Buck Converter PCB

March 2026

PART 1: While I was really busy with managing the Mars Rover project, I found some time to venture into power electronics by upgrading our Rover’s 24V-5V buck converter. Learning the theory behind switching converters was great, and the PCB design practice helped a lot. Unfortunately, my first design failed miserably. The exact root cause is uncertain, but a combination of sketchy assembly practices + component value calculations made debugging extremely difficult. PART 2: I redid the design and it worked like a charm. The converter sunk 10A at 5V without even batting an eye, the power rail stayed stable the whole time. Between the start and end of the project, my PCB design skills and intuition regarding electronics improved considerably.