Electronics Are the Essence of Any CanSat, and the Main Board Is Its Heart

In every CanSat project, the electronics define its capabilities, and at the core of this lies the main board. For our project, this vital component acts as the central hub, coordinating the work of sensors, managing the communication system, and recording critical mission data.

The most significant challenge we faced was fitting all essential components onto an incredibly compact board. The strict size limitations of a CanSat meant we had to be extremely creative with our PCB design, making every millimeter count. After countless iterations and careful component placement, we finally achieved a design that packs all necessary functionality into the tiny available space.

Key Features of Our Board

Despite the space constraints, we managed to integrate the powerful RP2040 microcontroller at the heart of our board. This dual-core processor, chosen for its exceptional performance-to-size ratio, enables us to handle multiple tasks simultaneously while maintaining a minimal footprint.

We also successfully incorporated an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) combining both accelerometer and gyroscope in a single compact package. This space-efficient solution provides crucial data about the CanSat's orientation, position, and movement without consuming excessive board real estate.

The board also hosts a range of environmental sensors for measuring temperature, pressure, and altitude. Finding ways to arrange these components while maintaining proper spacing and signal integrity was like solving a complex puzzle, but we eventually found the optimal layout.

Overcoming Space Limitations

The miniaturization challenge influenced every aspect of our design process. We had to carefully consider component placement not just for electrical efficiency, but primarily to maximize space utilization. This meant selecting the smallest available components that could still meet our performance requirements and utilizing both sides of the PCB to maximize the available area.

Signal routing became particularly tricky due to the dense component placement. We spent considerable time optimizing trace layouts to maintain signal integrity while working within the confined space. Every component placement decision had to balance electrical performance, thermal considerations, and space efficiency.

Next Steps

With our space-optimized design now at production, we're eagerly awaiting the first prototypes. The upcoming testing phase will be crucial to verify that our compact layout performs as intended, maintaining reliable operation despite the dense component placement.

Take a Look

Here's a render of our carefully optimized PCB design:

Our compact PCB design, ready for manufacturing!

Looking Ahead

Successfully fitting all required functionality into such a small form factor represents a major achievement in our CanSat journey. This experience has taught us valuable lessons about efficient design and the importance of careful planning when working with strict size constraints. We're excited to see our miniaturized design come to life and look forward to sharing its performance during testing. Stay tuned as we continue progressing toward launch!