USB Hub: PCB
Made by @Rudy
Adapted from Macondo's docs.
With your schematic finished, it's time to turn it into a physical board.
Converting to a PCB
Use the Convert Schematic to PCB button to open the PCB editor with your components already loaded, connected by ratlines — the blue lines showing which pads still need to be routed with copper traces.
Placing components
Place components in logical clusters based on function rather than scattering them randomly. For example, the USB upstream connector and its capacitor and two pull-down resistors should sit together as one cluster near the upstream connector, not spread across the board.
Routing
- Route the USB data pins as differential pairs — matched-length traces that keep the signal pair intact for reliable high-speed data. EasyEDA's differential pair routing tool is available via
Alt+D. - Add copper pours for power and ground so you're not routing every power connection as an individual trace.
Custom board shapes
You aren't limited to a rectangle — EasyEDA supports importing a DXF file to define a custom board outline. A common workflow is converting an image into a DXF using an image-to-DXF tool, then importing that as your board shape.
Polish
A few finishing touches that make a board feel like a finished product rather than a prototype:
- A keychain slot or mounting holes, if you want the hub to be portable or mountable.
- Silkscreen graphics or a logo.
- Filleted (rounded) edges instead of sharp corners.
Next steps
Once your board is routed and polished, it's ready to send off for manufacturing.
Next: Ordering →