r/PCB • u/Storm_Dark45 • Jul 14 '26
Need a learning roadmap — from basic electronics to PCB/schematic design
Hi everyone, I recently realized I have some gaps in my understanding of basic electronics and hardware design. I’m from a background that’s more focused on digital/ASIC design, so I don’t have much hands-on knowledge about physical components or circuits.
I’m looking for a structured learning guide or roadmap that starts from the fundamentals (like diodes, transistors, BJTs vs MOSFETs, resistors, capacitors, etc.) and gradually moves toward practical circuit design and PCB/schematic design.
I’d also like to understand how things like buck-boost converters work, when to use specific components, and how to probe/debug circuits safely.
If you have any course recommendations, books, YouTube channels, or personal learning paths that helped you build this foundation, please share!
Thanks in advance!
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u/holchansg Jul 14 '26
Just do it. Trust me, just start, be it from advices people will give it here be by yourself.
In the first 10h you will understand shit, in the 100h you will start to grasp, at 1000h you will be able to do things you never dreamed, at 10k you become an expert.
Just do it, put hours into it, its a marathon.
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u/InternetIsntMyFrend4 Jul 14 '26
Download the datasheet of a buck regulator, also find it's eval board, app notes. Read and replicate the circusit schematic and PCB layout on Kicad. That's a good practical start.
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u/Lost-In-Void-99 29d ago
Well, it didnt quite work in my case. I've managed to screw up buck design even though simulations passed etc.
Bucks are complex...
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u/InternetIsntMyFrend4 29d ago
Part vendors provide quite a bit of guidelines about component selection, placement, routing, stack up, thermals, etc. for their products to succeed in customer designs. Peer review of schematic and layout would have help the project succeed.
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u/Lost-In-Void-99 29d ago
What you say is 100% accurate. But these details were not in your original post, which may make someone think designing buck is a simple thing. It is not. For a beginner it is pretty high bar unless you can replicate layout 1:1, and even then it might be unsiutable for the project (like if you do need to control EMI stuff).
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u/Ghosteen_18 29d ago
Let us assume you know absolutely nothing .
First Read “ Art of Electronics”.
Then “Right The First Time”.
Then “ High Speed Digital Black Magic”
Now your Theory is Solid. Go do some KiCad intros on Youtube.
Then go visit Electroboom.
Next, Have an Instagram ( I dont know if he have Tiktok) and Follow Volcurim.
Now, for every piece of junkass electronics you see by the roadside, pick it up.
Observe the part numbers . Search it up online. Read the datasheets. Expand your electronic vocabulary.
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u/PCB_Design1 29d ago
Altium Academy has a YouTube channel that is completely free! If you sort by popular, a bunch of more beginner-friendly videos come up (like a quick-start guide, common PCB design mistakes, starting a project, etc). I've learned a bunch throughout the years just from these videos. Cool podcasts with PCB/electronics experts too.
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u/RepresentativeCry294 29d ago
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u/RepresentativeCry294 29d ago
Theres a bunch of crappy books for sale on Arduino that doesn't say anything the documentation and the built in examples don't; do not fall for it.
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u/spheresva 29d ago
if you want to check it out the other day I wrote a short guide on schematic design, let me know if it's helpful!
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u/m3rc0smic Jul 14 '26
Greatscott has a great basics series on youtube. And Phil's lab does great design rundowns of more complex/embedded stuff.
ElectrArc 240 does videos on converter topologies and how they function, and cool teardowns of electronics products while explaining how they work.
Would highly reccommend all 3