How to improve on PCB layout skill as a begainner?

[RathBee]

Hello all!
    As the title says, how do I improve my PCB layout skill?

    The situation now: I've learned how to use KiCad, drawn a couple simple boards and they all work. And then I feel like I've entered a plateau, I know the basics of drawing a PCB (a simple one and without special circuits like high speed differential bus, high power SMPS, RF, etc.), but I don't know how to improve from now on.

    Do I just have to work on more projects? If so, are there some interesting projects for beginners? Or do I do something else?

    To take the guess work out  of the loop, this is a project I've done that can represent my current level. https://github.com/RathBee/PD_Decoy/blob/main/README.md

Thanks!

[TimNJ]

Try to build a PCB with those more advanced circuits you mentioned and eventually something won’t quite work right, and you’ll scratch your head and figure it out. Or even before “failing”, study best practices for those types of designs and try to understand why they are done. PCB layout certainly has a lot of mythology, so be careful with “best practices” just the same.

[RathBee]

 

[jpanhalt]

Here are two links:
https://hades.mech.northwestern.edu/images/c/cc/PCBDesignTutorialRevA.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780081017647/the-circuit-designers-companion

The first is old and used to be commonly cited.  The second is typical Elsevier and cannot be viewed without paying.  There are probably older versions that can be viewed for free.

[BradC]

How can we be certain you aren't ChatGPT in a trenchcoat?

ChatGPT wouldn't mis-spell beginner.

[MarkT]

Find youtube videos on high speed logic layout?  Knowing about groundplanes, return current paths, crosstalk, stray inductance, controlled impedance, and the basics of EMC are all useful.  If you're ever likely to add a wireless module or chip to one of your designs its worth know a bit about stripline.

[dobsonr741]

Advice: 1. study professional design. By taking apart mass manufactured quality devices and instruments, possibly older ones. Example: an HP signal generator. Or, study complex, larger established open source projects, with published PCB layouts. Examples: https://github.com/eez-open/psu-hw or https://ohwr.org/welcome

2. Get feedback on your design, like your PD Decoy.

As far as the PD Decoy repo, my comment is to describe what it is and in what state on the repo’s readme.

[temperance]

This can help:
https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/design-handbooks/Basic-Linear-Design/Chapter12.pdf

[Mechatrommer]

Find youtube videos on high speed logic layout?  Knowing about groundplanes, return current paths, crosstalk, stray inductance, controlled impedance, and the basics of EMC are all useful.  If you're ever likely to add a wireless module or chip to one of your designs its worth know a bit about stripline.

reading (or watching youtube) from experts etc.... vs experience it ourself's mistake is like sky and earth... its not the same when you read before you experience it, vs when you read after you experienced it... sometime after experience it we can judge that our reading material is a mistake, or it is us who read the wrong material... ymmv.

[2XL]

I'm relatively new to PCB layout too.  Here are a few videos that I've been watching and found useful.

General good practices:
https://youtu.be/IclJ9nbtYgI

Proper grounding:
https://youtu.be/ySuUZEjARPY

Via placement:
https://youtu.be/XumNc480qYo