Brain
About the Brain PCB
Brain is an open source PCB design by tkleisas, published on GitHub under the MIT license. It is a 2-layer board measuring 100 × 80 mm, with 17 components from 15 distinct parts.
Other key parts include the 6N138 and USBLC6-2P6. By type, the board carries 7 connectors, 3 capacitors, 3 resistors, 2 ICs and 2 switches.
It belongs with the audio designs in this gallery.
From the project
Standalone groovebox on Raspberry Pi Zero 2W - yawn engine, SDL3 panel emulator, Pico USB-MIDI panel firmware, KiCad control hardware
NSR-2 is the compact sibling of NSR-1 (this repo's docs/design.md rev A). Design docs: docs/nsr2-design.md, nsr2/netlist-spec.md, nsr2/enclosure-spec.md.
1. The chain of truth is: netlist-spec.md → genschematics.py → .kicadsch. Any circuit change goes: update the spec → update the generator → regenerate → re-verify (ERC + netlist + render) → review. 2. Never hand-edit the generated .kicadsch files (or nsr2.kicadsym) while this contract is active — regeneration wipes hand edits. Spot something wrong? Report it; it gets fixed in the generator so the fix survives. 3. The KiCad GUI is for review…
Main components on the Brain
Brain bill of materials (BOM)
17 components, 15 distinct parts.
| Qty | Part | Footprint | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6N138 | DIP-8_W7.62mm | U1 |
| 1 | USBLC6-2P6 | SOT-23-6 | U2 |
| 1 | Pi_Zero_2W | PinSocket_2x20_P2.54mm_Vertical | J1 |
| 1 | ILI9488_4.0in | PinHeader_1x08_P2.54mm_Horizontal | J2 |
| 1 | DIN5_MIDI_OUT | DIN5-RA-PTH | J3 |
| 1 | DIN5_MIDI_IN | DIN5-RA-PTH | J4 |
| 1 | USB_A_HOST | USB_A_Connfly_DS1098_Horizontal | J5 |
| 1 | POWERBOOST | JST_XH_B4B-XH-A_1x04_P2.50mm_Vertical | J6 |
| 1 | MIC | JST_XH_B2B-XH-A_1x02_P2.50mm_Vertical | J7 |
| 1 | POWER | SW_SPDT_SLIDE_THT | SW1 |
| 1 | SHUTDOWN | SW_PUSH_6mm | SW2 |
| 3 | 100n | C_0805_2012Metric | C1, C2, C3 |
| 1 | 33R | R_0805_2012Metric | R1 |
| 1 | 220R | R_0805_2012Metric | R2 |
| 1 | 10k | R_0805_2012Metric | R3 |
Brain design files
The KiCad project lives in the tkleisas/groovebox repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.
Brain: common questions
How big is the Brain PCB?
The Brain measures 100 × 80 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.
How many components are on the Brain?
17 components, from 15 distinct parts. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.
Where can I download the Brain design files?
From the tkleisas/groovebox repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout and the schematic; the links under Design files point to each one.
Can I use the Brain design in my own project?
Yes, under the terms of its MIT license, which tkleisas chose for the repository.
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