Starting Schematics... Three Days Later... I FINISHED IT!!!!

Remember when I said I’d “continue tomorrow”? Yeah, well… it only took three days, but, remember, progress is progress, no?

I finally finished the Al-Jazarani schematic. Honestly, I’m shocked. Between my exam, random YouTube rabbit holes, and discovering new music every time I opened my laptop, I somehow managed to stay focused long enough to actually finish it.

And the craziest part? I didn’t start another random project halfway through. That’s probably a HUGE win for me. Usually I’d be halfway through a a project before suddenly deciding I need to build something chaotic or weird (that I never start or I stop midway). But nope, this time I stayed loyal. Character development, right?

Anyway, the schematic is done, the connections make sense (I think), and my laptop didn’t explode. That’s a win for me. Next up is... uhhhh I have no idea what's next I'm thinking about adding a battery.

wlat added to the journal 10/8/2025 at 5:38 PM ago

Finally decided what to build after hours of thinking (hard)

After approximately 17 cups of tea, 4 existential crises, one deep sigh at my 100+ open tabs (yes, my browser is basically a war zone), and about 2 billion messages exchanged with ChatGPT and DeepSeek, we finally decided what to build-my very own open-source RP2040 devboard, officially named Al-Jazarani (don’t ask why, it just sounds cool).

I went through so many project ideas that my brain started buffering. At one point I considered everything from a robot arm to a mini AI computer to “maybe just build my own operating system”. After this long, dramatic struggle with a million browser tabs open at once, random Hackclub projects, and 7 new music genres discovered between scrolling, I landed on something actually possible, cool, and expandable - a custom RP2040 board (I don't even know if I need this but it just sound cool to have it iykyk).

So, I opened the RP2040 devboard schematic from Hackclub, opened up KiCad, and spent maybe 3 or 4 hours following the guide (really useful btw). I’m happy to say that WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG THE LAPTOP'S GONNA EXPLODE AND THIS WON'T FINISH.
✅ What went well:
• Somehow didn’t crash my laptop with 5+ software running in the background and and 60+ Opera tabs open.
• Learned how to read power nets like a pro (well… almost).
• Got a solid understanding of how the RP2040 handles inputs, power, and USB.
• Discovered like 10 new songs that are now stuck in my head.
• Found out that I put 3.3V instead of +3V3 before it was too late.

💀 What didn’t:
• Halfway through, I forgot who am I and started talking to myself.
• Realized I have an exam tomorrow 😭.
• Too lazy to continue tonight. IT’S MOVIE TIME 🍿. No, I'm too lazy to study.
Tomorrow, I’ll continue if my laptop doesn't explode.
WISH ME GOODLUCK FOR THE EXAM!

wlat started Al-Jazari 10/8/2025 at 4:07 PM ago