Open source PCB designs you can simulate
18,219 boards
Every public KiCad project we can find on GitHub, with its processor, full parts list and a render of the board. Any of them can be brought up in simulation: open one and run firmware on it before you order a single PCB.
AVR/ArduinoMDE22
ZeniteSolar
144 × 59.5 mm69 parts2LNo license2
AVR/ArduinoMaster old
formicidae-tracker
100 × 100 mm182 parts2LNo license1
AVR/ArduinoMaster
55 × 95 mm84 parts2LNo license1
AVR/ArduinoZeus
80 × 45 mm81 parts2LNo license1
AVR/ArduinoCelaeno
80 × 45 mm69 parts2LNo license1
AVR/ArduinoArke
72 × 36 mm44 parts2LNo license1
AVR/ArduinoAtmega16m1-breakout
46 × 33 mm22 parts2LNo license1
About these open source PCB designs
Every board here is a published hardware project: a public GitHub repository with KiCad design files and a bill of materials. HardLabs reads those files directly — the board outline for its size, the copper layers, every footprint for the parts list — and draws the render from the layout itself, so what you see is the design as committed rather than a product photo.
Boards are indexed by the microcontroller they are built around, by what they are for, and by every IC and module on them. That makes the gallery a quick way to find a reference design: look up a part number to see how other engineers power, decouple and connect it.
Using an open source board as a reference design
- Find boards built on your chip or with the part you are designing around.
- Compare their size, layer count and bill of materials, and open the KiCad files on GitHub.
- Check the license before reusing any of the design.
- Simulate the firmware on HardLabs to test your changes before you order a PCB.
Open source PCB designs: common questions
What is an open source PCB?
A printed circuit board whose design files — schematic, layout and bill of materials — are published for anyone to study and, depending on the license, to modify and manufacture.
Are these PCB designs free to use?
It depends on each project's license. Open hardware licenses such as CERN-OHL and CC BY-SA, and software licenses such as MIT, allow reuse on their terms; a repository with no license keeps all rights with its author. Every board page shows its license.
What design files do the boards come with?
They are KiCad projects: the .kicad_pcb layout and the schematic (or a netlist from older KiCad versions), plus a bill of materials, usually a CSV. Each board page links to those files in the original GitHub repository.
How do I find boards that use a specific part?
Search for the part number, or open the part's page from the list of parts. It shows every board built with that part and the parts most often used alongside it.
How many boards are there, and how often is the list updated?
18,219 boards from 8,912 repositories today. New projects are found and added every night.
Can I test a board's firmware before ordering the PCB?
Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of a board from its netlist and BOM, so you can boot and debug firmware against it with no hardware on your desk.