KiCad
Open-source PCB design suite — where the board is actually designed
- Schematic capture
- PCB layout
- Design Rule Check
- 3D visualization
- Gerber / fabrication output
LIVE HACKATHON • ₹399
5 live sessions
No prior PCB design experience required
BUILD YOUR OWN PCB IN 5 DAYS
GPT-6 Astra + KiCad + AI PCB Design Hackathon
- Circuit idea
- Schematic
- PCB layout
- DRC
- Gerber
- Manufacturing
Stop learning PCB design as disconnected software commands. Follow one complete product journey — live, hands-on, in KiCad.
Dates
15 – 19 November
Monday to Friday · 5 live sessions
Time
5:00 PM IST
Every day, live
Enrolment closes Sunday, 15 November, 5:00 PM IST
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KiCad · PCB Editor
DRC · 0 violations
AI-assisted review
- 15–19 Novlive dates
- 5 PM ISTevery day
- 5days
- ₹399one-time
- Recordingsincluded
- Certificateincluded
Proven Industrial & Defence Pedigree
Learn from Engineers Who Build for DRDO, HAL & Global Industry
This isn't an academic toy-circuit course. AronLabz is an established hardware engineering firm in Bengaluru with over a decade of hands-on production experience engineering mission-critical PCBs for Indian defence agencies, aerospace leaders, and multinational tech firms.
🛡️
DRDO Associated Vendor
Defence-Grade Hardware
AronLabz designs and delivers ruggedised MIL-grade electronics, secure telemetry, and perimeter defense systems meeting demanding military specifications.
✈️
HAL Projects
Aerospace Subsystems
Avionics and aerospace subsystem design with strict high-reliability PCB layout, zero-defect trace geometry, and space/aviation environmental qualification.
🌐
International Clients
Global EMS & Tech Giants
Serving overseas tech clients with high-density multi-layer routing, high-speed differential signal integrity, IoT hardware, and custom embedded systems.
🏭
12+ Years Industrial R&D
Bengaluru Facility
Complete PCB design to mass SMT manufacturing, MIL-STD-810H environmental testing, MIL-STD-461G EMI/EMC chambers, and production line bring-up.
★
Active Defence & Aerospace Supplier
★
MIL-STD-810H & 461G Qualification
★
Multi-Layer HDI (4 to 16+ Layers)
★
Direct Fast-Track Hiring & Internships at Bangalore Lab
Why do so many people know electronics but still struggle to design a PCB?
- They know Arduino or ESP32, but their projects stay on a breadboard forever.
- They understand individual components, but not how to turn a circuit into a PCB.
- They don't know how to choose the right component package.
- Footprints are a mystery.
- Placement and routing feel like guesswork.
- They don't know what DRC actually checks.
- They've heard of Gerber files, but not how a manufacturer uses them.
- They don't know what happens between "I designed a PCB" and "I received the physical board."
This hackathon connects all of those pieces.
Why PCB design is a skill worth learning
PCB design is the bridge between an idea in your head and a product you can hold. It's a foundational skill used across embedded systems, electronics product development, IoT, robotics and hardware prototyping.
- IoT devices
- Embedded systems
- Sensor boards
- Automation controllers
- Robotics
- Smart home devices
- Wearables
- Industrial electronics
- Development boards
- Hardware prototypes
- Student projects
- Startup product prototypes
- INIdea
- SCHCircuit
- PCBEngineering design
- OUTPhysical product
What you'll build: one board, idea to product
Not 100 disconnected commands. You'll understand the complete engineering workflow behind a PCB, in the order a real product is built.
- 01
Define the circuit
Decide what the board must do: inputs, outputs, power.
- 02
Select components
Choose parts from datasheets, not guesswork.
- 03
Calculate values
Understand why component values matter, and work them out.
- 04
Create schematic
Draw and validate the circuit in KiCad.
- 05
Select footprints
Learn how footprints connect the schematic to the physical board.
- 06
Create PCB
Transfer to the board editor, draw the outline, set the rules.
- 07
Place components
Position power, ICs, connectors and signals logically.
- 08
Route traces
Connect copper with the right width and clearance.
- 09
Run DRC
Check the board against your design rules and fix errors.
- 10
Generate BOM
List every part for purchasing and assembly.
- 11
Generate Gerber
Export copper, mask, silkscreen and drill files.
- 12
Understand manufacturing
See what the manufacturer actually receives, and what happens next.
The PCB design workflow is changing
What happens when PCB engineering meets AI?
Modern AI systems are increasingly capable of assisting with engineering workflows. GPT-6 Astra has been publicly demonstrated performing PCB layout in KiCad.
But the lesson isn't "AI replaces the engineer." It's this: engineers who understand PCB fundamentals can use AI far more effectively — and can catch it when it's wrong.
Know these, and AI becomes an accelerator instead of a black box:
- How circuits work
- How components are selected
- How schematics work
- How footprints work
- How placement works
- How routing works
- How DRC works
- How manufacturing files work
Engineering knowledge
+
AI
+
KiCad
Faster design workflow
Every AI-assisted design still needs engineering verification before it goes to manufacturing.
The tools behind the modern PCB workflow
GPT-6 Astra + AI
AI-assisted engineering workflow — an assistant, not the PCB software
- Understanding design requirements
- Exploring circuit ideas
- Reviewing design decisions
- Working with technical documentation
- Accelerating repetitive design work
Who is this hackathon for?
ECE / EEE / E&I students
Turn classroom circuits into a board you designed.
Diploma students
Build practical design skills alongside your coursework.
Embedded systems learners
Design the hardware your firmware runs on.
Arduino / ESP32 learners
Move from development boards to your own custom PCB.
IoT & robotics enthusiasts
Put sensors, controllers and connectors on one compact board.
Electronics hobbyists & makers
Retire the breadboard for your next build.
Freshers
Add a hands-on hardware design workflow to your skill set.
Working professionals
Understand the PCB side of the products you work on.
Aspiring hardware engineers
Learn the full schematic-to-manufacturing workflow.
Startup founders / product builders
Know what it takes to get a prototype board made.
Starting from zero? That's OK.
No prior PCB design experience is required. We start with fundamentals and build up one layer at a time. Basic familiarity with electronics helps, and the first day covers the component and circuit concepts you'll need.
We start with
- PCB fundamentals
- Components
- Component values
- Circuit understanding
- Schematic design
Then move into
- Footprints
- PCB layout
- Routing
- DRC
- BOM
- Gerber
- Manufacturing
The 5-day curriculum
Five live sessions, 15–19 November, 5 PM IST daily. Tap a day to see every topic.
DAY 1Sun 15 Nov · 5 PMPCB Fundamentals + Circuit & Component Design
- PCB fundamentals and professional PCB workflow
- Understanding electronic components and their functions
- Component selection using datasheets
- Component values and basic circuit calculations
- Designing the product circuit
- Creating the schematic
- Working with KiCad
- Schematic validation
DAY 2Mon 16 Nov · 5 PMSchematic to PCB + Component Placement
- PCB layers and board structure
- SMD vs Through-Hole
- Symbols vs Footprints
- Selecting the correct footprint
- Assigning footprints
- Schematic-to-PCB transfer
- Creating the board outline
- Setting design rules
- Component placement
- Power, IC, connector and signal placement
DAY 3Tue 17 Nov · 5 PMPCB Layout, Routing & DRC
- PCB routing fundamentals
- Track width and clearance
- Power vs signal routing
- Ground connections
- Via fundamentals
- Practical PCB routing
- Placement and routing optimization
- Common PCB layout mistakes
- Design Rule Check
- Fixing PCB errors
- Final PCB cleanup
DAY 4Wed 18 Nov · 5 PMPCB Finalization + Manufacturing Preparation
- Final PCB design review
- Component and value verification
- Footprint verification
- Placement and routing review
- Board dimensions and mechanical considerations
- Silkscreen and labeling
- Manufacturing design rules
- Basic DFM — Design for Manufacturing
- Final DRC
- BOM generation and verification
- Gerber generation
- Drill file generation
- Manufacturing file verification
DAY 5Thu 19 Nov · 5 PMComplete Product → Manufacturing
- Complete project walkthrough from beginning to end
- Final schematic → PCB → manufacturing files
- Understanding Gerber and drill files
- PCB fabrication process
- PCB materials, copper, solder mask and surface finish
- PCB fabrication vs PCB assembly
- Selecting components for production
- Selecting a PCB manufacturer
- Sending manufacturing files
- Understanding manufacturing quotations
- Prototype vs production
- Receiving and inspecting the manufactured PCB
- Basic PCB bring-up and testing workflow
- Complete product-development case study
Everything you need to start your PCB design journey
- 5-Day PCB Design Hackathon
- Complete PCB design workflow
- KiCad-based PCB design learning
- AI-assisted PCB design concepts
- All session recordings
- Participation certificate
- Practical PCB development workflow
- Manufacturing-oriented understanding
- Access to the complete learning journey
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
Missed a live session? No problem.
All session recordings are included for paid participants. Revisit any step — footprint assignment, routing, DRC fixes, Gerber export — and practise the workflow at your own pace.
Complete the hackathon. Get your participation certificate.
Paid participants receive a participation certificate from AronLabz for completing the 5-day PCB Design Hackathon.
Your Mentor & Keynote Speaker
Joju Mohan
Founder & CEO, AronLabz Tech Pvt Ltd | Hardware Architect & AI Speaker
Learn directly from Joju Mohan — technology entrepreneur, hardware architect, and CEO of AronLabz Tech. With over a decade of deep industrial electronics experience, Joju leads R&D teams delivering mission-critical electronics, ruggedised defense systems for DRDO, aerospace subsystems for HAL, and advanced IoT hardware for global multinational clients.
- Engineering Leadership: Founder & CEO of AronLabz Tech Pvt Ltd, heading production and R&D at our Bengaluru facility
- Defence & Aerospace Deliverables: Hands-on track record engineering MIL-grade hardware and telemetry for DRDO and HAL
- Keynote Speaker: Featured speaker on emerging hardware & AI at national technology summits, including the AI Impact Summit 2026 India
- Multinational Client Experience: Delivered high-speed multi-layer HDI PCBs (4 to 16+ layers) and embedded systems to international enterprise clients
- AI + KiCad Pioneer: Practical training bridging KiCad 8 with generative AI co-pilots and ChatGPT Astra to 10x your hardware prototyping velocity
- Direct Mentorship & Lab Access: Top-performing participants are considered for offline hardware internships and project roles at AronLabz
View Joju Mohan on LinkedIn
📍 Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
What you'll be able to do
Before
"I know electronics, but I don't know how a PCB is actually designed."
After
"I understand the workflow from circuit idea to manufacturing files."
- Understand the PCB development workflow
- Select components based on requirements
- Understand component values
- Create a schematic
- Work with footprints
- Create a PCB layout
- Place components logically
- Route PCB traces
- Run DRC
- Generate a BOM
- Generate Gerber and drill files
- Understand how to send a design for manufacturing
You'll build a practical foundation for PCB design and understand the complete development workflow.
The journey your board takes
-
Schematic
The circuit, drawn and validated.
-
2D PCB
Footprints placed, traces routed.
-
3D PCB
Check fit and form before fabrication.
-
Gerber
The layer files the fab actually receives.
-
Physical PCB
Fabricated, assembled, brought up.
Built for practical learning
- One continuous workflow
- Practical engineering concepts
- Software + hardware thinking
- Manufacturing awareness
- Recordings included
- Certificate included
Frequently asked questions
When does the hackathon start?
It runs from Sunday 15 November to Thursday 19 November, with a live session each day at 5:00 PM IST. Enrolment closes on 15 November at 5:00 PM IST.
Do I need previous PCB design experience?
No prior PCB design experience is required. The hackathon starts from PCB fundamentals and gradually moves into schematic, layout, routing, DRC and manufacturing preparation.
Do I need electronics knowledge?
Basic familiarity with electronics is helpful, but the program starts with fundamental components and circuit concepts.
Which software will be used?
KiCad is the PCB design environment used for the workflow, with AI-assisted concepts involving GPT-6 Astra.
Is GPT-6 Astra the PCB software?
No. KiCad is the PCB design software. GPT-6 Astra is an AI technology that can assist with engineering workflows.
Will I get the recordings?
Yes. Paid participants receive the session recordings.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. Paid participants receive a participation certificate.
Is this suitable for Arduino or ESP32 learners?
Yes. It is particularly useful for learners who have built projects on development boards and now want to understand how to move toward custom PCB design.
Can I use what I learn to manufacture a PCB?
The hackathon teaches the workflow for preparing a PCB design and manufacturing files such as BOM, Gerber and drill outputs. Actual manufacturing depends on the design, manufacturer requirements and engineering verification.
Is this a job guarantee program?
No. This is a practical PCB design learning program and does not guarantee employment or income.
How much does it cost?
₹399.
Learn the complete PCB workflow for just ₹399
- 5-Day Hackathon
- Recordings
- Participation Certificate
- Practical PCB Workflow
- AI-Assisted PCB Concepts
Live 15–19 November · 5 PM IST daily
₹399
Yes, I want to build my PCBYour next electronics project doesn't have to stay on a breadboard.
Learn how to take a circuit idea through schematic, PCB design, validation and manufacturing preparation.
- 15–19 Nov
- 5 PM IST
- 5 days
- ₹399
Enrolment closes Sunday, 15 November, 5:00 PM IST
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