I routed my first circuit board! I used Eagle CAD. This is the upcoming VCNL4040, a proximity and ambient light sensor breakout!

Earlier this week I created my first part in Eagle CAD, the VEML7070 which is destined for another breakout.

The fact is: Eagle is intimidating, incredibly frustrating, and at times totally unintuitive. There are tons of tools and options to sort through. Some of them don’t do what you think they should. Others do what you think they should but they do it in a really awkward way.

But, fear not! There are resources to get you started such as the multiple guides on the Adafruit Learn system, or the Learning Center available from Eagle. Eagle also has many videos available on YouTube. These resources will walk you through some of the many things you need to know to get started creating your own circuit boards.

I’ve worked with Eagle for a very short time, but already I’m beginning to figure out its idiosyncrasies. It is possible to learn how to use Eagle! Don’t let it intimidate you and keep you from creating your own hardware. Jump into it head on!

Plus, you’ll always have this to look forward to: