April 27, 2026
Hot takes, hotter solder
Open-Source KiCad PCBs for Common Arduino, ESP32, RP2040 Boards
Copy, tweak, and USB‑C your way into hardware—commenters are hyped
TLDR: Easyduino released open, ready-to-edit designs of popular boards in a free tool, including USB‑C and factory-ready files. Commenters celebrate the easy “copy and tweak” approach, debate whether to fork as a template or learn from it, and boast performance wins—making pro-level hardware more accessible.
Makers just got a buffet: Easyduino dropped open, ready‑to‑edit versions of popular microcontroller boards—Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040), and the Bluepill—built in KiCad (a free design app for circuit boards). Translation: copy a proven board, tweak it, and go. USB‑C is baked in, files are organized, and factory‑ready data is included. The crowd’s reaction? Roaring approval. One fan gushes they’ve wanted a “PCB design system” for ages; others pile on with “nice” and “awesome,” as if someone finally handed them a cheat code for hardware mods.
But there’s a splash of spicy debate: a practical voice asks if the goal is to fork the designs and ship, or treat them as a learning base. Meanwhile, a power user flexes that their custom Arduino UNO had “better switching” than a store‑bought board, linking receipts (proof here). The meme energy? “Take my solder,” “USB‑C at last,” and “finally, a PCB design system.” For newcomers, the bundle includes everything from the parts list to the “gerbers” (the digital map for manufacturers), making pro‑looking builds feel less scary. It’s equal parts starter kit, study guide, and launchpad—exactly what commenters say they’ve been missing.
Key Points
- •Easyduino publishes open-source KiCad PCB designs replicating popular devboards (Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi Pico/RP2040, STM32 Bluepill).
- •Designs strive to match original outlines, pinouts, layouts, and components, with documented differences due to sourcing and manufacturing constraints.
- •All boards use a four-layer JLC04161H‑7628 stackup, and JLCPCB manufacturing constraints are explained.
- •The repository includes complete production files (gerbers, BOMs, centroid files, datasheets, PDFs, photos) and uses KiCad Jobsets to generate outputs.
- •Developed on KiCad v8.0.0 and updated/tested with KiCad v10; project structure and Git considerations are described for use and contribution.