Real Engineering Case Studies & Practical Insights

PCB Fabrication Case

From Membrane Frustration to Custom Mechanical Mastery: Taifur's V3 Full Keyboard Project

Note Motivation: Replaced a dust-prone membrane keyboard with a durable, custom DIY alternative. Specs: 87-key TKL layout powered by Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040), featuring hot-swap support, QMK, OLED, and an encoder. Design: A unique 3-layer PCB stack featuring symmetrical routing, an exposed controller, and visible "diode art". Support: Designed using EasyEDA and fabricated by JLCPcB, the project was submitted to the EasyEDA Spark program successfully securing parts and materials sponsorship for its d......

Oct 19, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

Turn Your Raspberry Pi Pico into a Professional JTAG Programmer with DirtyJTAG & OpenFPGALoader

In the world of FPGA development, having a reliable, low-cost JTAG programmer used to mean either buying expensive vendor cables or adding high-cost FTDI chips to every board. Maker Khaled Magdy changed that by turning a $4 Raspberry Pi Pico into a fully functional JTAG adapter using DirtyJTAG firmware and OpenFPGALoader — then had his custom FPGA boards professionally assembled by JLCPCB. The entire solution is 100% open-source. You can download the firmware, follow the Windows installation steps, an......

Oct 19, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

ANGELO Project with JLCPCB: Building an Open-Source Audio PCB for a Listening Aid

Key Takeaways Accessible Design: ANGELO is an open-source €10 listening aid created to assist everyday voice amplification. Analog Audio Architecture: Uses a TL072 op-amp to boost speech frequencies (1–4 kHz) with low latency and low power. EasyEDA & JLCPCB Workflow: Designed in EasyEDA and produced via JLCPCB SMT assembly for fast, reliable hardware execution. The ANGELO Project Overview ANGELO is an open-source audio hardware project designed to amplify voices and improve everyday communication expe......

Oct 16, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

Athena: Building a High-Performance 6-Layer PCB for Rocket Avionics

Key Takeaways Athena is an open-source flight computer with a triple-MCU architecture, redundant sensors, and multiple communication interfaces on a compact 6-layer PCB. The 80 × 140 mm board integrates three STM32 MCUs, three IMUs, barometers, GNSS, LoRa, Bluetooth, CAN, USB, flash storage, SD card, and power management. The 6-layer PCB provides routing capacity, organized power distribution, signal organization, and compact functional integration for this complex design. The project demonstrates how......

Sep 10, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

PiBrick Pocket-CM5: A Compact Raspberry Pi CM5 Handheld PC Built with JLCPCB

Key Takeaways The piBrick Pocket-CM5 is a fully functional, smartphone-sized Raspberry Pi CM5 handheld PC with a physical QWERTY keyboard, AMOLED display, and M.2 NVMe SSD The project utilizes JLCPCB's 4-layer PCB fabrication with controlled impedance (90-ohm for USB, 100-ohm for PCIe/MIPI DSI) to maintain signal integrity Designed using EasyEDA and fabricated by JLCPCB, the project was submitted to the EasyEDA Spark program, successfully securing parts and materials sponsorship for its development. J......

Sep 08, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

Designing a Precision 72-LED Wearable Watch: Building a 40mm Round PCB with JLCPCB SMT Assembly

Key Takeaways This case study explores the design and fabrication of a 72-LED wearable watch built on a precision 40mm round PCB. Learn how JLCPCB SMT assembly eliminated hand-soldering 70+ 0603 LEDs, how ENIG surface finish ensures reliability in wearable applications, and how a clever panelization strategy with mouse-bite breakaway tabs enabled automated assembly of a circular board. The project demonstrates a complete workflow from EasyEDA schematic capture to firmware optimization and commercial-g......

Aug 12, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

ESP32 Smart Control Board for Realistic RC Model Automation

Key Takeaways This project demonstrates how a well-designed custom PCB, manufactured and assembled through JLCPCB, can democratize advanced electronics for hobbyists. Key lessons include: Prioritizing compact, high-density layouts while respecting DFM rules. Leveraging professional SMT assembly for complex boards. Designing with clear labeling and modularity for user-friendliness. Choosing a manufacturing partner whose capabilities match your project's needs for consistent results. Project Overview: B......

May 20, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

Premium Portable Speaker Built with 8-Layer PCBs, DSP & Smart Amps

Project Background and Introduction When you unbox a beautifully crafted portable speaker that delivers rich, room-filling sound with crisp highs, deep bass, and intelligent audio processing, it’s easy to imagine it came from a big-name factory. But behind this elegant Harman/Kardon-inspired design lies the story of an innovative maker who turned a personal passion project into a fully functional, high-performance audio system—entirely prototyped and produced with JLCPCB’s PCB and PCBA services. This ......

Apr 22, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

Build a Professional 8x8 RGB LED Matrix with JLCPCB

In the world of DIY electronics, building a clean, reliable 8×8 RGB LED matrix used to mean hours of painstaking hand-soldering — 64 WS2812B LEDs plus 64 decoupling capacitors. That all changed when maker Lucas Fernando designed a fully custom PCB from scratch and had it professionally assembled by JLCPCB on his very first try. The result? Five perfectly finished, ready-to-use 8×8 addressable LED matrices that look like commercial products. Best of all, the entire project is 100% open-source. You can ......

Mar 03, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

PIC16F877A Master Trainer Board: An All-In-One Learning Tool Supported by JLCPCB

In the realm of embedded systems training and quick prototyping, a solid trainer board is key for mastering microcontroller skills and hardware integration. This feature highlights the creation of the PIC16F877A Master Trainer Project, a multifunctional board centered on Microchip's renowned 8-bit microcontroller. The PIC16F877A, part of Microchip's mid-range family, has been a staple in electronics education since its introduction in the late 1990s, offering a balance of performance, cost, and ease o......

Feb 26, 2026

PCB Fabrication Case

How JLCPCB’s Flex PCB Enable Smarter GPS Tracking Devices

Smart tracking technologies require reliable, high-performance hardware to function effectively. QIYUE TECH, an IoT company, uses JLCPCB’s Flex PCBs to improve the performance and compact design of its smart tracking devices, such as the TR-DOG® series and anti-tamper GPS smartwatches. These flexible PCBs provide the durability and adaptability needed for consistent performance in dynamic real-world environments. Product introduction Meet the TR‑DOG Series The TR‑DOG® system combines a handheld displa......

Dec 26, 2025

PCB Fabrication Case

Building a Custom Laptop with JLCPCB's Full Services

Imagine designing a laptop from the ground up—not just assembling parts, but crafting its circuits, chassis, and cooling systems by hand. "This is a fully custom-built laptop project where I designed and manufactured many of the key components, with the help of JLCPCB's outstanding services. While I didn't design the main motherboard itself, I developed and integrated many of the surrounding subsystems and mechanical elements myself." This project shows how a maker leveraged JLCPCB's full-service manu......

Dec 26, 2025

PCB Fabrication Case

Growing LED Butterflies Built with JLCPCB's Transparent FPCs

What if a butterfly could flutter with light? No wires, bulk, and complex control, just motion and glow. That's exactly what this glowing FPC-based creation achieves! Built with JLCPCB's 2-layer transparent FPC, this elegant LED butterfly is lightweight, low-power, and visually striking, showing how seamlessly advanced electronics can blend with creative aesthetics. Let’s take a closer look at how this idea took flight and how JLCPCB's services made it all possible. Project Introduction This artistic ......

Dec 26, 2025

PCB Fabrication Case

How JLCPCB Helped a Non-Verbal Girl Communicate Her Needs

How can a non-verbal child express her needs to caregivers? It’s a question parents hope to never face. An American developer group focused on open-source assistive technology, created a customizable communication device for a 3-year-old girl with special needs. With support from JLCPCB, the team built a low-cost, upgradable tool that allows her to communicate using simple button presses. Needs Communication System Project Overview: The project began in Thailand when the founder of developer group met......

Dec 26, 2025

PCB Fabrication Case

JLCPCB helps simulate rockets to realize precise flight control!

Beepy is a flight computer specially designed for model rockets. The model rocket is very small in size, but the amount of computation required to achieve its flight is considerable. Beepy differs from traditional flight computers in that it adopts a design where multiple circular PCBS are stacked and connected, and uses ribbon cables to link each module together. This design significantly reduces the space occupied by the flight computer, enabling the device to maintain powerful functions while keepi......

Dec 26, 2025

PCB Fabrication Case

JLCPCB Empowering Innovation: The Journey of an Autonomous Exploration Vehicle

The Nomad project is a modular autonomous exploration vehicle, specifically designed to tackle complex terrains and perform scientific tasks. In this innovative project, JLCPCB provided comprehensive support, ranging from fast PCB manufacturing and efficient assembly services to precise PCBA manufacturing. This helped the project team maintain high quality while optimizing cost-effectiveness and ensuring timely delivery. With JLCPCB's 24-hour fast turnaround and global shipping services, the Nomad pro......

Dec 26, 2025

PCB Fabrication Case

High-Quality Small Batch Guitar Effect Pedal PCBs with JLCPCB Manufacturing

Fuzz Fields is an innovative guitar effect pedal that combines three modulated sounds to offer dynamically controlled fuzzy sound effects. Unlike traditional static pedals, Fuzz Fields can adjust the timbre in real time based on the dynamic input of the performer, achieving various effects such as "screaming", "swelling", "saturation" and "trembling". Its core feature is an inbuilt oscillator that can be modulated through external control, making it suitable for scenarios such as guitar tone explorati......

Dec 26, 2025