At Fontys Engineering, students can design and produce their own PCBs using a laser CNC machine. Before a PCB can be produced, it has to be checked manually by staff to make sure it follows the rules set out by Fontys. This manual checking process takes a lot of time and can cause delays for students.
Project description
To solve this issue described above, an online tool was developed that automatically checks PCB designs and gives feedback right away, without the need for contributions from a staff member. The tool is primarily, but not exclusively, meant for first-year students since they follow a stricter set of design rules for their first designs. Advanced students are expected to check their own designs. The program uses both standard design rule checks (DRC) from KiCad and an additional set of custom rules focussed on manufacturability based on our in-house laser-etch machines. Students upload their KiCad PCB file through a website and receive feedback in the form of a summary, a list of violations, and a visual display of where the problems are.
Project results
The online PCB evaluator tool consists of a backend, written in Go, which runs both KiCad’s DRC checks and custom rule checks, and a frontend that allows students to upload their designs and view results. The tool is deployed using Docker and Kubernetes in the Fontys ICT Netlab, so it can be accessed through a public webpage without requiring any software installation by the user. This setup makes the tool suitable for use in class, during project weeks, or as part of the standard design workflow. Each part of the system was developed in coordination with the goals and requirements defined at the start of the project.
The backend is stable and fast, and the frontend is easy to use. All internal tests passed, and the user tests showed that both students and teachers could use the system without issues.
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Acknowledgements
The student project team would like to thank the Fontys Engineering IT-department, the Fontys ICT education, and the staff from Fontys Electrical Engineering for their valuable coaching and support during the project. They all contributed to the success of this semester project in Minor BeCreative.