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PCB techniques — Parallax Forums

PCB techniques

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2000-03-28 09:40 in General Discussion
Try here:


http://www.al-williams.com/wd5gnr/pcb.htm

Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-28 00:09
    Lots of stuff at:
    http://www.lvr.com/pcbs.htm

    http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/%7Ewwl/pcbs.html

    http://w1.2671.telia.com/~u267101500/pcb/index.html


    The etching is really the simple part. I use Ferric Chloride, but we have
    some rudimentary wet lab capability. The Ammonia Persulphate is supposed to
    be much more user friendly but I haven't used it.

    If you use Ferric Chloride, you can get started by putting it in some old
    Tupperware and just putting the board in it. To make it go faster, use an
    aquarium heater to heat it up. Even faster you can use an air pump and some
    hose with holes in it to "agitate" the hot solution. Figure about 30 minutes
    to an hour in a warm room with no agitation. Maybe 5 minutes if you have it
    hot and moving. There are several cheap etching tanks which are just
    Rubbermaid containers, heaters, and an air pump, with a sparger that is just
    a slotted holder for the cards and some holes to bubble the air.

    http://www.web-tronics.com/labpcboarett.html

    You can roll your own pretty easy -- the only part that you can't get at
    WalMart is the sparger. For $40 it is easier to buy it from them. However,
    they have a bad track record of shipping it so that the aquarium heater
    breaks. They sent me 2 more before I finally got one that wasn't broken in
    shipping! On the other hand, they did ship new ones at no cost.

    Good luck!


    Regards,


    Al Williams
    AWC
    * Expand your Stamp I/O with a PAK-III or PAK-IV:
    http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak3.htm



    >
    Original Message
    > From: Aunt Bea [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=IFJmLdTHnyY00IuZ6kiEmjflWMjOCUsdZoHPYgQ05s1Vf61yAv5auqUjaUjIhXSWkDQeI3NArvge]r_fl_z@h...[/url
    > Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 4:38 PM
    > To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    > Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB techniques
    >
    >
    > Thanks Mike,
    >
    > I've read Al's description on his process of using the printer
    > technique for
    > pcb production, however it assumes you already have some pcb production
    > experience. It doesn't detail the process of actually etching
    > the board.
    > This is the help I seek.
    >
    > Thanks again.
    >
    > >From: Mike Hardwick <decade@w...>
    > >Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    > >To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    > >Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB techniques
    > >Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 12:09:27 -0800
    > >
    > >Try here:
    > >
    > >
    > >http://www.al-williams.com/wd5gnr/pcb.htm
    > >
    > >Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
    > >Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/basicstamps
    > >http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    >
    > ______________________________________________________
    >
    >
    >
    > eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/basicstamps
    > http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
    >
    >
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-28 00:22
    On Mon, 27 Mar 2000, Al Williams wrote:

    > You can roll your own pretty easy -- the only part that you can't get at
    > WalMart is the sparger. For $40 it is easier to buy it from them. However,
    > they have a bad track record of shipping it so that the aquarium heater
    > breaks. They sent me 2 more before I finally got one that wasn't broken in
    > shipping! On the other hand, they did ship new ones at no cost.


    Al is right - rolling your own is really easy. I have a couple pics of
    mine up at:

    http://diehumans.anubis.ab.ca/proj/etchtank/


    Optimal heat for the etch solution is 100 degrees F. Also, if you drill
    mounting holes in your PCBs you can make a pseudo-sparger by threading
    insulated wire through a couple of the mounting holes and 'hang' the PCB
    in the solution like that.
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-28 01:17
    I've been using presensitized resist boards from GC Tech. Copy or print
    circuit design on transaprency. hold transparency flat to board with a
    piece of glass. It has to be flush on the board to get detail. In a dark
    (closet) room, expose board with proper light (instructions come with board
    - lights available from Grainger's). Develop board with matching GCtech
    developer and the resist washes off. Then etch board in ferric chloride
    solution (RadioShack) until the unwanted copper areas are gone. Radio shack
    has a little kit that is good for a first try.
    Roger

    At 07:53 PM 3/27/00 GMT, you wrote:
    >Greets to the group.
    >
    >I'm seeking a tutorial on PCB fabrication...covering transparency production
    >and etching practices...for the beginner. Any suggestions would be
    >appreciated. TIA.
    >______________________________________________________
    >
    >
    >-- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar!
    >-- http://www.egroups.com/cal?listname=basicstamps&m=1
    >
    >
    >
    >

    Roger Edberg
    rjedberg@c...
    http://www.cruzio.com/~pgraphic
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-28 02:08
    I use a small tupperware bowl with ferric chloride and heat the solution
    with a 250 watt heat lamp about 8 inches above. Every few minutes I grab
    the board by edge and swish it around. The board is usually done in ~ 20
    min. If you are chicken, use rubber gloves[noparse]:)[/noparse] I do wear glasses to protect
    against splashes or the lamp breaking.

    Ray McArthur
    Original Message
    From: <donp@c...>
    To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 6:22 PM
    Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB techniques


    > Optimal heat for the etch solution is 100 degrees F. Also, if you drill
    > mounting holes in your PCBs you can make a pseudo-sparger by threading
    > insulated wire through a couple of the mounting holes and 'hang' the PCB
    > in the solution like that.
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-28 03:53
    Greets to the group.

    I'm seeking a tutorial on PCB fabrication...covering transparency production
    and etching practices...for the beginner. Any suggestions would be
    appreciated. TIA.
    ______________________________________________________
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-28 06:38
    Thanks Mike,

    I've read Al's description on his process of using the printer technique for
    pcb production, however it assumes you already have some pcb production
    experience. It doesn't detail the process of actually etching the board.
    This is the help I seek.

    Thanks again.

    >From: Mike Hardwick <decade@w...>
    >Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    >To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    >Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB techniques
    >Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 12:09:27 -0800
    >
    >Try here:
    >
    >
    >http://www.al-williams.com/wd5gnr/pcb.htm
    >
    >Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
    >Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!
    >
    >
    >
    >eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/basicstamps
    >http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
    >
    >
    >
    >

    ______________________________________________________
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-28 09:40
    Rockin !!!!

    Thanks Al.

    >From: "Al Williams" <alw@a...>
    >Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    >To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    >Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB techniques
    >Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 17:09:54 -0600
    >
    >Lots of stuff at:
    >http://www.lvr.com/pcbs.htm
    >
    >http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/%7Ewwl/pcbs.html
    >
    >http://w1.2671.telia.com/~u267101500/pcb/index.html
    >
    >
    >The etching is really the simple part. I use Ferric Chloride, but we have
    >some rudimentary wet lab capability. The Ammonia Persulphate is supposed to
    >be much more user friendly but I haven't used it.
    >
    >If you use Ferric Chloride, you can get started by putting it in some old
    >Tupperware and just putting the board in it. To make it go faster, use an
    >aquarium heater to heat it up. Even faster you can use an air pump and some
    >hose with holes in it to "agitate" the hot solution. Figure about 30
    >minutes
    >to an hour in a warm room with no agitation. Maybe 5 minutes if you have it
    >hot and moving. There are several cheap etching tanks which are just
    >Rubbermaid containers, heaters, and an air pump, with a sparger that is
    >just
    >a slotted holder for the cards and some holes to bubble the air.
    >
    >http://www.web-tronics.com/labpcboarett.html
    >
    >You can roll your own pretty easy -- the only part that you can't get at
    >WalMart is the sparger. For $40 it is easier to buy it from them. However,
    >they have a bad track record of shipping it so that the aquarium heater
    >breaks. They sent me 2 more before I finally got one that wasn't broken in
    >shipping! On the other hand, they did ship new ones at no cost.
    >
    >Good luck!
    >
    >
    >Regards,
    >
    >
    >Al Williams
    >AWC
    >* Expand your Stamp I/O with a PAK-III or PAK-IV:
    >http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak3.htm
    >
    >
    >
    > >
    Original Message
    > > From: Aunt Bea [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=YMXcj3f5wXxqytZUYmKWXeEBdoi1jz6v2EyInTnGL1DEc5ReSn31UEgowuw1Ug2GfMtedKjLwp59]r_fl_z@h...[/url
    > > Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 4:38 PM
    > > To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    > > Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB techniques
    > >
    > >
    > > Thanks Mike,
    > >
    > > I've read Al's description on his process of using the printer
    > > technique for
    > > pcb production, however it assumes you already have some pcb production
    > > experience. It doesn't detail the process of actually etching
    > > the board.
    > > This is the help I seek.
    > >
    > > Thanks again.
    > >
    > > >From: Mike Hardwick <decade@w...>
    > > >Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    > > >To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    > > >Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB techniques
    > > >Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 12:09:27 -0800
    > > >
    > > >Try here:
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >http://www.al-williams.com/wd5gnr/pcb.htm
    > > >
    > > >Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
    > > >Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!
    > > >
    > >
    > >
    > > >
    > > >eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/basicstamps
    > > >http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > >
    > > ______________________________________________________
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/basicstamps
    > > http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
    > >
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    >
    >-- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar!
    >-- http://www.egroups.com/cal?listname=basicstamps&m=1
    >
    >

    ______________________________________________________
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