This hands-on, beginner-friendly book guides hobbyists and makers through every step of creating a custom printed circuit board (PCB), from conception through production.

Based on a popular university course, this book is a fun, practical guide to designing printed circuit boards (PCBs) for readers of all skill levels – no industry experience required.

Readers will learn to transform a breadboard prototype into a professional-grade PCB. More than that, this book bridges the gap between a basic understanding of electronic design and the methods used to manufacture those designs in a reliable, consistent, and scalable manner.

Software-agnostic exercises are provided throughout, allowing readers to try out new concepts no matter what design platform is used. By the end, they’ll be ready to develop their own custom electronics.

Your circuit works on the breadboard. Now learn the concepts that turn it into a board ready for production.

You've built the circuit. It works on your breadboard. Now what?

For most makers and electronics enthusiasts, that's where the journey ends. Technical reference manuals assume you already know PCB fundamentals. Software tutorials show you which menu to click. Neither one teaches the underlying concepts: what a via is and why you need it, how layers work and why the stackup matters, how a schematic becomes something a manufacturer can actually build.

Practical PCB Design fills that gap. Based on the PCB design course Mike D. Smith has taught at the University of Rhode Island for nearly a decade, this book introduces the concepts, terminology, and design judgment that turn a working prototype into a reliable, production-ready board. Every chapter pairs clear explanation with hands-on lab exercises, so you're designing alongside the reading.

You'll learn how to:

• Create schematics and component libraries from scratch
• Understand PCB layers, stackups, and how material choices affect performance
• Place components and route traces with intention, not guesswork
• Set design rules and run checks before anything goes to fabrication
• Generate output files and work confidently with manufacturers

The material is software-agnostic: whether you use KiCad, Altium, Eagle, or something else, the concepts apply. If you've ever wondered why your designs don't quite work once they leave the breadboard, or felt intimidated by the gap between working circuit and finished product, this book is for you.