Electronic schematics and PCB designs for the Sesame Robot Project. There are two versions of the Sesame Distro Board available: V3 (current), V2 (legacy), and V1 (legacy).

Note

For Sesame Build Kits: All Sesame Build Kits include a pre-flashed Sesame Distro Board V3 (or earlier V2), so you don't need to order or assemble a board separately.

Tip

Building from Scratch? If you're building a Sesame Robot from scratch, we recommend using the S2 Mini with hand wiring approach for the easiest assembly experience. The V2/V3 distro boards use advanced SMD components that require specialized soldering skills or PCB assembly services.

Sesame Distro Board V3 (Current)

The Sesame Distro Board V3 is the latest version and features:

ESP32-S3 Processor
USB-C PD 12V (requires high quality PD charger cable)
Bambu Lab 14500 Battery Connector for cheap and effective battery powering (priority feature)
One-click order link via PCBway: Order On PCBway!
Limited stock of pre-assembled units: Full Contact Engineering Note: Due to time constraints, the USB-C PD 12V negotiation chip is slightly untested, so a high quality PD cable is necessary.

V3 Board Details and Schematics:

V3 Files Available

All files are located in the distro-v3/ directory:

Schematic source: SCH_Sesame-Distro-Board-V3.json - EasyEDA source design file for the V3 schematic
Gerber file: Gerber_Sesame-Distro-Board-V3_PCB.zip - For PCB fabrication
BOM file: BOM_Sesame-Distro-Board-V3.csv - Bill of materials for SMD components
Pick-and-Place file: PickAndPlace_PCB_Sesame-Distro-Board-V3.csv - Component placement data for assembly

Sesame Distro Board V2 (Legacy)

The Sesame Distro Board V2 is an older version. Major instabilities on battery power (brownouts due to buck converter handling) restrict this to USB only, or you must bypass the chip by soldering a separate buck converter directly to the power line. I may have extra V3 boards to send to those who ordered V2.

V2 Assembly Options (Legacy)

The V2 board consists entirely of SMD (surface-mount) components, which are advanced to hand solder. We recommend:

PCB Assembly Service (Recommended): Use PCBway's PCB assembly service to have the board professionally assembled. Upload the Gerber, BOM, and Pick-and-Place files to their assembly service.
Hand Soldering (Advanced Only): Only attempt hand soldering if you're experienced with SMD components and have the proper tools (hot air station, fine-tip soldering iron, flux, etc.).

V2 Files Available

All files are located in the distro-v2/ directory:

Schematic source: SCH_Sesame-Distro-Board-V2_2026-03-06.json - EasyEDA source design file for the V2 schematic
Gerber file: Gerber_Sesame-Distro-V2_PCB.zip - For PCB fabrication
BOM file: BOM_Sesame-Distro-V2.csv - Bill of materials for SMD components
Pick-and-Place file: PickAndPlace_PCB_Sesame-Distro-V2.csv - Component placement data for assembly

PCBway / JLCPCB Sourcing Notes

When uploading the BOM to PCBway or JLCPCB for assembly, note the following three components that require special handling:

Designator	Issue	Corrected Part	LCSC #
`U5`, `U7`	Solder Pads — these are copper pads only, no physical component is needed. Remove these lines from the BOM when ordering assembly.	N/A	N/A
`5-12V`	2-pin 3.5 mm screw terminal. Original part `1984617` (Phoenix Contact) cannot be sourced.	`XY302V-3.5-2P`	C784940
`JST-XH`	4-pin JST XH connector. Original `JST-XH-4-PIN` cannot be sourced.	`B4B-XH-A(LF)(SN)`	C144395

The BOM CSV has already been updated with the corrected parts. The solder-pad rows are marked "No Part Required" in the Name field so they are easy to identify and exclude.

Sesame Distro Board V1 (Legacy)

Caution

The Sesame Distro Board V1 is now phased out but still supported. V1 has some limitations: it won't run on tethered power (e.g., USB-C) and is harder to assemble than other options. V1 is still supported with wiring guides and firmware and works on battery power. If you have a V1 board, you can still use it successfully.

The Distro Board V1 pairs with the ESP32-DevKitC-32E.

Important

ESP32 Pin Header Requirement: The distro board V1 stacks on top of the ESP32-DevKitC-32E, so you need an ESP32 board without pre-soldered pin headers. If your board came with headers already soldered on the top, you will need to desolder all of the headers and flip them to the bottom side of the ESP32 board so the distro board can mount on top.

V1 Board Schematic:

V1 Files Available

All files are located in the distro-v1/ directory.

PCBway Sponsorship

PCBway Sponsorship

This project was sponsored by PCBway, who manufactured the custom distro boards. PCBway offers high-quality PCB fabrication services with fast turnaround times and excellent customer support.

If you're building your own Sesame Robot, PCBway is a great option for getting professional-quality PCB fabrication and assembly services at reasonable prices:

PCB Fabrication: Upload Gerber files to get boards manufactured
PCB Assembly: Upload Gerber, BOM, and Pick-and-Place files for fully assembled boards (recommended for V2)

How to Order

Ordering V3 Boards (Current)

Option 1: Pre-assembled Units (Recommended) Depending on stock availability, you can buy fully populated, pre-flashed boards directly from Full Contact Engineering.

Option 2: PCBway Assembly Service

Go to PCBway's Shared Project Page
Add to cart to order the boards fully assembled!

Option 3: Manual PCBway Assembly Service Upload

Go to PCBway's PCB Assembly service
Upload the Gerber file: distro-v3/Gerber_Sesame-Distro-Board-V3_PCB.zip
Upload the BOM file: distro-v3/BOM_Sesame-Distro-Board-V3.csv
Upload the Pick-and-Place file: distro-v3/PickAndPlace_PCB_Sesame-Distro-Board-V3.csv
Confirm board specifications and component availability

Ordering V2 Boards (Deprecated)

Option 1: PCB Assembly Service (Recommended)

Go to PCBway's PCB Assembly service
Upload the Gerber file: distro-v2/Gerber_Sesame-Distro-V2_PCB.zip
Upload the BOM file: distro-v2/BOM_Sesame-Distro-V2.csv
Upload the Pick-and-Place file: distro-v2/PickAndPlace_PCB_Sesame-Distro-V2.csv
Confirm board specifications and component availability
Place your order to receive fully assembled boards

Option 2: Fabrication Only (For Advanced Users)

Download the Gerber file from distro-v2/Gerber_Sesame-Distro-V2_PCB.zip
Upload to PCBway or another PCB manufacturer
Confirm board specifications in the preview
Order the bare PCBs and hand-solder SMD components yourself (advanced)

Ordering V1 Boards (Legacy)

Download the Gerber file from distro-v1/Gerber_Sesame-Distro-Board_PCB_Sesame-Distro-Board_V1.zip
Upload to PCBway or another PCB manufacturer
Confirm board specifications in the preview
Place your order to receive bare V1 boards