At 219 Design, we love creating tools that inspire creativity, spark exploration, and bring together the engineering disciplines we live and breathe every day – mechanical, electronic, firmware, and software. Last year, for our annual Stanford Alumni ME218 BBQ, we set out to design something special that captures the spirit of hands-on engineering: the ME218 Alumni PCB Ruler. It was such a big hit that we designed a new and improved version for 219 Design that a few lucky people win when they visit our booth at the MEDevice and Sensors Converge tradeshows.
This isn’t just any ruler. It’s a multi-functional development platform, a reference tool, a prototyping playground, and a conversation starter all packed into a 218mm slim form factor.
Why a PCB Ruler?
For the last 17 years, we have had a small giveaway at the Alumni BBQ, like customized pint glasses. Inspired by the popular Digikey ruler, we saw an opportunity to make something relevant to the robotics class that was a genuinely useful tool that could serve as a practical reference and a launchpad for tiny but mighty engineering experiments.
What It Does (and Why It’s Awesome)
As a bare PCB, it functions as:
- A metric and imperial ruler
- A footprint and design reference for EEs and MEs
- A reference of demos, schematics, and 3D models via QR code to online repo
As a development platform, it supports:
- Seeed Studio XIAO microcontrollers (with a flexible footprint for ESP32, nRF52, and more)
- Neopixels and button pads (with IO routing via solder jumpers)
- A screen and QWIIC connector for UI and sensor integration
- Custom 3D printed mechanical add-ons like clamps, trays, and tool holders
- Power rails, bypass caps, and protoboard areas to enable quick prototyping
Everything is open source – from the Altium design files to firmware examples and Onshape CAD models. Check out the full repo here.
Designed With Delight (and Real Engineering Constraints)
Here are just a few of the thoughtful design choices:
- 218mm length for thematic alignment with Stanford ME218
- A layout that still lets the ruler sit flat even when partially built out
- Solder jumpers that balance flexibility and ease-of-use
- Demo-friendly BOMs and wiring diagrams to make onboarding fast
- Playful reminders of fundamental engineering principles like “Check power and return”
Build It Your Way
From simple sensor reads to interactive Neopixel games, the board supports whatever you can dream up. Some projects we’ve built so far:
- Simon Says game
- Time-of-Flight measurement tool to measure beyond 218mm
- Thermal Camera
- Digital Level
- Clamp-on mechanical tools
- And more to come
Want to try one of our demos or remix it for your own project? Everything’s documented in the examples folder. And check them out in action on our Instagram page!
Where to Get One
If you are an ME218 alum (or current student), reach out via the Contact page. For non-ME218ers, hold tight! We are working on the next gen, addressing community feedback and expanding the ecosystem around the board for future MEDevice and Sensors Converge tradeshows. Stop by our booth and play our homemade plinko game to win!
Stay tuned for:
- Updated layout with an entire extra millimeter of measurement capability – now it’s 219mm long!
- Battery connector improvements
- Firmware test suites and build guides
- New 3D printable accessories
Final Thoughts
The ME218 Alumni PCB Ruler reflects how we think about engineering: practical, delightful, and collaborative. It’s part ruler, part dev board, and entirely 219.
Want to build something cool together? Let’s talk.