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PCB Question — Parallax Forums

PCB Question

ajwardajward Posts: 1,129
edited 2012-01-25 10:12 in Robotics
Hey All...

I've been building a few circuits on perf-board and I'm really not happy with the results. Most of them have worked, but look like... well, they're way ugly.

I kinda want to venture into making my own PCB boards. Nothing too complicated... less than a dozen discrete components. Just wondering if anyone has favorite leads for "beginner kits", supplies or how-tos to do this?

Many thanks for your input!

Amanda - Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Comments

  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-11-24 13:07
    Join the Homebrew PCB group:

    http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/

    You can make your own equipment quite cheaply. Some of the PCB suppliers are now so cheap that it might not be worth making your own boards, I've had good results with ITead Studio:

    http://iteadstudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19_20&zenid=qa08tp07o8bn54mjpo155e5o16
  • hover1hover1 Posts: 1,929
    edited 2011-11-24 15:04
    A lot of us in the US use ExpressPCB. .

    Free Schematic and Board Layout software. Fast turnaround; not the cheapest, but very handy.

    Jim
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2011-12-06 16:21
    ajward

    Probably the easiest way to make your own circuit boards is with the toner transfer method. You can find a lot of information pertaining to this subject on the internet. It is always the same basic principle, however there are some that use slightly different techniques to achieve better results. You just have to look around to find what works best for you.

    Bruce
  • tobdectobdec Posts: 267
    edited 2011-12-12 08:50
    I couldn't agree more with idbruce...toner transfer is a great start, I could write volumes on home-brew PCBs. You can make your own etchant too http://www.instructables.com/id/Stop-using-Ferric-Chloride-etchant!--A-better-etc/ great stuff last forever and is environment friendly and is much cheaper than ferric-chloride. Other than that google it and above all....keep it safe!
  • KievlaninKievlanin Posts: 55
    edited 2012-01-23 16:59
    Amanda, center of the world is located in Vapnyarka, Ukraine.
    It is b-n Kiev and Odessa.
    Just so you know
    :smile:
  • Mike2545Mike2545 Posts: 433
    edited 2012-01-24 18:52
    For the cost of having a PCB made professionally, ($5 per sq inch for 3 copies) I would skip the home-brew toner transfer method. The learning curve can be steep, and they will never have plated through holes (via). Then you have to drill all the holes...etc.
    Eagle (light) the free version can make double sided board files, up to ~4" square (I think)....And there are great tutorials on you-tube for making your schematic/board.
    I got some boards done from Dork-bot http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order they are nice quality and made in the USA.
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2012-01-24 19:35
    @Mike2545

    I do not agree with your philosophy.

    Let's say you want a 3" X 3" board. At the price you quote, that is a minimum of $135, plus you have to wait for the boards to arrive. Either way, you must design the board before it can be made, and by the time you order a board and have it delivered, you can learn the toner transfer method and have your board made, providing it is not to complicated. As far as the plated vias go, simply drill a through hole between the top and bottom wire traces that you wish to connect and solder a piece of wire.

    Unless it is illegal, learning something new and saving quite a bit of money is never a bad thing.

    Bruce
  • Mike2545Mike2545 Posts: 433
    edited 2012-01-25 08:42
    @Bruce...I think your math is off...3x3=9, 9*5 is 45. You get 3 copies of your board for $45

    And its ok not to agree with the philosophy. I have talked in great detail with others about this. They have started with DIY PCB's and if they had a service like this available to them, they would have not bothered trying to make low quality boards themselves.
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2012-01-25 08:55
    Sorry about the math, I assumed it was a 3 board minimum at $5 per square inch. $45 sounds a lot more reasonable, but in reality it all depends on what you are attempting to do. The original poster stated, "I kinda want to venture into making my own PCB boards. Nothing too complicated... less than a dozen discrete components. "

    Less than a dozen components and toner transfer sounds like a match made in heaven :)
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2012-01-25 08:58
    ITead will make 10 off 10 cm x 10 cm boards (3.9" x 3.9") for $24.90.
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2012-01-25 09:04
    That is a nice price and offer, but there goes more american and british money and jobs to china
  • Mike2545Mike2545 Posts: 433
    edited 2012-01-25 10:12
    The Dork-Bot boards are done in the USA which was important to me when looking for a PCB supply house, I could have had them done cheeper in China but chose to support American workers.

    This is a picture of the first PCB I had done professionally.
    CIMG2917.jpg
    CIMG2917.jpg
    1024 x 576 - 158K
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