PCB design for 4‑layer Raspberry Pi CM5 carrier board with eDP and marine/industrial interfaces (future projects possible)
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
I am looking for an experienced PCB designer to create a 4‑layer carrier board for a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5).
The board integrates several existing open‑source hardware concepts into a single PCB, with limited original R&D but careful integration and cleanup.
Scope of this first project
- Review and consolidate existing reference schematics (I will provide open‑source designs and documentation).
- Design the final schematic for:
- Raspberry Pi CM5 + power supply
- CAN‑based bus for a marine/industrial network (NMEA‑style)
- NMEA 0183‑style serial interfaces
- Connectors and I/O suitable for a small boat/embedded environment
- eDP interface for an external display
- PCB layout:
- 4‑layer stackup with proper impedance control for eDP
- Reasonable attention to EMC/EMI and robustness for a industrial environment
- Deliverables (for the “design‑only” option):
- Schematic files (KiCad or Altium – please state your preferred tool)
- PCB layout files
- Fabrication package: Gerbers, drill files, pick‑and‑place, stackup, and BOM
Future work and possible extensions
- If this first board works well (prototype tested and reviewed), I plan around 4 additional designs of similar complexity over time, which I would prefer to assign to the same engineer.
- At this stage I am primarily looking for design‑only proposals, but I am open to separate offers that also cover:
- Support for prototype fabrication (DFM check, contact with PCB house, etc.)
- Basic bring‑up, testing support and one iteration of improvements
Please clearly indicate in your proposal whether you are quoting for:
- Design only, or
- Design + prototype fabrication support, or
- Design + fabrication support + testing/iteration.
Candidate requirements
- Proven experience designing carrier boards for Raspberry Pi CM4/CM5 or similar SOM/COM modules.
- Experience with interfaces DisplayPort / eDP / HDMI, USB 3, etc. on 4‑layer boards with controlled impedance.
- Experience with CAN bus and, ideally, marine/industrial protocols (NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, or similar) is a strong plus.
- Comfortable working from existing open‑source schematics and cleaning them up into a robust, manufacturable design.
- Able to communicate in technical English and document design decisions.
What I will provide
- Links and files for the open‑source reference designs.
- A clear list of required interfaces, connectors and mechanical constraints.
- Timely feedback during schematic and layout review.
Please include in your proposal
- examples of similar boards you have designed (carrier boards, SOM/SBC‑based designs, or high‑speed + CAN/industrial boards).
- Your preferred CAD tool and whether you can deliver source files in KiCad if needed.
- What scope you are quoting for (design only / design + fab support / design + fab + testing).
- Your pricing model (fixed‑price per project or hourly rate with an estimate of hours).
The board integrates several existing open‑source hardware concepts into a single PCB, with limited original R&D but careful integration and cleanup.
Scope of this first project
- Review and consolidate existing reference schematics (I will provide open‑source designs and documentation).
- Design the final schematic for:
- Raspberry Pi CM5 + power supply
- CAN‑based bus for a marine/industrial network (NMEA‑style)
- NMEA 0183‑style serial interfaces
- Connectors and I/O suitable for a small boat/embedded environment
- eDP interface for an external display
- PCB layout:
- 4‑layer stackup with proper impedance control for eDP
- Reasonable attention to EMC/EMI and robustness for a industrial environment
- Deliverables (for the “design‑only” option):
- Schematic files (KiCad or Altium – please state your preferred tool)
- PCB layout files
- Fabrication package: Gerbers, drill files, pick‑and‑place, stackup, and BOM
Future work and possible extensions
- If this first board works well (prototype tested and reviewed), I plan around 4 additional designs of similar complexity over time, which I would prefer to assign to the same engineer.
- At this stage I am primarily looking for design‑only proposals, but I am open to separate offers that also cover:
- Support for prototype fabrication (DFM check, contact with PCB house, etc.)
- Basic bring‑up, testing support and one iteration of improvements
Please clearly indicate in your proposal whether you are quoting for:
- Design only, or
- Design + prototype fabrication support, or
- Design + fabrication support + testing/iteration.
Candidate requirements
- Proven experience designing carrier boards for Raspberry Pi CM4/CM5 or similar SOM/COM modules.
- Experience with interfaces DisplayPort / eDP / HDMI, USB 3, etc. on 4‑layer boards with controlled impedance.
- Experience with CAN bus and, ideally, marine/industrial protocols (NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, or similar) is a strong plus.
- Comfortable working from existing open‑source schematics and cleaning them up into a robust, manufacturable design.
- Able to communicate in technical English and document design decisions.
What I will provide
- Links and files for the open‑source reference designs.
- A clear list of required interfaces, connectors and mechanical constraints.
- Timely feedback during schematic and layout review.
Please include in your proposal
- examples of similar boards you have designed (carrier boards, SOM/SBC‑based designs, or high‑speed + CAN/industrial boards).
- Your preferred CAD tool and whether you can deliver source files in KiCad if needed.
- What scope you are quoting for (design only / design + fab support / design + fab + testing).
- Your pricing model (fixed‑price per project or hourly rate with an estimate of hours).