Mechaduino-Hardware
IDMIL·Mechaduino-Hardware-KiCad
About the Mechaduino-Hardware PCB
Mechaduino-Hardware is an open source Microchip SAM PCB design by IDMIL, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 43 × 43 mm, with 61 components from 34 distinct parts.
Its main chip is the ATSAMD21G18A-A, from the Microchip SAM family. Other key parts include the TLV70233_SOT23-5, AS5047D and A4954. By type, the board carries 16 capacitors, 16 resistors, 13 connectors, 5 transistors, 4 ICs and 2 inductors.
It belongs with the robotics & motion designs in this gallery.
From the project
An updated KiCad port of Tropical Labs' open-source industrial servo.
As a part of my master's thesis, I wanted to revive the Mechaduino-based TorqueTuner, a rotary haptic device developed at the Input Devices and Music Interaction Laboratory (IDMIL) at McGill University. Since the Mechaduino has been out of production for some years, and because the original design files are in EAGLE (a now-defunct, proprietary software), I have ported the schematics and board layout to KiCad, a free and open-source (and incredibly powerful) PCB design software.

Main components on the Mechaduino-Hardware
Mechaduino-Hardware bill of materials (BOM)
61 components, 34 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.
| Qty | Part | Footprint | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TLV70233_SOT23-5 | SOT-23-5 | U1 |
| 1 | AS5047D | TSSOP-14_4.4x5mm_P0.65mm | U2 |
| 1 | A4954 | TSSOP-16-1EP_4.4x5mm_P0.65mm_EP3x3mm_ThermalVias | U3 |
| 1 | ATSAMD21G18A-A | TQFP-48_7x7mm_P0.5mm | U4 |
| 4 | BSS138 | SOT-23-3 | Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 |
| 1 | 2N7002 | SOT-323_SC-70 | Q5 |
| 1 | 32.768K 32.768k | Crystal_SMD_2012-2Pin_2.0x1.2mm | Y1 |
| 1 | SCREW_TERMINAL_01X02 Screw_Terminal_01x02 | TerminalBlock_Phoenix_MKDS-1,5-2_1x02_P5.00mm_Horizontal | J1 |
| 1 | Conn_01x10 | PinHeader_1x10_P2.54mm_Vertical | J2 |
| 1 | Conn_01x06 | PinHeader_2x03_P2.54mm_Vertical | J3 |
| 1 | SWD Connector | PinSocket_2x05_P1.27mm_Vertical | J4 |
| 4 | Conn_01x03_Socket | PinHeader_1x03_P2.54mm_Vertical | J5, J6, J7, J8 |
| 1 | C136001 USB_B_Micro | USB_Micro-AB_Molex_47590-0001 | J9 |
| 2 | Conn_01x01 | PinHeader_1x01_P2.54mm_Vertical | J10, J11 |
| 1 | Conn_01x04 | PinHeader_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical | J12 |
| 1 | NEMA 17 Hole Pattern | NEMA 17 Hole Pattern | J13 |
| 1 | ASMD1206-050 | Fuse_1206_3216Metric | F1 |
| 1 | C221896 SW_SPST | SW_SPST_PTS810 | SW1 |
| 1 | C2899888 Green | LED_0805_2012Metric | LED1 |
| 1 | SMF5.0CA 1N5817 | D_SOD-123F | D1 |
Show 14 more
| Qty | Part | Footprint | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | BLM18PG471SN1D | L_0603_1608Metric | L1, L2 |
| 7 | 0.1U 0.1u | C_0402_1005Metric | C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C14, C15 |
| 1 | 0.01U 0.01u | C_0603_1608Metric | C6 |
| 2 | 18P 18p | C_0603_1608Metric | C7, C8 |
| 3 | 1.0U 1.0u | C_0402_1005Metric | C9, C11, C19 |
| 1 | 100U 100u | CP_Elec_6.3x7.7 | C12 |
| 1 | 1.0U 1.0u | C_0603_1608Metric | C13 |
| 1 | 0.1U 0.1u | C_0805_2012Metric_Pad1.18x1.45mm_HandSolder | C16 |
| 8 | 10K 10k | R_0402_1005Metric | R1, R2, R3, R4, R6, R11, R20, R21 |
| 1 | 330 50 | R_0402_1005Metric | R5 |
| 2 | 4.7K 4.7k | R_0402_1005Metric | R7, R8 |
| 2 | 0.15 | R_1206_3216Metric | R12, R13 |
| 2 | 1k | R_0402_1005Metric | R14, R15 |
| 1 | 100K 100k | R_0402_1005Metric | R16 |
Mechaduino-Hardware design files
The KiCad project lives in the IDMIL/Mechaduino-Hardware-KiCad repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.
Mechaduino-Hardware: common questions
What microcontroller does the Mechaduino-Hardware use?
The Mechaduino-Hardware is built around the ATSAMD21G18A-A, from the Microchip SAM family.
How big is the Mechaduino-Hardware PCB?
The Mechaduino-Hardware measures 43 × 43 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.
How many components are on the Mechaduino-Hardware?
61 components, from 34 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 Mechaduino-Hardware design files?
From the IDMIL/Mechaduino-Hardware-KiCad 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 Mechaduino-Hardware design in my own project?
The repository has no license, so all rights stay with IDMIL. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.
Can I test firmware for the Mechaduino-Hardware without the hardware?
Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug Microchip SAM firmware against it before you order a PCB.
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