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PCB board info

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2000-03-27 17:46 in General Discussion
Kerry Barlow wrote:

> I struck out on finding a useable PCboard utility.After testing 10 differant
> PC board programs I found them all to have some deficiency.Mainly the price
> of buying a full package,but also auto routing and ratsnest rewiring etc
> ,there was always some gotcha.
> I wound up using the ExpressPCB program. <SNIP>

I've also used ExpressPCB. With good success.
and after you've prototyped and perfected your board (if you desire to have
professionally made boards), you can send them the file and have boards made at
a
pretty reasonable price.

Rus

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-25 17:18
    I struck out on finding a useable PCboard utility.After testing 10 differant
    PC board programs I found them all to have some deficiency.Mainly the price
    of buying a full package,but also auto routing and ratsnest rewiring etc
    ,there was always some gotcha.
    I wound up using the ExpressPCB program. I first design my circuit on
    paper and then manually route the wires using the program. This appears a
    real pain at first but really is not that bad,for low quantities of
    components. I so far have done at most 5 IC's and numerous support
    components(Resistors,caps,Diodes,plugs etc). I also design all single sided
    to save myself grief later on. This of course requires around 3-5 jumpers on
    board sometimes.This is no huge problem for home use. To print the board, I
    have the program display the board on a white background with black
    traces,and the grid turned off. I then do a screen capture of the board with
    a differant program and then print the board out to my printer on a
    transparency. I use .012 size traces as a minimum.
    If you wanted to use the double side feature,then you would eliminate any
    unwanted jumpers as well. I use the presensitized boards for PC making.
    Right now for example I am making a board for the Homebrew stamp kit. I
    have the design finished (single sided) and only 1 jumper wire. I next plan
    to add a 555 timer and 5 volt regulator to the board to make it an all in 1
    package for my small robots.
    This may give people some idea of the level of wiring I am talking about here.


    Sincerely
    Kerry
    Admin@M...
    WWW server hosting
    [url=Http://mntnweb.com]Http://mntnweb.com[/url]
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  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-25 19:23
    Hey cool, I have been printing out the pc board and recopying it to get rid of
    the
    grid. What program do you use to screen capture? I hate sending a board to be
    made
    and not testing it first!

    Rick

    Kerry Barlow wrote:

    > I struck out on finding a useable PCboard utility.After testing 10 differant
    > PC board programs I found them all to have some deficiency.Mainly the price
    > of buying a full package,but also auto routing and ratsnest rewiring etc
    > ,there was always some gotcha.
    > I wound up using the ExpressPCB program. I first design my circuit on
    > paper and then manually route the wires using the program. This appears a
    > real pain at first but really is not that bad,for low quantities of
    > components. I so far have done at most 5 IC's and numerous support
    > components(Resistors,caps,Diodes,plugs etc). I also design all single sided
    > to save myself grief later on. This of course requires around 3-5 jumpers on
    > board sometimes.This is no huge problem for home use. To print the board, I
    > have the program display the board on a white background with black
    > traces,and the grid turned off. I then do a screen capture of the board with
    > a differant program and then print the board out to my printer on a
    > transparency. I use .012 size traces as a minimum.
    > If you wanted to use the double side feature,then you would eliminate any
    > unwanted jumpers as well. I use the presensitized boards for PC making.
    > Right now for example I am making a board for the Homebrew stamp kit. I
    > have the design finished (single sided) and only 1 jumper wire. I next plan
    > to add a 555 timer and 5 volt regulator to the board to make it an all in 1
    > package for my small robots.
    > This may give people some idea of the level of wiring I am talking about
    here.
    >
    >
    > Sincerely
    > Kerry
    > Admin@M...
    > WWW server hosting
    > [url=Http://mntnweb.com]Http://mntnweb.com[/url]
    > Binghamton online Webcam [url=Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm]Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm[/url]
    > CHRISTMAS Web Page [url=Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm]Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm[/url]
    >
    >
    >
    > eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/basicstamps
    > http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-25 22:41
    I use Zcapture a program that came with PhotoFinish, a graphics program. I
    imagine any screen capture utility would work. I believe there are others at
    www.tucows.com


    At 11:23 AM 3/25/2000 -0800, you wrote:
    >Hey cool, I have been printing out the pc board and recopying it to get rid
    of the
    >grid. What program do you use to screen capture? I hate sending a board to
    be made
    >and not testing it first!
    >
    >Rick
    >
    >Kerry Barlow wrote:
    >
    >> I struck out on finding a useable PCboard utility.After testing 10 differant
    >> PC board programs I found them all to have some deficiency.Mainly the price
    >> of buying a full package,but also auto routing and ratsnest rewiring etc
    >> ,there was always some gotcha.
    >> I wound up using the ExpressPCB program. I first design my circuit on
    >> paper and then manually route the wires using the program. This appears a
    >> real pain at first but really is not that bad,for low quantities of
    >> components. I so far have done at most 5 IC's and numerous support
    >> components(Resistors,caps,Diodes,plugs etc). I also design all single sided
    >> to save myself grief later on. This of course requires around 3-5 jumpers on
    >> board sometimes.This is no huge problem for home use. To print the board, I
    >> have the program display the board on a white background with black
    >> traces,and the grid turned off. I then do a screen capture of the board with
    >> a differant program and then print the board out to my printer on a
    >> transparency. I use .012 size traces as a minimum.
    >> If you wanted to use the double side feature,then you would eliminate any
    >> unwanted jumpers as well. I use the presensitized boards for PC making.
    >> Right now for example I am making a board for the Homebrew stamp kit. I
    >> have the design finished (single sided) and only 1 jumper wire. I next plan
    >> to add a 555 timer and 5 volt regulator to the board to make it an all in 1
    >> package for my small robots.
    >> This may give people some idea of the level of wiring I am talking about
    here.
    >>
    >>
    >> Sincerely
    >> Kerry
    >> Admin@M...
    >> WWW server hosting
    >> [url=Http://mntnweb.com]Http://mntnweb.com[/url]
    >> Binghamton online Webcam [url=Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm]Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm[/url]
    >> CHRISTMAS Web Page [url=Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm]Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm[/url]
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >> 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
    >
    >
    >
    Sincerely
    Kerry
    Admin@M...
    WWW server hosting
    [url=Http://mntnweb.com]Http://mntnweb.com[/url]
    Binghamton online Webcam [url=Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm]Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm[/url]
    CHRISTMAS Web Page [url=Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm]Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm[/url]
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-25 22:49
    I concur. This is my normal mode of operation. The combination is quite
    unbeatable.

    DLc

    Rus Hardy wrote:
    >
    > Kerry Barlow wrote:
    >
    > > I struck out on finding a useable PCboard utility.After testing 10 differant
    > > PC board programs I found them all to have some deficiency.Mainly the price
    > > of buying a full package,but also auto routing and ratsnest rewiring etc
    > > ,there was always some gotcha.
    > > I wound up using the ExpressPCB program. <SNIP>
    >
    > I've also used ExpressPCB. With good success.
    > and after you've prototyped and perfected your board (if you desire to have
    > professionally made boards), you can send them the file and have boards made
    at a
    > pretty reasonable price.
    >
    > Rus
    >
    >
    > -- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar!
    > -- http://www.egroups.com/cal?listname=basicstamps&m=1

    --
    Dennis Clark http://www.verinet.com/~dlc
    dlc@v...
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-03-27 17:46
    You don't need a special program, just hit Print Screen to capture the whole
    screen or Alt-Print Screen to capture the active window.

    Original Message
    From: rick rowland [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=JU-QjEzzwj_7PvKFncH_sD7XNbad_AQeIlYIa7PR-QIyU51GdyV4wIH8WpZwx1g4GozzADHYgDS4jH2Rnv0]see3peoh@i...[/url
    Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2000 11:23 AM
    To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: PCB board info


    Hey cool, I have been printing out the pc board and recopying it to get rid
    of the
    grid. What program do you use to screen capture? I hate sending a board to
    be made
    and not testing it first!

    Rick

    Kerry Barlow wrote:

    > I struck out on finding a useable PCboard utility.After testing 10
    differant
    > PC board programs I found them all to have some deficiency.Mainly the
    price
    > of buying a full package,but also auto routing and ratsnest rewiring etc
    > ,there was always some gotcha.
    > I wound up using the ExpressPCB program. I first design my circuit on
    > paper and then manually route the wires using the program. This appears a
    > real pain at first but really is not that bad,for low quantities of
    > components. I so far have done at most 5 IC's and numerous support
    > components(Resistors,caps,Diodes,plugs etc). I also design all single
    sided
    > to save myself grief later on. This of course requires around 3-5 jumpers
    on
    > board sometimes.This is no huge problem for home use. To print the board,
    I
    > have the program display the board on a white background with black
    > traces,and the grid turned off. I then do a screen capture of the board
    with
    > a differant program and then print the board out to my printer on a
    > transparency. I use .012 size traces as a minimum.
    > If you wanted to use the double side feature,then you would eliminate any
    > unwanted jumpers as well. I use the presensitized boards for PC making.
    > Right now for example I am making a board for the Homebrew stamp kit. I
    > have the design finished (single sided) and only 1 jumper wire. I next
    plan
    > to add a 555 timer and 5 volt regulator to the board to make it an all in
    1
    > package for my small robots.
    > This may give people some idea of the level of wiring I am talking about
    here.
    >
    >
    > Sincerely
    > Kerry
    > Admin@M...
    > WWW server hosting
    > [url=Http://mntnweb.com]Http://mntnweb.com[/url]
    > Binghamton online Webcam [url=Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm]Http://MntnWeb.Com/bing.htm[/url]
    > CHRISTMAS Web Page [url=Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm]Http://mntnweb.com/xmas.htm[/url]
    >
    >
    >
    > 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
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