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A7s backplane v2

skitzo2000·cyberdecks·backplane/v1/kicad/a7s_backplane_v2.kicad_pcb

A7s backplane v2 PCB layout, top view — open source RP2040/RP2350 board by skitzo2000

About the A7s backplane v2 PCB

A7s backplane v2 is an open source RP2040/RP2350 PCB design by skitzo2000, published on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board measuring 86.2 × 74.1 mm, with 20 components from 13 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the RP2040-ZERO, from the RP2040/RP2350 family. By type, the board carries 11 connectors, 4 switches, 2 fuses, 2 capacitors and 1 module.

It belongs with the rf & radio and displays & leds designs in this gallery, and the repository also holds 2 earlier revisions of it.

From the project

Cyberdeck component research — 2026 buyer's guides for compute, displays, input, power, networking/radio, and chassis.

Superseded boards, kept for reference and diff only. The current board is v2 in the parent folder.

Everything here shares the same electrical design (netlist/schematic/BOM) as v2 — see the shared docs in the parent: ../SCHEMATIC.md, ../BACKPLANE-DESIGN.md, ../BOM-SHIELD.md.

Both v1 boards mated the A7S GPIO headers mirrored (shield socket pin 1 landed on A7S pin 30), which shorted the A7S +3V3 onto shield GND — the SBC went dark the moment the shield was seated. That header- mate bug was only caught and fixed in v2. Do not fab anything in this folder.

Main components on the A7s backplane v2

RP2040-ZERO

A7s backplane v2 bill of materials (BOM)

20 components, 13 distinct parts — part numbers from the project's BOM.

QtyPartRefs
1
RP2040-ZERO
RP2040-Zero
A1
1
CONN_02X15_ODD_EVEN
Conn_02x15_Odd_Even
J1
1
CONN_01X15
Conn_01x15
J2
1
CONN_01X14
Conn_01x14
J3
2
CONN_02X04_ODD_EVEN
Conn_02x04_Odd_Even
J5, J6
2
Conn_01x01
J5b, J6b
1
JOY
J8
1
ENC
J10
1
BTN5_6
J11
1
FLIPPER
J12
2
MF-R050 0.5A
F1, F2
4
SW_Push
SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4
2
0.1UF
0.1uF
C1, C2

A7s backplane v2 design files

The KiCad project lives in the skitzo2000/cyberdecks repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

A7s backplane v2: common questions

What microcontroller does the A7s backplane v2 use?

The A7s backplane v2 is built around the RP2040-ZERO, from the RP2040/RP2350 family.

How big is the A7s backplane v2 PCB?

The A7s backplane v2 measures 86.2 × 74.1 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the A7s backplane v2?

20 components, from 13 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 A7s backplane v2 design files?

From the skitzo2000/cyberdecks repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout and the BOM; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the A7s backplane v2 design in my own project?

The repository has no license, so all rights stay with skitzo2000. Use it as a reference, and ask the author before reusing the design.

Can I test firmware for the A7s backplane v2 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.

More boards in cyberdecks

Earlier revisions in the repo: a7s_backplane_rev2, a7s_backplane

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