Custom PCB Design for Flying Vehicles
PURA UAV Team | Published: April 2025
What is a PCB?
A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is a flat board that mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic components. These connections are created using copper traces and form the foundation of many devices—from smartphones to satellites. In UAV systems, a custom-designed PCB acts like the “brain” of the device, improving performance, reducing weight, and enhancing control.
Why Did We Design Our Own PCB?
While prototyping with jumper wires or breadboards is possible, these methods have drawbacks such as loose connections, added weight, and a cluttered layout. Therefore, we decided to design our own custom PCB. Our goals included:
- Providing sufficient power to the flight computer,
- Controlling and powering the mission mechanism motors,
- Reducing weight and increasing durability,
- Simplifying internal layout to ease maintenance and boost performance.
Our Design Process
We designed the PCB using Altium Designer to provide stable energy to four DC motors and an NVIDIA Jetson mission computer, allowing Jetson to control the motors through signals. We integrated an XT-60 male connector into the PCB to receive power from a 4S Li-Po battery, then regulated the voltage to required levels.
Using XLSEMI’s XL4016 regulators, we obtained 12V outputs. This voltage was supplied to two L298N motor drivers (by STMicroelectronics) and to the Jetson. Each L298N controlled two DC motors via custom headers.
Since one XL4016 wasn’t enough to supply sufficient current, we used three: two for the motor drivers, one dedicated to the Jetson.
Additionally, we used a Texas Instruments LM2596S-5.0 regulator to supply 5V to the logic section of the L298Ns, enabling proper processing of PWM and control signals from Jetson.
Conclusion
The custom PCB we designed serves as both the power and control center for motors and the mission computer. Thanks to voltage regulation, streamlined wiring, and a communication infrastructure compatible with Jetson, our UAV's overall performance significantly improved.