Microcontroller Based Prototyping Board known as PICMAN

Overview

The project is built around a PIC18FL4553 microcontroller that consists of 3 programmable LEDs, reset button, power LED, and various power supply alternatives such as USB/direct 5V or other via voltage regulator.

Details

The design of the PCB is a single-layer type and has a small form factor that makes it fit nicely on a solderless breadboard as it uses a mini-B USB connector. Since the parts are easily obtainable, it is cheaper and does not require any external component to work. It has the capability of downloading a program via USB since it can be programmed with a bootloader. The PIC is mounted at the bottom of the board and between the header pins. To make it easier to locate individual pins, the copper layer for text was used. Along with the reset button are the user button with a blue power LED and 3 user LEDs consisting of red, green, and yellow.

In the design, a cool logo on the final PDF with Illustrator can be added. A large paper Guillotine can be used to cut the board and a laser printer for printing 1200 DPI on a transparency material.