Open Hardware Files: LED Cubes, an AVR Board, and BuildBeacon

Open hardware notes for November 11, 2026 (America/Los_Angeles).

A light sculpture, a teaching board, and a set of build-status tiles make an interesting trio to explore in KiCad. All three published editable hardware files on November 11. Each offers a different starting point for a maker: multiplexed LEDs, a familiar AVR with useful peripherals, or a physical display for software projects.

These are source-code and engineering-file discoveries, not tested product recommendations or claims that the projects are available on Tindie. We inspected the files and hardware licenses; we have not built the boards, run their firmware, or independently repeated ERC/DRC checks.

LED Cube: two sizes, complete KiCad projects

Image: simplified rendering adapted from navoff’s 4×4×4 PCB source, commit 3cd99ef; CERN-OHL-P-2.0. Not a photograph. Copper paths and pads are shown; silkscreen, copper zones, drill detail and component bodies are omitted.

navoff’s LED Cube repository contains 4×4×4 and 8×8×8 designs using STM32F303 and STM32F407 microcontrollers respectively. The firmware scans the cube one plane at a time and includes a fading snake animation. USB supplies power only; its data lines are not connected.

The initial public commit is dated November 11, although the drawing dates are November 10. Both designs include KiCad 10 schematics, two-layer PCBs, project files, and a shared custom library. The hardware is licensed under CERN-OHL-P-2.0, separately from the firmware.

The author reports passing electrical and design-rule checks. We have not reproduced that result or established physical validation. Before fabrication, check the board stack-up: both PCB files specify a thickness of 0.41116 mm. This is a useful design to study, but manufacturing settings and electrical limits still deserve your own review.

Project introduction · Editable engineering files and library

An ATmega328PB board for learning with real peripherals

Image: simplified rendering adapted from the PCB by Burak Kaan Böyük, © 2026, commit abdf3b0; CERN-OHL-P-2.0. Not a photograph; layers and details omitted as described above.

Gömülü Sistemler Kartı brings a 16 MHz ATmega328PB together with optocoupler inputs, a relay, fan control, a TMP1075 temperature sensor, and I²C/SPI connections. It gives students several kinds of inputs and outputs to investigate on one board.

The hardware was added on November 11, with a same-day correction replacing a mismatched 12 V relay with a 5 V HJR-3FF. The links below point to that corrected snapshot. It contains a KiCad 10 schematic, routed two-layer PCB, project file, and BOM, with CERN-OHL-P-2.0 explicitly covering the hardware.

We have not established fabrication or bench-test results. The presence of a relay does not make this a mains-safe design: the author calls for checking voltage ratings and insulation spacing before any mains application. Keep early experimentation low voltage.

Project introduction · Corrected editable engineering files

BuildBeacon: bring your build status off the screen

Image: simplified rendering adapted from devcafeine’s BuildBeacon master PCB, commit 347a1bb; CERN-OHL-P-2.0. Not a photograph; layers and details omitted as described above.

BuildBeacon uses an ESP32-C3 SuperMini, WLED, and WS2812B lighting to make modular hexagonal status tiles for GitHub Actions projects. It is an appealing example of turning an everyday software signal into a piece of physical workshop hardware.

The hardware files arrived on November 11, followed that afternoon by the v1.2 PCB update. The verified download contains two editable, two-layer PCBs in KiCad 8 format. No editable schematic was found, so this is a PCB-only release rather than a complete schematic-and-board project. The hardware has its own CERN-OHL-P-2.0 license.

The author says the PCBs have been ordered but not yet validated. Fill the copper zones and run DRC before generating fabrication files; filled copper polygons are not saved in the inspected boards. One important power warning also remains: do not connect USB and external 5 V power simultaneously.

Hardware guide · Editable PCB files

Start with the files, then check the assumptions

These projects are useful because you can inspect and adapt the actual design sources. Download the linked project directories, keep the accompanying libraries and license notices, and review the component ratings, supply connections, and manufacturing settings before ordering boards. The directory links allow individual-file downloads; a complete official ZIP package was not verified.

Source snapshots checked November 11, 2026. All illustrations were newly rendered from the linked, permission-licensed PCB sources for this article; they are simplified explanatory views, not fabrication previews or proof of a working board. No project photographs were reused.

source https://blog.tindie.com/2026/11/open-hardware-files-led-cubes-an-avr-board-and-buildbeacon/