PCBGolf: $1,000 PCB layout challenge

[adeeb]

We took one of our real products and design a fun "code golf" style challenge around it.

https://github.com/commaai/PCBGolf/

[Alex Eisenhut]

I predict difficulty with the barrel jack.

[Analog Kid]

Heh; does this remind anyone else of this?

"AI: if I want to wash my car, would it be better to drive or walk to the car wash?"

[jnk0le]

[ZGoode]

That is certainly a board....................I get this is AI.........but that component layout hurts me.  You'll be giving any EMI/EMC people a heart attack with this

[aeg]

It's OK, they doubled up on the reference designators to make up for the layout.

[negativ3]

Be able to hit a ball quite far with that on the end of a stick.

[robzy]

Ha, this looks like a lot of fun! I'll give it a shot this week.

[jnk0le]

To be honest, a winning submission is not gonna pass FCC tests.

BTW, rules are also a bit lacking:
- can the components be placed on both sides?
- can we change components? (different footprints or complete redesign)
- can we reroute pins on stm?
- can we add extra components? (0ohm resistors etc.)
- can we remove "unnecessary" components while retaining functionality?
- can it be panelized in any way? The following allow to hang connectors of the edge still allowing automated assembly.

- if a connector hangs of the edge, does it extend bounding box?
- can it be manufacturable only with the most expensive options? (0.1mm via etc.)
- can we apply a chinese definition of "working and usable"?
EDIT:
- can we use/add THT components? (1x 10M resistor gives you 2 uncounted vias)

[thm_w]

Yeah I don't think its fair to allow adding/removing of components, its going to make it insanely complicated if you do.

5000 points for a second layer is equivalent to ~50x50mm of extra board area. So I think 1 layer board is the ticket.

No vias if possible (50 points) as a single 0402 jumper would be only ~0.2 points, if they were allowed. If not single layer might not be possible.

[hans]

Without mechanical constraints on connectors, this exercise is a bit pointless imo. Otherwise, indeed, I would put the barreljack on middle of the PCB, argue a bunch of 0402s get assembled first and nobody asked the barreljack needs to be mounted flush on the PCB. There are so many rules to bend.. the PCB artwork is often not the problem.

[abeyer]

To be honest, a winning submission is not gonna pass FCC tests.

BTW, rules are also a bit lacking:

I suspect they're not too worried about either of those... if you click through you'll see they use this as a recruiting puzzle, so they're probably more looking for what people can come up with than for a working product or well specified contest rules.