HardLabs

Helix

arnv15·Helix·Production/Devboard.kicad_pcb

Helix PCB layout, top view — open source RP2040/RP2350 board by arnv15

About the Helix PCB

Helix is an open source RP2040/RP2350 PCB design by arnv15, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 37 × 75 mm, with 45 components from 22 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the RP2040, from the RP2040/RP2350 family. Other key parts include the W25Q128JVS, ESP32-C3-WROOM-02 and AP2112K-3.3TRG1. By type, the board carries 20 capacitors, 9 resistors, 5 connectors, 4 ICs, 4 switches and 2 diodes.

It belongs with the dev boards & breakouts and robotics & motion designs in this gallery.

From the project

Custom Devboard

My take on an Arduino — a custom development board built around the Raspberry Pi RP2040, designed from schematic through to a fully routed, manufacturable PCB.

Helix is a hand-designed development board built to learn the fundamentals of circuit design. It's built around a full RP2040 microcontroller, with a voltage regulator, USB-C connector, crystal oscillator, external flash memory, two rows of GPIO pins (ESP-style, breadboard-friendly), and external UART pins for connecting to a motor controller.

Helix, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Helix

RP2040W25Q128JVSESP32-C3-WROOM-02AP2112K-3.3TRG1

Helix bill of materials (BOM)

45 components, 22 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
1
RP2040
U1
1
W25Q128JVS
U3
1
ESP32-C3-WROOM-02
U4
1
AP2112K-3.3TRG1
U5
1
12 MHz
Y1
1
USB_C_RECEPTACLE_USB2.0_14P
USB_C_Receptacle_USB2.0_14P
J1
1
UART_Conn
J2
2
CONN_01X18_PIN
Conn_01x18_Pin
J3, J5
1
CONN_01X03_PIN
Conn_01x03_Pin
J4
1
FLASH_RESET
SW1
1
Run
SW2
1
ESP_RESET
SW3
1
ESP_BOOT
SW4
2
SK6812MINI-E
D1, D2
4
10UF
10uF
C1, C2, C18, C21
12
0.1UF
0.1uF
C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10 +4
2
1UF
1uF
C11, C23
2
33PF
33pF
C15, C16
2
5.1K
R1, R2
2
27
R3, R4
Show 2 more
QtyPartRefs
2
1K
R5, R6
3
10K
R7, R8, R11

Helix design files

The KiCad project lives in the arnv15/Helix repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Helix: common questions

What microcontroller does the Helix use?

The Helix is built around the RP2040, from the RP2040/RP2350 family.

How big is the Helix PCB?

The Helix measures 37 × 75 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Helix?

45 components, from 22 distinct parts, with part numbers taken from the project's own BOM. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Helix design files?

From the arnv15/Helix repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout, the schematic and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Helix design in my own project?

The repository has no license, so all rights stay with arnv15. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.

Can I test firmware for the Helix without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug RP2040/RP2350 firmware against it before you order a PCB.

Similar boards