DC PUMP DRIVER With Custom PCB Breadboard

I recently had to work on a DC pump–based system for an upcoming project. In this project, the requirement was to drive multiple DC pumps in order to transfer a specific amount of liquid from Container A to Container B.

To control the DC pumps, a MOSFET driven by a microcontroller was required. While this kind of circuit can be quickly built and tested on a breadboard, it isn’t ideal for longer testing cycles or repeated use. Breadboards are great for quick prototyping, but loose connections, accidental shorts, and wires coming out of place can make testing unreliable.

To solve this problem, I decided to create something more solid and permanent than a breadboard, while still retaining the flexibility of prototyping. This led to the creation of a PCB breadboard.

The PCB breadboard includes a dedicated SOIC-8 footprint, allowing an AO4406 MOSFET to be soldered directly onto the board. This setup provides a much more reliable and compact solution compared to a traditional breadboard. The PCB breadboard was then paired with an ESP32 to drive the DC pump efficiently.

This Instructables covers the complete build process of the DC pump driver circuit implemented on a PCB breadboard.

Let’s begin.

Supplies

These were the materials used in this project:

Custom PCB Breadboard (provided by NEXTPCB)
DFROBOT ESP32 FireBeetle 2
AO4406 Mosfet IC SOIC8
10K 1/4W Resistor
Single Core Jumper Wires
Type C Port 8 Pin SMD
Diode SMA M7
DC PUMP 5V
Power source: 5V adapter

PCB BREADBOARD

Usually, when starting any electronics project, we begin with a breadboard for quick and general prototyping. Once the circuit is finalized, the next step is typically to move everything onto a perf board or prototyping board, which offers a more stable and permanent setup compared to a breadboard.

However, I’ve always found perf boards to be bland, boring, and limiting; they’re usually single-sided and don’t offer much flexibility.

To solve this, I decided to design and build my own PCB Breadboard, tailored specifically to my prototyping needs.

The first requirement was input power, which was addressed by adding a USB Type-C port to the PCB breadboard, along with an M7 forward diode for protection.

Next, a SOIC-8 IC footprint was added. This allows users to easily work with SMD ICs in SOIC-8 packages, making the board especially useful for SMD prototyping when the component being used is not available in a through-hole package.

To add some visual flair and functionality, an addressable LED footprint was also included, allowing a WS2812B RGB LED to be mounted directly on the board. In addition to that, a 0603 LED footprint was added for simple status indication.

The overall layout of the PCB breadboard closely resembles that of a traditional breadboard. However, the middle section consists of individual, unconnected pads, instead of vertically connected columns like a standard breadboard. This design choice allows users to manually create custom connections on the PCB breadboard, rather than being restricted by fixed vertical rails.

The VCC and GND rails are laid out exactly like a conventional breadboard, making the transition from breadboard to PCB breadboard seamless and intuitive.

NextPCB PCB SERVICE

After completing the PCB design, Gerber data was sent to HQ NextPCB, and an order was placed for a yellow solder mask with a white silkscreen.

After placing the order, the PCBs were received within a week, and the PCB quality was pretty great.

In addition, I have to bring in HQDFM to you, which helped me a lot through many projects. Huaqiu’s in-house engineers developed the free design for manufacturing software, HQDFM, revolutionizing how PCB designers visualize and verify their designs.

Take advantage of NextPCB's Accelerator campaign and get 2 free assembled RP2040-based PCBs for your innovative projects.

https://www.nextpcb.com/blog/rp2040-free-pcba-prototypes-nextpcb-accelerator

This offer covers all costs, including logistics, making it easier and more affordable to bring your ideas to life. SMT services can be expensive, but NextPCB is here to help you overcome that hurdle. Simply share your relevant project, and they'll take care of the rest. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to advance your tech creations!

HQDFM: Free Online Gerber Viewer and DFM Analysis Tool

Also, NextPCB has its own Gerber Viewer and DFM analysis software.

Your designs are improved by their HQDFM software (DFM) services. Since I find it annoying to have to wait around for DFM reports from manufacturers, HQDFM is the most efficient method for performing a pre-event self-check.

This is what I see in the online Gerber viewer. It's decent for a quick look but not entirely clear. For full functionality—like detailed DFM analysis for a PCBA—you’ll need to download the desktop software. The web version only offers a basic DFM report.

With comprehensive Design for Manufacture (DFM) analysis features, HQDFM is a free, sophisticated online PCB Gerber file viewer.

With over 15 years of industry experience, it offers valuable insights into advanced manufacturing processes. If you’re looking for reliable PCB services at a budget-friendly price, HQ NextPCB is definitely worth checking out.

PCB ASSEMBLY PROCESS

We began the PCB assembly process by applying solder paste to the SOIC-8 footprint and the Type-C connector footprint. For this build, an SnPb 63/37 solder paste was used, which has a melting temperature of approximately 200°C.
Next, we start the pick-and-place process for the SMD components. The components were placed in the following order: first we added the USB Type-C port, next the M7 diode, and at last the SOIC-8 MOSFET IC.
Once all components were correctly positioned, the entire PCB was placed onto a reflow hot plate. The hot plate heats the PCB from below and gradually brings it up to the solder paste’s melting temperature. As soon as the target temperature is reached, the solder paste reflows, allowing the components to self-align and solder firmly into place.
After cooling down, the PCB assembly was complete and ready for the next stage of the build.

ELECTRONICS SETUP

For the main electronics, we are using a FireBeetle ESP32 board, which was first soldered onto the PCB breadboard. After that, all the connections were made by following the provided wiring diagram.

The gate of the MOSFET IC is connected to GPIO27 of the FireBeetle ESP32 through a 10 kΩ resistor, which acts as a gate resistor to ensure stable switching. The grounds of the ESP32 and the PCB breadboard are connected together, creating a common reference point for the entire circuit.
A DC JST connector is added to the PCB breadboard for the pump connection. The positive terminal of the JST connector is connected to VCC of the PCB breadboard, while the negative terminal is connected to the drain of the MOSFET.
The source of the MOSFET is connected directly to GND, completing the low-side switching configuration.
To power the entire setup, the 5V output from the FireBeetle ESP32 is connected to the VCC rail of the PCB breadboard, which supplies power to the pump and associated circuitry.

With these connections in place, the circuit is fully assembled and ready for testing.

DC PUMP

In this build, we are using a vibrating DC pump, which is well suited for transferring liquid from one container to another without relying on siphoning or any external assistance. The pump works by actively drawing liquid from the source container and pushing it into the destination container, making the flow predictable and easy to control.

Pumps based on this working principle are commonly found in coffee machines. While most commercial coffee machines use AC-operated vibrating pumps, the underlying operating principle remains the same. For our application, we sourced a 5V DC vibrating pump, which makes it ideal for microcontroller-based projects.

To connect the pump, a JST wire harness is used, which plugs directly into the JST connector on the PCB breadboard. This provides a secure and reliable connection while keeping the setup neat and modular.

With the wiring complete, the pump is now ready for testing.

CODE

We uploaded the below sketch into our Firebeetle 2.

const int mosfetPin = 17; // GPIO17

const int ledPin = D9; // LED

const int buttonPin = 27; // Button

bool active = false;

unsigned long startTime = 0;

const unsigned long onTime = 5000; // 5 seconds

void setup() {

pinMode(mosfetPin, OUTPUT);

pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);

pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT_PULLUP);

digitalWrite(mosfetPin, LOW);

digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);

}

void loop() {

// Button pressed (LOW)

if (!active && digitalRead(buttonPin) == LOW) {

active = true;

startTime = millis();

digitalWrite(mosfetPin, HIGH); // MOSFET ON

digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // LED ON

}

// After 5 seconds

if (active && millis() - startTime >= onTime) {

digitalWrite(mosfetPin, LOW); // MOSFET OFF

digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // LED OFF

active = false;

}

Here, we have prepared a basic demo code that works as follows. When the onboard button, connected to GPIO27, is pressed, the LED connected to D9 and the MOSFET control pin on GPIO17 are both driven HIGH.

Once activated, both the LED and the MOSFET remain in the HIGH state for 5 seconds. After the 5-second interval has elapsed, the LED and the MOSFET pin are pulled LOW, turning them off. This entire sequence then repeats, allowing the behavior to run continuously in a loop.

RESULT

Here’s the end result of this simple yet highly practical build: a DC pump driver made on a custom PCB breadboard, powered by an ESP32, and extremely convenient to work with.

In this setup, a single MOSFET is used to drive the DC pump. Since only one MOSFET is used, the pump can operate in one direction only, but that was completely intentional. The pump’s job is to transfer water from Container A to Container B, not the other way around, so this configuration fits the requirement perfectly.

One of the best parts about this PCB breadboard is its flexibility. If we ever need to reverse the direction of the DC pump, we can simply add more MOSFETs on the same PCB breadboard and build an H-bridge, which can then be controlled by the ESP32.

Because of this PCB breadboard, it can be used for a wide range of applications, from pump drivers and automatic plant watering systems to even analog circuit prototyping.

Using this pump driver board, I can now carry out my experiment. The goal is to run the pump for a specific amount of time and measure how much water it displaces during that period. From this data, I can calculate how long the pump needs to transfer a known quantity of water and later use these values directly in code for future projects.

Overall, this project has been completed, and the results are exactly what I was aiming for.

Thanks for sticking around till the end, and I’ll be back very soon with another project!