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There are 3 modules in this course
Every PCB project relies on signal routing for reliable performance. Incorrect routing can lead to reflections, EMI, and signal degradation, even if the schematic is correct. Mastering these skills ensures that your designs work reliably—from USB circuits to general high-speed electronics.This course focuses on practical techniques to design reliable signal routing in multilayer PCBs, with a hands-on approach using KiCAD. Through a structured, demo-driven curriculum, you will learn controlled impedance routing, differential pair layout, noise reduction, and high-speed routing best practices. By following a consistent USB-to-UART project, you will see each concept applied directly, enabling you to design boards that are functional, reliable, and manufacturable.
This course is ideal for hobbyists and early-career engineers who want to confidently route high-speed and general signals on multilayer PCBs. By the end, you’ll be able to produce clean, manufacturable PCB designs ready for real-world fabrication.
Before you begin, ensure you have a basic understanding of Python, APIs, web services, and CI/CD concepts. These foundational skills will help you navigate the course effectively and allow you to automate and manage deployments throughout.
By the end of this course, you will have the expertise to identify and address the unique security challenges AI systems face. You’ll be equipped with the knowledge to design and implement robust threat models, create effective security test cases, and integrate continuous security validation into your CI/CD pipelines. This course will empower you to secure AI inference endpoints, ensuring their safety and reliability in real-world applications.
In this module, you’ll get hands-on learning by setting up a USB-to-UART board project and defining a 4-layer stack-up with separate power/ground planes in KiCAD. You’ll also learn the fundamentals of signal integrity, layer assignments, and basic trace routing to ensure clean signal paths.
What's included
4 videos2 readings1 peer review
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 19 minutes
Introduction and Welcome•2 minutes
Setup the Project•5 minutes
Basics of Signal Integrity•7 minutes
PCB Layers and Routing•5 minutes
2 readings•Total 10 minutes
Welcome to the Course: Course Overview•5 minutes
Fundamentals of High-Speed PCB Design•5 minutes
1 peer review•Total 20 minutes
Hands-On-Learning: Basic Signal Routing & Stack-Up•20 minutes
Controlled Impedance & High-Speed Routing
Module 2•1 hour to complete
Module details
This module covers essential high-speed PCB design techniques, focusing on controlled impedance and differential pair routing. You’ll learn how to minimize crosstalk, apply termination strategies, and optimize USB signal integrity for reliable performance.
In this module you’ll apply practical routing techniques, including trace length matching, power and ground management, and decoupling in KiCAD. You’ll also analyze real-world USB PCB examples, review best practices, and finalize your board with DRC checks and 3D visualization
What's included
5 videos1 reading1 assignment2 peer reviews
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 26 minutes
Trace Length Matching •6 minutes
Power & Ground Routing•5 minutes
Mixed-Signal Routing Essentials•6 minutes
Wrap-Up & Best Practices•7 minutes
Course Wrap-up•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
How to make differential pair Traces in KiCAD?•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 20 minutes
PCB/CAD Design - Signal Routing•20 minutes
2 peer reviews•Total 80 minutes
Hands-On-Learning: Trace Length, Power & Ground Routing (HOL-2 Extension)•20 minutes
Project: USBasp Programmer Using the ATmega8 Microcontroller•60 minutes
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PCB signal routing here means shaping the physical trace paths on a board so signals travel cleanly, predictably, and with the right electrical behavior. The course emphasizes multilayer routing choices that protect signal integrity and support reliable, manufacturable PCB layouts.
When would you use this kind of PCB signal routing?
You use signal routing when a PCB needs more than simple point-to-point connections, especially when trace width, spacing, return paths, or timing affect performance. In this course, it is applied to both general routing and higher-speed connections where poor layout can lead to reflections, EMI, crosstalk, or signal degradation.
How does PCB signal routing fit into a broader PCB design workflow?
Signal routing fits after the schematic, board stack-up, and basic placement are defined, and before final verification and manufacturing output. In this course, it ties together layer planning, power and ground decisions, and rule checking into a workable PCB layout process.
How is PCB signal routing different from schematic design?
A schematic defines what should connect electrically, while signal routing defines how those connections are physically carried across the PCB. This course focuses on that physical side of the design, where trace geometry, routing style, and reference planes directly influence signal integrity.
Do you need any prerequisites before learning PCB signal routing?
You do not need to be a signal integrity expert to start, but a basic understanding of PCB layout and reading schematics is helpful. Because the course is intermediate, it moves fairly quickly into multilayer boards, layer assignments, and routing tradeoffs.
What tools, platforms, or methods are used in this course?
The course uses KiCad for hands-on PCB layout work. The main methods are controlled-impedance routing and differential-pair routing, supported by power and ground planning and design-rule checks.
What specific tasks will you practice or complete in this course?
You practice defining board stack-ups and layer assignments, routing both general and high-speed signals, and tuning critical traces for spacing and length. You also plan power and ground with decoupling, then verify the layout and prepare it for fabrication.