HardLabs

Uart cable tester

Mykola2·uart-cable-tester·hardware/cable_tester.kicad_pcb

Uart cable tester PCB layout, top view — open source RP2040/RP2350 board by Mykola2

About the Uart cable tester PCB

Uart cable tester is an open source RP2040/RP2350 PCB design by Mykola2, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 135 × 90 mm, with 62 components from 20 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the Pico / WeAct RP2040 (USB-C), from the RP2040/RP2350 family. Other key parts include the MCP23017-E/SO and SN74AHCT1G125DBVR. By type, the board carries 20 resistors, 17 capacitors, 11 diodes, 5 ICs, 5 connectors and 1 module.

It belongs with the displays & leds designs in this gallery.

From the project

design.py is the single source of truth: parts, footprints, pin-to-net map and positions. Everything else is generated from it.

design.py is the single source of truth: parts, footprints, pin-to-net map and positions. Everything else is generated from it.

checkdesign.py checks the exported netlist against firmware/hwmap.py`: - each of the 58 test lines runs connector pin → 220 Ω → the MCP23017 pin the firmware expects - the address straps are correct - no DUT pin touches a power net

The board is routed, so don't run genpcb.py again, because it overwrites the board. After that, make changes in the schematic (or design.py followed by genschematic.py), then use Tools → Update PCB from Schematic (F8).

Main components on the Uart cable tester

MCP23017-E/SOSN74AHCT1G125DBVRPico / WeAct RP2040 (USB-C)

Uart cable tester bill of materials (BOM)

62 components, 20 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
4
MCP23017-E/SO
U1, U2, U3, U4
1
SN74AHCT1G125DBVR
74AHCT1G125
U5
1
Raspberry Pi Pico (SC0915) or WeAct Studio RP2040
Pico / WeAct RP2040 (USB-C)
A1
1
MMBT3904
Q1
1
2x20 2.54mm male pin header
RPi 40-pin (DUT)
J1
1
JST SM06B-GHS-TB(LF)(SN)
TELEM1 (DUT)
J2
1
JST SM06B-GHS-TB(LF)(SN)
TELEM2 (DUT)
J3
1
JST SM06B-GHS-TB(LF)(SN)
TELEM3 (DUT)
J4
1
1x4 2.54mm header (DNP)
OLED (opt.)
J5
1
TMB12A05 (12mm 5V active, 7.6mm pitch)
5V active buzzer
BZ1
1
6x6mm THT tactile switch
START / LEARN
SW1
10
WS2812B-5050
WS2812B
D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8 +2
1
1N4148W
D11
15
0603 100nF X7R 16V
100n
C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C8, C9, C10 +7
2
0805 10uF X5R 16V
10u
C6, C7
1
0603 330R
330
R1
2
0603 4.7k
4k7
R2, R3
1
0603 1k
1k
R4
1
0603 10k
10k
R5
15
YC164-JR-07220RL (4x220R 0603 convex)
4x220
RN1, RN2, RN3, RN4, RN5, RN6, RN7, RN8 +7

Uart cable tester design files

The KiCad project lives in the Mykola2/uart-cable-tester repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Uart cable tester: common questions

What microcontroller does the Uart cable tester use?

The Uart cable tester is built around the Pico / WeAct RP2040 (USB-C), from the RP2040/RP2350 family.

How big is the Uart cable tester PCB?

The Uart cable tester measures 135 × 90 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Uart cable tester?

62 components, from 20 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 Uart cable tester design files?

From the Mykola2/uart-cable-tester 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 Uart cable tester design in my own project?

The repository has no license, so all rights stay with Mykola2. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.

Can I test firmware for the Uart cable tester 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.

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