# Code-Based PCB Design with AI: Inside atopile

- Show: [OnTrack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack)
- Published: 2026-06-23
- Length: 44m
- Episode: 346
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile
- Listen: https://podcast.altium.com/e/code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile/

## Summary

Ioannis Papamanoglou and Narayan Powderly, co-founders of atopile, explain their code-based, AI-driven approach to PCB design, arguing that hardware has lagged behind software in tooling automation. They discuss how capturing engineering intent in code allows for deterministic design and seamless integration with tools like Altium Designer and LTspice, shifting the designer's role from boilerplate tasks to system architecture. The founders highlight the importance of connecting disconnected tools to improve supply chain resilience and firmware integration, while noting that the bottleneck for AI in hardware is orchestration rather than model capability.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=0) Introduction and Founder Backgrounds
- [3:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=224) The Case for Code-Based Hardware Design
- [7:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=435) AI Agents and Orchestration vs. Model Capability
- [14:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=869) Deterministic vs. Non-Deterministic Layers
- [20:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=1210) The Shifting Role of the PCB Designer
- [24:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=1464) Integration with Altium and Ecosystem Tools
- [26:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=1613) Test Board Generation and Jevons Paradox
- [35:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-06-23-code-based-pcb-design-with-ai-inside-atopile#t=2135) Firmware Integration and Supply Chain Resilience

## Topics

- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- atopile (company)
- Altium Designer (tool)
- Tesla (company)
- LTspice (tool)
- STM32 (chip)
- Zephyr (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [T-25-010 :  Ioannis Papamanoglou and Narayan Powderly - Engineers transforming how we design, test, and build hardware with atopile](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2026-01-01-t-25-010-ioannis-papamanoglou-and-narayan-powderly-engineers-transforming-how-we) (TRADEOFFS)
- [JITX Aims to Provide Superpowers to Circuit Design Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-12-20-jitx-aims-to-provide-superpowers-to-circuit-design-engineers) (Moore's Lobby)
- [205: Advances in Electronic Product Engineering Methods](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-12-14-205-advances-in-electronic-product-engineering-methods) (Product Startup)
- [Solving the Hard Problems: Combining AI and Physics for PCB Design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2026-06-23-solving-the-hard-problems-combining-ai-and-physics-for-pcb-design) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Intelligent Routing with Sergiy Nesterenko](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-04-03-intelligent-routing-with-sergiy-nesterenko) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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