A Development Board Based on the STM32G431 Micro-controller by STMicroelectronics

This board is used to develop and test all the required drivers for the SRM32G4. The choice of the micro-controller was made based on its convenient specifications, which allow for a wide range of applications without much sacrifice in any field of performance.

These specs include:

5x ultra-fast 12-bit ADCs (4 Msamples/s)

7x 12-bit DACs (15 Msamples/s)

7x ultra-fast comparators (17 nanoseconds)

6x op amps with programmable gain

ART, CCM SRAM, and mathematical accelerators

Dual-bank Flash memory

Up to 3x CAN FD

USB 2.0 full-speed data interface (device)

USB Type-C™ and power delivery controller (UCPD)

This development board was needed to be fully designed, fabricated, soldered and then tested so that our main goal of writing our own drivers, which would allow for versatile usage of this board in a multitude of applications according to the needs. JLCPCB was our go-to manufacturer for getting our board due to their cheap but extremely reliable and high quality service. With the ability to order a minimum of 5 boards for just $2, it is a no-brainer for students, hobbyists and professionals alike.

The first step in PCB design is brainstorming and determining the necessary components that complement the uses you'd need from your board. This step includes searching, profiling certain components and making comparisons and choices as to which components meet your demands. The follow-up step is to continue this by creating or importing these components' schematic symbols in your preferred Designer tool, to wire the components and achieve the required utility of the board.

The next step would be placing the components on the PCB layout screen. During this step, it is crucial to keep in mind the physical positioning of the components used, as well as how the placement could affect the electronic operation of the circuit. In some cases, the component supplier will provide a layout reference example to give the designer a general idea of how certain components should be placed.

It is necessary to ensure through your 3D model screen that the PCB looks the way it is intended to. Sometimes perception of how the final product will be can be muzzled in the layout screen of your Designer tool. After confirming that all is well, you'll need to export the gerber files (which is a very simple procedure, but can differ from a designer tool to another) so that these files can be sent over to JLCPCB for manufacture.

Onto ordering the PCB from JLCPCB, the steps are simple and represented in the above screenshots.

1. Open the JLCPCB website and click on Order now.
2. Add the exported gerber files, usually packed in a zip or rar file.
3. You can select certain parameters and options to customize your PCB order while the files are processed.
4. Finally you can recheck your PCBs through the gerber viewer, when affirmed that everything is alright you can save the order to your cart and proceed to checkout.