Hi there! Me and my ai helper robot have sorta hit an impasse here with my first project, I’m designing a buck converter power supply for an old nintendo console the Famicom, I’ve done pretty much everything relating to the basic structuring of the schematic and pcb, along with sourcing components etc etc. I’m using a LM2596ADJR4G IC as a voltage switcher and I’ve finished connecting most pins except the feedback pin and the switcher pin(but It remains to be seen whether that turns Into a similar problem) as for the feedback pin though, I’m supposed to use a 3ko resistor paired with a 1ko resistor In parallel with the feedback pin to junction and pass on to a capacitor (maybe decoupling?? idk again I’m new to this) the problem Is that I don’t know how to do that, and as usual my ai tools are leading me in circles, but I get the sense I won’t be able to stumble my way through It this time. I’m using kicad v9 and I’ll be more than happy to provide more details if asked, here are the photos of what I’m working with (remember, pin 4 is the feedback pin since the screenshot makes It sorta hard to parse) to anyone who wants to help, thanks a ton! I’ll forever be thankful
And good day!
I’ll never understand the heaps of newbies who start off their PCB learning by designing a SMPS, a tough topic, especially when ready made modules are available very cheaply from the usual suspects, using the LM2596 no less. Here’s a typical listing, under 1 AUD a piece.
I agree > 100%. The thing that newbies do not understand is that a bad pcb layout make garbage from even the best switcher schematic design.
Switchers are my thing. Around Y2K I worked in a large factory in Thailand, designing a switcher. But my visa required me to return to USA while a pcb designer did the layout. I did not get to review the layout before pcbs were made. The resulting layout agreed perfectly with the schematic diagram. But we could not get the slightest blip of power out of it, as hard as we tried.
Now the LM2596 probably makes for a simpler design than the one I was dealing with. Mine had discrete MOSFETs. There is less chance of your result not running at all. But I strongly recommend that you at least
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Carefully follow pcb layout recommendations in the IC datasheet. Sometimes this is difficult because the resistor/capacitor packages are unidentified and may be as small as 0201. Most of us do not like to work with anything smaller than 0603 and I doubt that you want to do so.
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Submit your layout to one of the other forums such as EEV blog or Electrotech Online. Plenty of people will be willing to review your layout. But this is not perfect either as some of the reviews may disagree with each other.
Because this forum is for questions and discussions about KiCad, not a general electronics forum, and there have already been given pointers forward, I will close the topic – before someone continues with another rambling about AI!