u/Aran_PCBWAY

Tangara is an open-source MP3 player project by Cool Tech Zone. It is built around ESP32, designed as a modern, iPod-style portable music device with modular hardware and open firmware.

We helped manufacture this project. For projects like this, we're glad to support a one-stop solution, from hardware to enclosure production, turning your design into real stuff. If you're interested, check out PCBWay!

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Kidding of course, love seeing what wacky and fun new builds people are making. I call this the obelisk:

* Gateron banana low profile switches

* Rp2040 zero controller

* Concrete body cast in a 3d printed TPU mold

* Simple PCB designed by me, manufactured by PCBway, then hand soldered

* Steel plate sent off to be cut by sendcutsend

* 3D printed keycaps, 3D printed knob

* Cord stolen from a dead razer deathadder

Just a fun project I decided to take on this month, mainly as a test run to see if I could do a whole keyboard. A big goal was to see how much of it could be made by hand, by me. I really wanted it to look rough, industrial, a little brutal; it will probably age further into that as the metal rusts and patinas and the concrete crumbles and stains.

I will probably swap out the 3d printed caps for something a little higher quality, but these are a good starting place.

This is the Koi Pond Guitar project – a DIY MIDI instrument and ambitious creative build by evettesniche(IG). It combines Blender simulation work with experimental electronics to create a custom capacitive-touch MIDI instrument.

We supported the project by PCB manufacturing and 3D printing services. The clear resin gives a clean, glass-like finish that fits the koi pond aesthetic and beautifully reveals the internal structure of the instrument. If you're interested in this material, feel free to check our PCBWay.

In this video, Macho Nacho Productions (YT) upgrades a Zelda Game & Watch with internal memory expansion and a microSD card slot, using careful ribbon cable soldering for tight space integration.

Projects like this depend on high-quality custom PCBs to keep everything stable and reliable in such tight space. We offer precision PCB manufacturing for makers and modders. If you're working on something similar, check out PCBWay.com.

>u/xpen25x curious, what are PCBWay's shared projects and how they work?

Shared projects are an important part of the PCBWay community. Once you place an order, you can choose to share your project along with the design files. Others can then reorder the same project easily with just one click, and you’ll earn a 10% commission from each resulting order. You can also browse high-quality projects shared by others anytime, and directly order them to get the finished products. More details here.

High-quality shared projects may also be featured as weekly highlights and posted in our subreddit r/PCBWayOfficial.

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>u/Adventurous_Taro3744 wonders what material and production method would work best for his design?

Customers usually have a general idea of which material and process would suit their design best. For beginners or customers unfamiliar with our manufacturing capabilities, if you're unsure which material or process to choose, you can simply leave your project requirements in the order notes and mention that you'd like us to recommend the materials. We'll suggest the most suitable option based on details like strength, working environment, temperature, or intended use.

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>u/Hoovomoondoe concerns can customer design files be shared or leaked?

This is an important question, especially for anyone working on original hardware designs or commercial projects. At PCBWay, we treat customer design files as strictly confidential and never share them with any third party without authorization. We also use secure systems to protect and manage all uploaded data. If extra assurance is needed, NDA support is available. We always keep customer data safe as the top priority, and aim to be a partner you can rely on.

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That's it for today's roundup. If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment or post directly in r/PCBWayOfficial. We'll make sure to check and respond as soon as possible.

This is a rotating 100-LED filament lamp prototype featuring 25 independently spinning sections, creating a dynamic and visually striking lighting effect. The build was developed by Nick Electronics (YT), combining creative mechanical design with custom electronics to bring the concept to life.

We're glad to have supported the development of this project. If you have a similar idea and want to turn it into a real hardware build, feel free to explore PCBWay!

MCUs and MPUs are both essential processing chips in electronics, but they are designed for different tasks. An MCU combines the processor, memory, and peripherals into one compact chip for real-time control and low-power embedded systems, while an MPU focuses on high-performance data processing and usually works with external memory and a full operating system. Choosing the right one depends on your project requirements, from simple IoT devices to advanced computing systems.

Which one do you use more in your projects — MCU or MPU? 👀

Not sure when to use solder paste or flux? This video by Curious Scientist (YT) gives a clear beginner-friendly explanation with practical examples under the microscope. Feel free to share if there's anything else you would add. 👀

Good soldering also starts with high-quality PCBs. Bring your electronics projects to life with professional PCB manufacturing from PCBWay!

Saw this project by atarabyte (IG) and had to share it here. She used a transparent PCB design that really shows off the internal routing and components instead of hiding everything on a traditional board.

Transparent PCBs like this are a nice mix of aesthetics and engineering—you still get proper circuit performance, but the board itself becomes part of the visual design instead of just being a base layer.

If you're into PCB design or just like unique hardware builds, check out PCBWay.com!

My girlfriend and I just finished building a laser projector based around a cheap X/Y galvo kit, 200mW RGB laser module, and an ESP32.

It's surprisingly capable and was a lot of fun to build! It can display vector art, and we've implemented a few basic demos like a simple version of Asteroids or an interactive/scrollable map. There's also a 3.5mm audio input for using it as a music visualizer.

The ESP32-S2 was a great fit for this: we used the two 8-bit DACs to control the beam position, using op-amps to go from the 0-3.3V range up to the +/-10V range we needed. Each of the three lasers (red, green, blue) are driven with PWM. The firmware is written entirely in Rust, which was a first for me but went much more smoothly than I expected!

Writeup with all the details is here: https://breq.dev/projects/laser-projector

Watching these ATmega32U4 PCBs by CuriousScientist(YT) come together is oddly satisfying — from bare boards to a perfectly aligned assembly. Clean soldering, precise layout, and smooth USB MCU integration make the whole process feel effortless and precise.

What part of PCB assembly do you find most satisfying to watch?

>​Transparent Purple Case for a Game Console

A handheld gaming console, but with a transparent purple custom shell, giving it a clean translucent look with a subtle color shift under different lighting. The mod is focused on aesthetics while keeping full original functionality. See how it looks here.

Transparent parts are difficult to achieve with home 3D printing due to surface texture and light scattering. Professional manufacturing delivers a much clearer, more consistent translucent finish, making designs like this truly stand out. If you need similar custom parts, check out PCBWay.com.

>Modular AI Hardware Platform Built Around the ESP32-S3.

Open-source ESP32-S3 AI hardware platform mainboard with camera, audio, and sensor support in a compact modular design. It’s built for expandable AI and interaction applications. The project is now in prototype stage, open to feedback and iteration. More details here.

>​100-day IOT Challenge

This is a 100-day challenge building real-world IoT projects daily using MicroPython on ESP32, ESP8266, and Raspberry Pi Pico. Each project is shared with code and implementation details. The challenge is still ongoing, and it's exciting to see what will be built next. More info here.

Which project do you like most? Share your thoughts or your own builds with us 🚀

Hey, 12 days ago I posted my 4-knob LED pattern controller here and the response was way bigger than I expected.

What changed since then:

- Designed my first PCB in KiCad (PCBway sponsored the manufacturing after seeing the original post — huge thanks)

- Swapped all 4 potentiometers for rotary encoders with push switches

- Cleaner case design to fit the new PCB and encoders

- All files on GitHub: schematics, PCB artwork (Gerber), 3D models for the case, firmware

I also built a website and just wrote the first post on it — a long build log looking back at the whole journey, in both English and Korean. Wrote it today while pausing to think about where this is heading.

GitHub: https://github.com/engmung/PatternFlow

Site + build log: https://patternflow.work/journal/v1-30-days

If it's useful to you, a star on the repo would mean a lot.

🎉 Exciting news!
CadQuery — the powerful Python-based parametric 3D CAD software — now partners with PCBWay. You can now export your design directly as a STEP file and send it straight to our instant quoting page.
Watch the demo here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=AuPr7cgEcTY 🙌

This Pokédex by mr.v0lt (IG) turns a classic idea into a real handheld device. It has a screen, buttons, and custom electronics packed into a compact design. Good PCBs are key for builds like this. The routing is tight, power needs to stay stable, and everything has to fit neatly in a small enclosure.

We made the custom PCBs for this project. If you have your own idea, upload your design to get started.

This transparent glass-like Xbox build by MachoNachoProductions (YouTube) showcases how modern hardware modding can completely transform a classic console into a display piece.

The project uses PCBWay's transparent 3D printing service to produce clear structural parts, giving the Xbox a clean glass-like look while keeping strength and precision. This material is ideal for showcase builds like this, where visual impact and internal visibility are just as important as function. Check more details here.