PCB Design Overview

This page provides a high-level overview of the PCB design process for the Ma Bell Gateway project.

Design Philosophy

The goal is to produce a robust, easy-to-assemble printed circuit board that faithfully implements the Ma Bell Gateway circuit while maintaining signal integrity, power isolation, and modularity. Particular attention is given to proper grounding, clear separation of analog and digital domains, and ease of hand-assembly for prototyping and hobbyist builds.

Design Tools

PCB design for this project is performed using KiCad, an open-source electronic design automation (EDA) suite. KiCad provides schematic capture, PCB layout, 3D visualization, and output generation for fabrication and assembly. All project files (schematics, board layouts, and libraries) are maintained in the project repository.

Workflow Overview

  1. Schematic Capture: The complete circuit is drawn in KiCad’s schematic editor, with careful attention to symbol and footprint assignment.

  2. PCB Layout: Components are placed and routed in KiCad PCBNew, with attention to: - Star grounding and ground planes - Segregation of analog, digital, and high-voltage sections - Proper trace widths for power and signal paths - Placement of protection, filtering, and connectors

  3. Design Rule Checks (DRC): Layout is verified using KiCad’s built-in DRC tools to catch clearance, net, and layout errors.

  4. 3D Visualization: The finished board is reviewed in 3D to check mechanical fit and connector alignment.

  5. Manufacturing Outputs: Gerber files, drill files, BOM, and pick-and-place files are exported for PCB fabrication and assembly.

Project Repository

All KiCad source files, as well as outputs for manufacturing and assembly, are tracked in the project’s Git repository:

  • Schematic files (.kicad_sch)

  • PCB layout files (.kicad_pcb)

  • Symbol and footprint libraries

  • BOM, Gerbers, assembly drawings

See the repository documentation for file organization and version control practices.

Next Steps

Refer to the subpages in this section for detailed information on the PCB workflow, layout strategies, assembly guidance, and troubleshooting tips.