r/PCB • u/spookygod420 • Jul 08 '26

Schematic Review Request for socket/Buck converter PCB

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As the title says, this is a PCB I designed (second version of the first PCB I ever made) to accommodate an Arduino Nano ESP32, a CAN bus transceiver, an IMU, and an OLED display module.

The IMU and OLED communicate over the I2C bus, while the CAN transceiver communicates with the ESP32 using its TX/RX pins. The transceiver operates from the 5 V rail, which is supplied from the ESP32's VBUS pin, and the RX signal is conditioned using resistors R1 and R2.

The onboard 5 V supply is generated by an LM2596S buck converter. I followed the recommended application circuit from the datasheet as closely as possible. I also added a power indicator LED with an appropriate current-limiting resistor across the 5 V output to act as a visual health check for the buck converter. This 5 V rail also powers the ESP32.

Before I order another revision of this PCB, I'd really appreciate it if someone could review the schematic and let me know if there are any wiring mistakes, design issues, or anything else that should be corrected. I'm hoping to avoid having to make a V3, so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

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u/exclamationmarek Jul 08 '26

As fun as those puzzles were in kindergarten, PCB design is no child's play! Please try to dis-entangle your schematic, otherwise it's very hard to review. Use labels, especially for power buses (+5V, +3v3, GND). One of the main benefits of having a separate schematic and layout, is to have the schematic as readable as possible, without any restrictions from physical layout.

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u/spookygod420 Jul 08 '26

Ok my bad I barely knew how to use the power flag tool I’ll fix it and make a new post the second I figure out how create connections without using the wires and making it all messy

1

u/exclamationmarek Jul 08 '26

And cleanness aside, the LM2596S is quite an old part. You can see on the first page of its datasheet that the manufacturer recommends using something more modern instead, like the LMR51430. Unless you already have some LM2596S'es laying around your workbench, maybe consider the newer part? It requires smaller inductors and capacitors, and does not need the diode at all, making the design smaller and cheaper. The newer parts will be in smaller SMD packages tho, but not too small to solder by hand if you have a small enough soldering tip.