Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Design, review, and share your ESP32 projects with your team—or the world—using Altium 365's free cloud viewer: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=schematic-capture&utm_content=ESP32-S3-Design-Deep-Dive
Join Zach Peterson for an in-depth design review of a custom ESP32-S3 PCB. This four-layer board features the ESP32-S3 microcontroller chip rather than the typical module, incorporating a lipo battery charging system, USB-C with data line protection, NCP voltage regulators, and a ceramic chip antenna with impedance matching network.
Watch as Zach analyzes the schematic organization, evaluates the RF layout decisions, examines power distribution strategies, and discusses best practices for hand soldering small components like 0402 passives.
Learn about ground plane management beneath chip antennas, via placement strategies for thermal pads, paste mask segmentation for QFN packages, and how to balance component spacing for hand soldering versus reflow assembly.
👉 Resources from this video:
- ISO 14443 NFC Reader Project With ESP32: resources.altium.com/p/iso-14443-nfc-reader-project-esp32
- Routing Requirements for a USB Interface on a 2-Layer PCB: resources.altium.com/p/routing-requirements-usb-20-2-layer-pcb
- Hassan's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hassan-mansour-2367a9351
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!
About Altium LLC
Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products.
#ESP32 #PCBDesign #RFDesign
0:00 Intro
0:34 Hassan's original design overview & goals
1:57 Schematic walkthrough
4:12 Hand soldering tiny 0402 components
4:47 PCB layout review: layer stackup & ground planes
6:41 Transmission line routing, impedance & hole sizes
9:34 NCP Regulator
10:35 You don't need four layers...
11:52 Chip antenna layout & ground plane cutout analysis
13:53 Paste mask segmentation for the ESP32 thermal pad
15:11 - Final results
Design, review, and share your ESP32 projects with your team—or the world—using Altium 365's free cloud viewer: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=schematic-capture&utm_content=ESP32-S3-Design-Deep-Dive
Join Zach Peterson for an in-depth design review of a custom ESP32-S3 PCB. This four-layer board features the ESP32-S3 microcontroller chip rather than the typical module, incorporating a lipo battery charging system, USB-C with data line protection, NCP voltage regulators, and a ceramic chip antenna with impedance matching network.
Watch as Zach analyzes the schematic organization, evaluates the RF layout decisions, examines power distribution strategies, and discusses best practices for hand soldering small components like 0402 passives.
Learn about ground plane management beneath chip antennas, via placement strategies for thermal pads, paste mask segmentation for QFN packages, and how to balance component spacing for hand soldering versus reflow assembly.
👉 Resources from this video:
- ISO 14443 NFC Reader Project With ESP32: resources.altium.com/p/iso-14443-nfc-reader-project-esp32
- Routing Requirements for a USB Interface on a 2-Layer PCB: resources.altium.com/p/routing-requirements-usb-20-2-layer-pcb
- Hassan's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hassan-mansour-2367a9351
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!
About Altium LLC
Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products.
#ESP32 #PCBDesign #RFDesign
0:00 Intro
0:34 Hassan's original design overview & goals
1:57 Schematic walkthrough
4:12 Hand soldering tiny 0402 components
4:47 PCB layout review: layer stackup & ground planes
6:41 Transmission line routing, impedance & hole sizes
9:34 NCP Regulator
10:35 You don't need four layers...
11:52 Chip antenna layout & ground plane cutout analysis
13:53 Paste mask segmentation for the ESP32 thermal pad
15:11 - Final results
