Custom R/C receiver and battery pack

PCB design for classroom support

In spring 2024, my Ph.D. student, Will Johnson, and I introduced a course aimed at enhancing student confidence in the machine shop and lab. The final project is for the students to design a whimsical mechanical monster using the manufacturing techniques covered over the semester, including laser cutting, CNC milling, water-jet cutting, and resin and pewter casting. The PCB was initially designed to teach students how to design their own circuits in the Multisim and Ultiboard software environments.

Design features

The board features both through-hole and surface mount devices. To reduce complexity, off-the-shelf component circuits are used where possible.

Board schematic for the student PCB design demo

The board also introduces students to all the elements of custom lithium battery packs. These elements include a charging circuit that converts from 5VDC to 8.4VDC, a two cell battery management circuit, and an expandable battery holder for two 18650 size lithium batteries.

Design artwork for the printed board. Some traces are unconnected since the top copper power plane was removed for legibility.

The design does not include protection components, such as fuses or diodes, but does include capacitors between voltage and ground to smooth ripples caused by back EMF.