Design a complete 555 Blinker PCB with a cleaner, more visual workflow.

Printed circuit boards and design workflow

Printed Circuit Boards (PCB)

Printed circuit boards are the standard medium for compact, reliable and reproducible electronic products. They replace temporary prototyping structures with permanent copper traces, pads and footprints connected through a CAD-defined layout.

PCB design overview

The workflow has two main stages: schematic capture and PCB layout. First, the circuit is translated into a digital schematic with symbols, nets and footprints. Then the board outline is defined, footprints are placed, tracks are routed and manufacturing outputs are generated.

Installing KiCad 7.0.11

Use KiCad 7.0.11 for this project. Download the installer for your operating system and keep the default installation settings except for optional help files if needed.

Minimum requirements

• Create a full schematic that reproduces the provided 555 blinker circuit.
• Pass ERC except for the expected power warning.
• Create a PCB layout that passes DRC.
• Use the symbols and footprints listed in the parts section.

Parts and reference selections

This is a compact version prepared for GitHub Pages. Adapt the exact values and footprints to your course requirements.

Schematics

Reference schematic used to build the PCB.

Use the schematic as the basis for your KiCad capture. Check pin orientation, reference designators, values and power connections before assigning footprints and moving to layout.

Tip: keep symbol values and footprint names consistent from the beginning to reduce ERC and PCB update issues later.

Example of the PCB.

Instructions and checkpoints

Follow the checkpoints below in order. Each card is larger than before so screenshots and animated guidance are easier to view on GitHub Pages.

Checkpoint 1

Create the project and capture the schematic

1. Create a new KiCad project and open the schematic editor.
2. Add power symbols, parts, values and footprint assignments.
3. Wire the circuit, add net labels and no-connection flags.

Checkpoint 2

Annotate and validate the schematic

1. Run schematic annotation to replace placeholder references.
2. Run ERC and verify that only the expected power warning remains.

Checkpoint 3

Create the board and route the PCB

1. Open PCB Editor and update the board from the schematic.
2. Set track and via sizes, define board outline and place footprints.
3. Route tracks, add vias if needed, and create the ground fill.

Use 40 mil for power/ground and 30 mil for signal traces. Avoid 90° corners.

Checkpoint 4

Run design rule checks

1. Open DRC and run the checker.
2. Resolve all violations before generating outputs.

Checkpoint 5

Generate manufacturing files

1. Plot the fabrication layers and create drill files.
2. Review the generated files before sharing or submitting them.
3. Compress the project folder with the required naming format.