BLE Beacon PCB Design

flux

The screenshot shows a work-area rectangle, not a defined 25 mm × 25 mm PCB outline. Agent mode is needed to create the real board outline and place the components; since this project is view-only, I may first need to fork it into an editable copy. Click Continue in Agent Mode to proceed.
Continue in Agent Mode

flux

I’ll create the real 25 mm × 25 mm PCB outline, then place the existing footprints inside it without routing. Since the current project is view-only, I’ll first make an editable copy if required.
Created a thread; Forked a project
nRF52810 25mm BLE Beacon
Ultra-Low-Cost nRF52810 BLE Beacon with 32 MHz Crystal, PI RF Matching Network, Meandered 50-Ohm PCB Antenna, SWD Pads, and CR2032 Coin-Cell Power
Set board outline and RF placement
Starting...
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flux

The board outline and component placement are now applied in the editable copy. I’m checking the final geometry and confirming that no routing was introduced.

flux

Created an editable copy: nRF52810 25mm BLE Beacon.
  • Added a real 25 × 25 mm rounded board outline.
  • Configured 2-layer stackup with bottom copper designated as ground plane.
  • Placed U1 centrally and arranged the crystal, decoupling, and L1–C5–L2 RF network.
  • Confirmed no traces were added and no placed components overlap.
Open item: J1’s footprint is 34.5 × 18.1 mm, so it physically cannot fit on the 25 mm board. It remains outside the outline until replaced with a smaller CR2032 holder or the board size is increased.
Find smaller holder
Increase board size
Review placement
Add antenna keep-out
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how would I go about adding thermal vias under this ground pad?
A

acolborn

@copilot how would I go about adding thermal vias under this ground pad?
1y

copilot

To add thermal vias under the ground pad of the NRF52810-QCAA\text{NRF52810-QCAA}, you'll want to follow these steps:
  1. Identify the ground pad: In your project, it looks like you have VSS_1 (Pin 20) and VSS_2 (Pin 29) as potential candidates for ground connections. Let's assume VSS_1 is the ground pad under discussion.
  2. Determine the via size and drill: Thermal vias typically have a small diameter. A common drill size for thermal vias is around 0.3 mm with a copper pad of about 0.6 mm. However, these sizes can vary depending on your manufacturing capabilities.
  3. Layout the vias in a grid: Place the thermal vias in a grid pattern directly beneath the ground pad. The spacing between the vias can be around 1.0 mm or less, depending on how many you want to fit beneath the pad and the capabilities of your PCB manufacturer.
  4. Connect the vias to the ground plane: Ensure these vias stitch the ground pad to the ground plane on other layers, which helps with thermal conductivity.
  5. Adjust the paste mask: Reduce or remove the paste mask openings above the positions of the vias to avoid solder wicking through the vias during reflow.
In Flux, you can use the PCB Layout tool to define these vias and adjust the physical layout of your soldering layers and masks. Double-check your design with the PCB fabrication house requirements to ensure compliance with their capabilities.
Would you like more detailed instructions on any of these steps?
1y

NRF52810-QCAA