DEVLOG 002

OMNIPAD (trying out a new name :))

SHOUTOUT @stratustraipsing. tysm for the help

Overview

Today, I was able to fix the issue with SMD-mounting the Waveshare RP2040 thanks to a comment by @stratustraipsing. They suggested that I should try making a cutout in the PCB to accommodate the underlying MCU components. Thankfully, their advice worked! Then I moved to adding some aesthetic touches to the PCB itself by changing the board color and creating a logo.

Making the cutout

To make the cutout, I modified an existing RP2040-Zero footprint from this GitHub Repo: lamdakb/kicad-lkbd. So, in KiCad, I opened the footprint in the Footprint Editor and added a rectangle to the Edge.Cuts layer for the components to rest in. Then, I added a Draw Rules boundary so that I could accidentally register a trace or fill zone in that area.

Aesthetic touches

Because I was short on time today, I just made the front and back mask layers black and designed a new logo themed around the name, “OmniPad”.

Next Steps

• Add the logo decal to the back silkscreen layer
• Export the PCB as a STEP file
• Begin to redesign the case in Onshape