Mr.dark's dark signal
PCB shaped like the Batman logo, designed as a fun and approachable way to learn the basics of electronics. It features a simple blinking circuit that brings the symbol to life while offering a great opportunity to practice soldering skills. With a sleek black finish, the result is a cool light-up badge that looks great on a desk or backpack. It’s a straightforward build that proves you don't need superpowers to make something awesome.
Created by
thamizhmalathi81
Tier 5
3 views
0 followers
Iamalive 🚀
approved Mr.dark's dark signal ago
Nice project!
thamizhmalathi81
submitted Mr.dark's dark signal for review ago
thamizhmalathi81
added to the journal ago
The finale : Checkout and submission
Finalizing the project felt incredible as I moved from design to production. Uploading the Gerber files to the JLCPCB checkout page was the moment of truth, where the Batman silhouette and trace layout finally looked ready for the factory.
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Simultaneously, submitting the project to my GitHub repository organized everything—from the schematic logic to the 3D renders—into a professional portfolio piece. Seeing the "Dark Signal" live on GitHub and ready for manufacturing officially turned a learning exercise into a real-world product.This process took a lot of time by the way ...
GitHub link : https://github.com/anbu2203/DARK-SIGNAL.git
thamizhmalathi81
added to the journal ago
Next step of bat signal : The 3D check
Visualizing the project in 3D was the moment it all felt real. Seeing the 3mm Red LEDs follow the curves of the bat-wing silhouette transformed a technical layout into a sleek, professional gadget.
Rotating the board to inspect the NE555P and 4017 chips confirmed that my component placement was both functional and symmetrical. Looking at the back, the clean paths of the copper traces against the dark solder mask gave the board a nice finish that I’m incredibly happy for it.
thamizhmalathi81
added to the journal ago
Now a greater improvement of the bat signal : The PCB
Routing the Batman PCB was a challenging but rewarding puzzle. I imported the custom Bat-signal DXF onto the Edge.Cuts layer to define the board's iconic shape . Navigating the complex wiring required strategic use of both the top and bottom copper layers to prevent trace collisions.
Seeing the red and blue tracks finally bridge the 555 timer to the sweeping LED wings felt like a true engineering win.
thamizhmalathi81
added to the journal ago
I just finished the schematic of the bat signal
I placed all the components in kicad and by using the blinky board guide I was able to do the wiring flawlessly !
Designing the schematic for the Dark Signal board was an intro into timing logic. Following the Hack Club guide, I wired a NE555P timer to drive a 4017 counter. It was rewarding to see how a simple clock pulse translates into a sweeping LED sequence.
zsharpminor
requested changes for Mr.dark's dark signal ago
Hi! You need to make journals showing how you made your project!! Additionally, please make a BOM.csv showing all of your components and what you're buying. https://blueprint.hackclub.com/about/submission-guidelines
thamizhmalathi81
submitted Mr.dark's dark signal for review ago
thamizhmalathi81
started Mr.dark's dark signal ago
1/6/2026 10:15 AM - I just finished the schematic of the bat signal
I placed all the components in kicad and by using the blinky board guide I was able to do the wiring flawlessly !
Designing the schematic for the Dark Signal board was an intro into timing logic. Following the Hack Club guide, I wired a NE555P timer to drive a 4017 counter. It was rewarding to see how a simple clock pulse translates into a sweeping LED sequence.
1/6/2026 10:19 AM - Now a greater improvement of the bat signal : The PCB
Routing the Batman PCB was a challenging but rewarding puzzle. I imported the custom Bat-signal DXF onto the Edge.Cuts layer to define the board's iconic shape . Navigating the complex wiring required strategic use of both the top and bottom copper layers to prevent trace collisions.
Seeing the red and blue tracks finally bridge the 555 timer to the sweeping LED wings felt like a true engineering win.
1/6/2026 10:23 AM - Next step of bat signal : The 3D check
Visualizing the project in 3D was the moment it all felt real. Seeing the 3mm Red LEDs follow the curves of the bat-wing silhouette transformed a technical layout into a sleek, professional gadget.
Rotating the board to inspect the NE555P and 4017 chips confirmed that my component placement was both functional and symmetrical. Looking at the back, the clean paths of the copper traces against the dark solder mask gave the board a nice finish that I’m incredibly happy for it.
1/6/2026 10:28 AM - The finale : Checkout and submission
Finalizing the project felt incredible as I moved from design to production. Uploading the Gerber files to the JLCPCB checkout page was the moment of truth, where the Batman silhouette and trace layout finally looked ready for the factory.
Simultaneously, submitting the project to my GitHub repository organized everything—from the schematic logic to the 3D renders—into a professional portfolio piece. Seeing the "Dark Signal" live on GitHub and ready for manufacturing officially turned a learning exercise into a real-world product.This process took a lot of time by the way ...
GitHub link : https://github.com/anbu2203/DARK-SIGNAL.git