A custom-designed, fabricated, and tested PCB for a high-speed Line Follower Robot (LFR), built around the Teensy 4.1 microcontroller and intended for competitive robotics use.

This repository contains only the hardware design and fabrication assets. Firmware is intentionally not included.

This project documents the design and fabrication of a competition-grade PCB for a line follower robot, with emphasis on:

• reliable high-speed operation
• clean analog signal acquisition
• mechanical–electrical co-design
• on-board control and tuning during competitions

The PCB has been manufactured, assembled, and tested on a working robot. Multiple hardware iterations were explored to evaluate different motor driver options.

• Teensy 4.1 based high-performance control board
• Curved front-mounted IR sensor array for wide and consistent line coverage
• Optimized analog routing for stable ADC readings
• On-board tactile buttons for mode selection and tuning
• Symmetric geometry for predictable motion behavior
• PCB designed to act as both control board and structural element
• Hardware tested in real-world line-following scenarios

Two PCB variants were designed and fabricated to evaluate different motor driver integrations while keeping the same overall geometry, sensor placement, and mechanical constraints.

Both variants share:

• identical board outline and dimensions
• identical IR sensor array geometry
• identical Teensy 4.1 placement
• similar power and signal routing philosophy

• Motor Driver: TB6612FNG
• Proven and robust dual H-bridge driver
• Suitable for higher current margin applications
• Used in early competition testing

• Motor Driver: DRV8833
• Compact and efficient dual H-bridge driver
• Lower Rds(on) and improved thermal characteristics
• Evaluated as an alternative motor driver solution

(The background of the images have been enhanced by AI for better look)

The following images show both PCB variants in the same frame for direct visual comparison of routing, component placement, and mechanical alignment.

Note:
Both the TB6612FNG and DRV8833 variants are visible in the same image. Differences are primarily limited to the motor driver section; the overall board geometry and sensor layout remain consistent.

This folder contains the complete hardware design files for the Teensy 4.1 Line Follower Robot PCB.

• EasyEDA project files (.epro) for both PCB variants
• These files can be opened and edited directly in EasyEDA

• Fabrication-ready Gerbers for both variants
• Can be uploaded directly to PCB manufacturers

• TB6612FNG motor driver variant
• DRV8833 motor driver variant

Verify connections, footprints, and component availability before fabrication.

The PCB can be fabricated by directly uploading the provided Gerber files to any standard PCB manufacturer (e.g., JLCPCB, PCBWay).

Recommended fabrication parameters:

• 2-layer board
• FR4 material
• 1.6 mm thickness
• Green solder mask

✔ PCB designed
✔ PCB fabricated
✔ Assembled and tested on robot
✔ Multiple hardware variants evaluated
✖ Firmware intentionally excluded

This project is released as open hardware under the
CERN Open Hardware Licence Version 2 – Permissive (CERN-OHL-P v2).

You are free to:

• manufacture the PCB
• modify the design
• use it in personal or academic projects

Attribution to the original author is required.

See the LICENSE file for full terms.

This project contains original work and derivative elements in accordance with the terms of the referenced open-source designs.

The initial PCB outline and general form factor of this board were inspired by an open-source line follower PCB design published on OSHWLab:

https://oshwlab.com/taifur/line-follower-3

This hardware design is provided for educational and experimental purposes. The author assumes no responsibility for damage, malfunction, or misuse. Use at your own risk.