PCBA Manufacturing & Ordering
Production-ready PCB Assembly (PCBA) ordered from JLCPCB — minimum order of 5 units with full SMT assembly.
All production files in release_jlcpcb/ are verified and ready for ordering:
- JLCPCB DFM footprint fix — all 8 flagged components (J4, U1, U6, SW_PWR, U5, J1, SW11, SW12) corrected with pad geometries from KiCad 10 standard library and JLCPCB/EasyEDA official component library
- R17/R18 BOM fix — LCSC part C11702 (0402) replaced with C17513 (correct 0805 package)
- ESP32-S3 pin layout — corrected from 2-side (wrong) to 3-side layout (L:1-14, B:15-26, R:27-40)
- MSK12C02 slide switch — replaced THT footprint with correct 7-pad SMD (matching C431540)
- 71 components in BOM/CPL matched against schematic and PCB
- 0 DRC errors, all pre-production checks passed
Assembled PCB Preview
Top Side — Controls & LEDs
The top side carries all user-facing components:
| Designator | Component | JLCPCB Part # | Footprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| LED1 | Red LED (power indicator) | C84256 | LED_0805 |
| LED2 | Green LED (charge indicator) | C19171391 | LED_0805 |
| SW1–SW10 | SMT tactile buttons (D-pad, ABXY, Start, Select) | C318884 | SW-SMD |
All 12 gaming buttons are surface-mounted on the top face for direct user interaction.
Bottom Side — Core Electronics
The bottom side hosts the main circuitry:
| Designator | Component | JLCPCB Part # | Footprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 (N16R8) | C2913202 | Module |
| U2 | IP5306 (charge management) | C181692 | ESOP-8 |
| U3 | AMS1117-3.3 (LDO regulator) | C6186 | SOT-223 |
| U5 | PAM8403 (audio amplifier) | C5122557 | SOP-16 |
| J1 | USB-C connector (16-pin) | C2765186 | USB-C-SMD |
| J3 | JST-PH 2-pin (battery) | C173752 | JST-PH-2 |
| J4 | FPC 40-pin 0.5mm (display) | C2856812 | FPC-40P |
| L1 | 1uH 5A inductor | C280579 | SMD-4x |
| SW_PWR | Slide switch (power) | C431540 | SS-12D0 |
| SW11, SW12 | SMT tactile (L, R shoulder) | C318884 | SW-SMD |
| R1, R2 | 5.1k (USB-C CC) | C27834 | R_0805 |
| R3–R15 | 10k (pull-ups) | C17414 | R_0805 |
| R16 | 100k | C149504 | R_0805 |
| R17, R18 | 1k | C17513 | R_0805 |
| R19 | 10k (INL pull-down) | C17414 | R_0805 |
| R20, R21 | 20k (PAM8403 gain set) | C4184 | R_0805 |
| C1, C17, C18 | 10uF | C15850 | C_0805 |
| C2, C19 | 22uF | C12891 | C_1206 |
| C3–C16 | 100nF | C49678 | C_0805 |
| C20 | 0.47uF (PAM8403 bypass) | C1537 | C_0805 |
| C21–C25 | 1uF (PAM8403 input/output) | C28323 | C_0805 |
Total SMT components: 23 unique part types, ~62 individual placements.
JLCPCB Quote Breakdown (5 units)
PCB Fabrication
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Engineering fee | $24.00 |
| Board (5 pcs) | $7.50 |
| Via Covering | $0.00 |
| PCB Subtotal | $31.50 |
PCBA Assembly
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Setup Fee | $50.37 |
| Stencil | $16.18 |
| Components (20 items) | $39.87 |
| Feeders Loading fee | $28.69 |
| SMT Assembly | $2.79 |
| Hand-soldering labor fee | $3.53 |
| Manual Assembly | $0.16 |
| PCB assembly fixture | $16.18 |
| X-Ray Inspection | $8.10 |
| Packaging fee | $0.49 |
| PCBA Subtotal | $166.36 |
Total
| Total (5 PCBAs) | $197.86 |
| Per unit cost | $39.57 |
| Weight | 1.12 kg |
At $39.57/board, each fully assembled PCBA falls well within the project's $33–45 prototype budget target. The per-unit cost drops significantly with larger orders since most fees (setup, stencil, fixture, engineering) are one-time.
Build Time Options
| Assembly speed | Extra cost | Total lead time |
|---|---|---|
| 7–8 days (standard) | $0.00 | ~12–13 days |
| 6–7 days | $48.53 | ~11–12 days |
| 5–6 days | $97.06 | ~10–11 days |
PCB fabrication takes 5 days in all cases. Standard assembly (7–8 days) is included at no extra charge.
Cost Analysis
What's included in the $39.57/unit
Each assembled board arrives with all SMT components soldered:
- ESP32-S3 module, IP5306 charger, AMS1117 regulator, PAM8403 amplifier
- USB-C, JST battery, and FPC display connectors
- All passive components (resistors, capacitors, inductor)
- Power slide switch, 12 tactile buttons, and status LEDs
What still needs manual assembly
These components are not included in the JLCPCB order and must be connected separately:
- Display — ILI9488 3.95" via 40-pin FPC cable
- Battery — LiPo 3.7V 5000mAh via JST-PH connector
- Speaker — 28mm 8 ohm via solder pads
- SD card module — via SPI wiring
- 3D-printed enclosure — see Enclosure Design
Complete prototype cost estimate
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| PCBA (1 of 5) | $39.57 |
| Shipping (estimated) | ~$8–15 |
| ILI9488 display | ~$6 |
| LiPo battery 5000mAh | ~$5 |
| Speaker 28mm | ~$1 |
| SD card module | ~$1 |
| 3D printed enclosure | ~$3–5 |
| Total per prototype | ~$64–73 |
The one-time fees (engineering $24, stencil $16.18, setup $50.37, fixture $16.18) total $106.73 — this is amortized across all 5 units. If ordering 10+ units, the per-unit cost drops below $25.
v2 PCB — Audio Coprocessor Addition
The v2 PCB adds an ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N8 audio coprocessor module (see Phase 5 — Software Architecture). This offloads 100% of audio processing from the main ESP32-S3.
v2 Additional Assembly Components
| Ref | Component | JLCPCB Part # | Footprint | Qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U7 | ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N8 | C2913206 | Module (15.4×20.5mm) | 1 |
| C26,C27 | 100nF 0805 (decoupling) | C49678 | C_0805 | 2 |
v2 Cost Impact
| Item | v1 | v2 | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| JLCPCB components | ~$40 | ~$43 | +$3.27 |
| Per-unit cost (5 boards) | ~$39.57 | ~$43 | +~$3.43 |
| Complete prototype | ~$64–73 | ~$67–76 | +~$3 |
The v2 addition is minor in cost ($3.27 per unit) but eliminates 48% of SNES frame time at the hardware level. The module's integrated flash and crystal mean no additional external components are needed — simpler routing than the RP2040 alternative (which required 7 components).
v2 Power Budget Update
| Consumer | v1 Typical | v2 Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-S3 (dual-core active) | 150 mA | 150 mA | Same |
| ESP32-S3-MINI-1 (audio) | — | 50 mA | Single-core audio task |
| ILI9488 display + backlight | 80 mA | 80 mA | Same |
| PAM8403 + speaker | 20 mA | 20 mA | Same (driven by MINI-1 now) |
| SD card (SPI read) | 30 mA | 30 mA | Same |
| Misc (pull-ups, buttons) | 10 mA | 10 mA | Same |
| Total | ~290 mA | ~340 mA | +50 mA |
v2 battery life: 5000 mAh / 340 mA ~ 14.7 hours typical gameplay (vs 17h on v1). The 50 mA increase from the coprocessor is modest — the AMS1117 regulator (800 mA max) still has ample headroom at 340 mA typical / 740 mA peak.