Learn
A lesson says what the thing is, why it matters, and what usually goes wrong.
PCBGrade
How the curriculum is built
Lessons teach the idea. Each challenge asks you to use it. The server measures the design, and that measurement is the score.
Challenge
A short introduction, then a statement of what to build. The requirements list is the contract.
Grade
Check is a preview. Submit records an attempt. Both run on the server.
The journey
- 1
Foundations
Problems 1–5- Start
- Never routed a PCB
- Learn
- Nets, footprints, pads, vias, routing, clearance, and a local capacitor
- Afterward
- Route and check a simple board
- 2
Core PCB Engineering
Problems 6–10- Start
- Can route a net, and every trace still looks the same
- Learn
- Width, return current, a linear regulator, connector protection, and a buck hot loop
- Afterward
- Place power parts in the order the current and the fault require
- 3
Intermediate PCB Design
Problems 11–15- Start
- Has only used two copper layers and single-ended nets
- Learn
- A four-layer stackup, a differential pair, USB-C, gain and filtering, and an ADC
- Afterward
- Keep a pair on its reference and sample a signal without cutting the ground
- 4
Advanced PCB Design
Problems 16–18- Start
- Treats every copper feature as electrically the same
- Learn
- Edge rate and aggressors, current and heat, and manufacturable geometry
- Afterward
- Repair spacing, heat, and build defects without breaking the circuit
- 5
Engineering Judgment
Problem 19- Start
- Changes several parts at once when a board misbehaves
- Learn
- How to read a symptom, separate it from the next one, and change one cause
- Afterward
- Repair a faulty board from evidence, then recheck the copper
- 6
Capstone
Problem 20- Start
- Has practiced each block on its own board
- Learn
- Power, analog, ADC, MCU, USB, stackup, routing, and DFM on one board
- Afterward
- Finish a four-layer data-acquisition design and read the measured result
What you can do by the end
- Close a schematic loop and read a device card before wiring a pin.
- Tell a ratsnest from copper, and route a net at a stated width and clearance.
- Place decoupling, a regulator, and connector protection in the order the circuit needs.
- Use a ground reference, a differential pair, and a USB-C data path under stated limits.
- Keep a clock away from an analog input, and repair a board from evidence.
Rules in a challenge are pedagogical constraints with published numbers. They are not universal laws. A later lesson says when a number is context rather than a second score.