: Surface Finish Options
Step 9: Solder Mask Application
Step 10: Silkscreen, Electrical Test and Singulation
Debrief
Course debrief — Where we are, what we did, and what comes next
The course instructor
The course instructor is Peter Dalmaris, PhD.
Peter has created over 20 other courses on technology education.
He is the author of Maker Education Revolution, a book on how making is changing the way we learn and teach.
He is also the host of Stemiverse, a podcast in which he discusses education and STEM with the shakers and movers of technology and science education from around the world.
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