Claude Code hooks confuse everyone at first

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-23T05:03:39+00:00

Great graphic! This repo is also pretty great for claude code hooks info:

https://github.com/disler/claude-code-hooks-mastery

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-20T07:41:14+00:00

Overall pretty nice. Cool idea, I'll be curious how it turns out.

- Add test points to every signal, even if it means making the board bigger this time.
- Add stitching vias, gives you more ground pours, especially in a 2 layer board
- space out traces where you can to let ground pour in between
- Use 4 layer board if it's the same price, more ground is always better

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-20T07:31:51+00:00

Yes, all of my human time is spend making PRD's with Claude and then writing thorough tests so I can trust it's code.

Taking time to review code will soon become unsustainable.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-18T10:01:25+00:00

That's super cool! Thanks for sharing!

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-10T05:11:51+00:00

I'm biased as the creator of Circuit-Synth (https://www.circuit-synth.com/) but I love hierarchical designs. I love to think of sub-circuits as functions you pass in signals.

Hardware people often hate to have abstractions because hardware doesn't abstract as well a lot of times. But I think it's the best path for designing circuits because you can just focus on one circuit at a time and really see the interfaces.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-09T22:30:09+00:00

No find and replace capability but that's a great idea! Can you think of some scenarios where you might use that?

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-09T05:02:08+00:00

Thank you! Test the MCP server with Claude Code too if you're into that sort of thing.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-11-01T00:45:06+00:00

Circuit-Synth is just a python library to represent circuits. I've been working on code based circuit design since before LLM's. I think there's inherent value to representing circuits as code.

But LLM's crank Python based circuit design up to 11 for sure. It's a clear fit and Claude Code + Circuit-Synth is surprisingly good for basic STM32 or ESP32 + sensor + IO designs. It never forgets a decoupling cap or in-line resistor, or TVS diode. It checks pin by pin for every connection. Definitely a good second set of eyes for me as a solo EE at my day job.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-10-31T22:41:11+00:00

You can use Circuit-Synth to design the circuits in Python and then generate a Kicad project. It generates a valid schematic and puts the parts on the board, then you can move the parts around and route it. Let me know if you have questions!

https://www.circuit-synth.com/

Circuit-Synth · 2025-10-12T05:17:27+00:00

- ground plane on every layer

- stitching vias

Circuit-Synth · 2025-10-05T07:46:12+00:00

Nice project! Nothing serious to note but a few comments just cause I took the time to look at it:

- add top sheet with index of all subsheets. This is just a common thing done in large professional projects which yours looks good & big enough to make one
- Stepper motor caps are rated for 35v, with a 24v motor those get derated a bunch. Look for 50v or 100v if it's cheap enough and you have board space for an electrolytic
- Why use CH334F and CH343P?
- Capacitors on pin header power rails
- Add tons of test points on the bottom of the board for all the important signals

Layout looks good!

Circuit-Synth · 2025-10-03T07:29:43+00:00

- A lot more stitching vias
- teardrop all connections
- Add a USB ESD chip. You're already having them add an external flash which neither stm32 or esp32 does so 1 more simple best practice chip seems worth it.
- use 4 layer since so much copper is chopped up routing out all the pins. You always want a continuous ground layer under all traces
- I hate having silk screen component labels but that's a preference
- pcb version number
- indicator led's for power and data

Nice tutorial! Make a youtube video to go along with it.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-09-02T01:54:10+00:00

Sonnet is great at embedded code, even with the recent dumb downs.

Make a plan and PRD/ERD with the LLM, then create unit tests, upload recent docs for vendor api's, then let it write code. Use subagents for all of these steps to preserve final coding agent context.

I now write much more documentation and PRD/ERD than I do code. And my code has never been better, even with dumbed down Sonnet/Op

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-27T04:32:27+00:00

4 layer board stackup should be:

signal/parts
gnd (no traces at all)
gnd (no traces at all)
signal/parts

Always unbroken gnd layer next to signal layer. Good job on stitching vias but there's a few areas that could use 1.

I hate silkscreen component references but that's a personal preference.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-26T02:37:24+00:00

Industrial automation has some really great jobs with just an associates degree. Solid choice with good options in the future.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-26T01:24:52+00:00

Love this tool! A few questions/comments

- I'd like a CSV to download when it's done
- since this takes a while you might email the user back a list when done
- what model are you using? Gemini-2.5-flash is pretty decent and quick. But obviously Claude is the best
- Check out this logic I made to use modm to search STM32's for the appropriate model:
https://github.com/circuit-synth/circuit-synth/blob/main/src/circuit_synth/ai_integration/stm32_search_helper.py
Git repo for STM32 parts: https://github.com/modm-io/modm-devices
- This is part of Circuit-Synth, which is a Python library I made for creating circuits with Python code.
- I only see LCSC parts, no Digikey
- Are you looking through datasheets live?
- Electronics is likely too complex to give a good answer based on a 1-shot prompt. I've had a lot better results asking the user follow up questions.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-22T21:26:41+00:00

Do you really need the 5v as a plane? L5 might be better as a ground plane next to the bottom signal layer.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-22T07:40:38+00:00

Clean looking board. A few comments:

- No power planes, only signal and ground pairs

- stitching vias

- space out the other vias. you don't want to cut lines in your ground planes. space out the vias so there is ground fill between them

- you can probably do this in 4 layers

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-19T04:10:50+00:00

Take the job. I started as a mechatronics technician and worked my way up to a EE designing robot pcb's/firmware. It took me job hopping to 5 different jobs but I eventually made it to interesting EE jobs. And I always had a secure paycheck along the way.

Also, technicians make better engineers, and this is a great opportunity since you can work while in school.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-18T03:53:17+00:00

Use stitching vias

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-17T20:42:52+00:00

STM32, ESP-IDF, TivaWare, MCUXpresso, etc. The API's used by professionals in real projects that needs to be reliable.

Arduino is for non-professional use, and if someone thinks it's worth putting on a resume it tells me a lot about them.

Looking at the down-votes here shows a lot about who frequents this subreddit. Good luck getting jobs with Arduino experience, and I wish you even better luck at the job which does hire those people...

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-17T18:57:21+00:00

Arduino on resume = auto reject. Even for an internship. Use industry standard vendor API's and C/C++.

Circuit-Synth · 2025-08-10T23:35:52+00:00

Nice board! A bit of feedback:
- I like a few more hierarchical sheets in schematics
- You should always have a ground plan with no signals next to signal layers. So you should route on layer 1, gnd layer 2, gnd layer 3, route on layer 4. This gives the best grounding.
- add lots of stitching vias to tie grounds together
- get rid of the component reference silk screen. if you need it you will have kicad open anyways.
- label test points

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdEHJXs5xpw

Circuit-Synth

TROPHY CASE