PiCat

sbunger·PiCat·devboard-pcb/devboard.kicad_pcb

About the PiCat PCB

PiCat is an open source RP2040/RP2350 PCB design by sbunger, published on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license. It is a 2-layer board measuring 21 × 51 mm, with 35 components from 17 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the RP2040, from the RP2040/RP2350 family. Other key parts include the NCP1117-3.3_SOT223 and W25Q128JVS. By type, the board carries 17 capacitors, 7 resistors, 4 connectors, 3 ICs, 2 diodes and 1 crystal.

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

From the project

PiCat, an RP2040 based development board with a similar layout to the Pico. Includes 16MB of flash memory and two controllable LEDs.

I created this project gain experience working on PCBs while creating a product I will use. I plan to use at least one of the two devboards as an LED controller in a 3d printed lamp, and the other one will be used for a future project.

The devboard can be controlled through circuitpython and arduino. Right now, I am using circuitpython to make two LEDs blink (example file in code folder).

PiCat, from the project README — From the project README

Main components on the PiCat

RP2040 NCP1117-3.3_SOT223 W25Q128JVS

PiCat bill of materials (BOM)

35 components, 17 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

Qty	Part	Footprint	Refs
1	RP2040	QFN-56-1EP_7x7mm_P0.4mm_EP3.2x3.2mm	U1
1	NCP1117-3.3_SOT223	SOT-23	U2
1	W25Q128JVS	Winbond_USON-8-1EP_3x2mm_P0.5mm_EP0.2x1.6mm	U3
1	12 MHz	Crystal_SMD_3225-4Pin_3.2x2.5mm_MOD	Y1
1	USB_C_RECEPTACLE_USB2.0_14P USB_C_Receptacle_USB2.0_14P	USB_C_Receptacle_HRO_TYPE-C-31-M-12	J1
2	CONN_01X20_PIN Conn_01x20_Pin	PinHeader_1x20_P2.54mm_Vertical	J2, J3
1	CONN_01X03_PIN Conn_01x03_Pin	PinHeader_1x03_P2.54mm_Vertical	J4
1	SW_Push	SW_Push_SPST_NO_Alps_SKRK	SW1
2	WS2812B	LED_WS2812B_PLCC4_5.0x5.0mm_P3.2mm	D1, D2
11	0.1UF 0.1uF	C_0402_1005Metric	C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8 +3
2	1UF 1uF	C_0402_1005Metric	C9, C10
2	10UF 10uF	C_0603_1608Metric	C13, C14
2	33PF 33pF	C_0402_1005Metric	C15, C16
2	5.1K	R_0402_1005Metric	R1, R2
2	27	R_0402_1005Metric	R3, R4
2	1K	R_0402_1005Metric	R5, R7
1	10K	R_0402_1005Metric	R6

PiCat design files

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

Layoutdevboard-pcb/devboard.kicad_pcb
Schematicdevboard-pcb/devboard.kicad_sch
BOMmanufacturing/devboard-bom.csv

PiCat: common questions

What microcontroller does the PiCat use?

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

How big is the PiCat PCB?

The PiCat measures 21 × 51 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the PiCat?

35 components, from 17 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 PiCat design files?

From the sbunger/PiCat 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 PiCat design in my own project?

Yes, under the terms of its GPL-3.0 license, which sbunger chose for the repository.

Can I test firmware for the PiCat 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.